CDL – NAUDL Partnership on Young Professional Volunteer Opportunity

The Chicago Debate League and the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues are partnering on an exciting new volunteer opportunity for young professionals in Chicago.

The CDL is seeking three schools who wish to take part in this initiative during the 2014/15 school year. This initiative is open to schools from any conference, and ideally we’d like to have a blend of schools from different conferences.

If you’re interested, contact Les by Friday, 5/9, with a statement of your interest and commitment to fulfill the obligations below.

Benefits for Participating Schools

•  Coaching input and feedback for your debaters from former National Circuit debaters
• Opportunity to develop a broader relationship between current young professionals in Chicago who are committed to urban debate and your debate program
• Access to new prospective judges
• Two hours of CDL professional development credit for each event that a coach attends

Obligations of Participating Schools

• Preparation for and attendance at two young professionals volunteer events, with one coach and 5 – 10 debaters
• Communication with young professionals in between events
• Lunch with young professionals at CDL T5 during SY2015

This young professionals volunteer program is structured around two events led by the volunteers and a third lunch meeting between the volunteers and the participating schools at T5.

Here are further details about these events.

Event #1: Oceans Topic — Early Research Directions
Date: Weekday during the first week in June
Location: Jenner & Block LLP
Summary: Students will present newly researched arguments on the oceans policy topic, using a mini-debate format, and will get critiques and feedback from YLPB members. This is an opportunity to try out new arguments you’ve been working to develop on the oceans topic, or to draw from arguments being developed as part of the CDL or NAUDL Core Files.

Schedule
4:30-5:15pm Dinner, *short meeting with YPLB members only to debrief volunteering expectations and guidelines
5:15-5:30pm Meet and greet activity with volunteers
5:30-6:45pm Mini-debates on newly researched oceans policy issues.
6:45-7:30pm Expert panel reflects on and critiques teams’ arguments and debate performance.

Event #2: Diving into the Debate Season
Date: September
Location: Jenner & Block LLP
Summary: To review progress and provide continuing feedback to prepare debaters for the upcoming season.

Schedule
4:30-5:00pm Dinner
5:00-5:45pm Great Debaters “showdown” between 4 YPLB members
5:45-7:00pm Mini-debates using the CDL Core Files and CDL-school developed arguments, judged by one to two Board members
7:00-7:30pm Expert panel reflects on and critiques teams’ arguments and debate performance.

Event #3: Conference Championship Support
Date: February
Summary: Board Members will provide judging assistance at one of the four CDL Conference Championships (T5). Board members will be able to visit with participating schools to see their partner-schools in action over lunch.