From leading nations, to standing up for human rights, to running the world’s most important organizations, women continue to shape the world through the power of their voice and leadership. Along with Women’s Debate Institute, we present a cross-cultural mentorship platform with students and mentors from around the world.
The Women’s Debate Institute’s (WDI) mission is to advocate for and facilitate a more gender-inclusive environment that advances educational and professional opportunities for marginalized gender identities. The session will equip young women with transformative power of debate. The objective of the workshop is to assist them in cultivating skills necessary to be successful debaters, effective advocates, exceptional public speakers, and educated professionals with the ability to transform our world.
30 school girls, from grade 8th-12th, from across the country, will be nominated by their school to participate in this Focus Group learning event.
There is no participation or application fee.
A 90 minutes long session focused on building advocacy skills, community building and confidence.
A select group of 30 girl students (Grade 8th-12th) 15 girls will be nominated by WDI and 15 girls from India. Making it a truly global classroom
Learn with Leaders and SpeakUp in collaboration with Women’s Debate Institute, USA.
Rae Lynn Schwartz-DuPre, (PhD, University of Iowa) is a Professor of Communication Studies and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Western Washington University in Bellingham WA. Her research and teaching centers on feminism, postcolonialism, rhetoric, identity, and popular culture in primary U.S. contexts. She is the author of: Curious about George: Curious George, Cultural Icons, Colonialism, & U.S. Exceptionalism (University Press of Mississippi, 2021) and Communicating Colonialism: Readings on Postcolonial Theory(s) and Communication (Peter Lang, 2014). Her scholarship has also appeared in journals such as Feminist Media Studies, Critical Studies in Media Communication, Textual Practice, Communication, Culture & Critique and The Journal of Contemporary Argumentation and Debate. At Western Washington University she Chair’s the University Social Justice and Equity Committee and is a member of the President’s Structural Equity and Bias Response Team. She has been a board member of the Women’s Debate Institute since 2005.
Nicole D. Nave has been involved in debate for over a decade. During her time in high school, she debated for the Saint Louis Urban Debate League where she was inspired to continue competitive debate throughout college becoming the first Black Woman to “re-unite the crowns” winning both the NDT and CEDA in 2017. Nicole was also the first Black woman to win the NDT. Nicole’s competitive success in debate has led to her dedicating her career to empowering gender minorities in debate. Upon graduating from Rutgers University - Newark with a degree in Non-Profit organizations and Public Administration,Nicole became the Executive Director of the Women’s Debate Institute. Serving the community for over 20 years Nicole is the first Black woman to lead the organization and continues to build partnerships throughout the community to forward the WDI’s anti-harassment program. Teaching and directing debate for Northstar Academy in Newark, New Jersey, provided Nicole with the opportunity to continue her success as a coach in competitive debate. Coaching several teams to the high school Tournament of Champions in policy debate Nicole continues to advocate for diversity in argumentation. Nicole is currently pursuing her master’s in communication at the Baylor University and continues to dedicate her academic work to the inclusion of Black girls in debate.
Marge is an assistant debate coach for Michigan State University and Niles North high school. Before working with MSU, Marge worked at Cal Berkeley, coaching multiple teams to NDT elims. She graduated from Michigan state in 2016 with a degree in mathematics, where she was a fourth place Copeland panelist, NAtional Debate Tournament semifinalist, and Kentucky round robin champion.
Sarah Partlow Lefevre is a Professor in Communication, Media, and Persuasion at Idaho State University. She earned her PhD with honors from the University of Kansas. Dr. Partlow Lefevre has directed the Rupp Debate Society at Idaho State since 2001. She is the Director of the National Debate Tournament. The Rupp Debate Society has won hundreds of awards in NDT, IPDA, British Parliamentary, and Individual Events competitions during her tenure. Dr. Partlow Lefevre has received the Galentine Coaching Award, the George Ziegelmueller Career Coaching Award, the Lucy Keele Award and was twice named Critic of the Year in the Rocky Mountain Region. Dr. Partlow Lefevre studies argumentation and rhetoric. She recently appeared on France 24 English to discuss the first 2020 presidential debate and was quoted in USA Today in the 2016 election cycle.