See the front-page article in the San Francisco Chronicle!

Rashid energizes our awesome students in the final Circle Chant of the institute.

The Fourth Annual BAUDL Summer Institute (August 1-5, 2011) in Oakland was attended by an energetic group of young people from throughout the Bay Area. Made possible by the generous support of the Julia Burke Foundation, this event brought students from public schools in Oakland and San Francisco together with top debate educators from around the country to delve into the most pressing issues of the day.

Lateefah Simon, MacArthur Genius Grant Winner and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee on Civil Rights, provided a guest lecture that was one of the institutes highlights as she described how she utilized debate as a tool for change and advocacy in her personal and professional life.

Beyond the rigorous debate training, one of the most important things was the community building, particularly the circle chants led by the BAUDL’s very own, Rashid Campbell, alumnus of the Skyline Debate Team and current University of Oklahoma star debater. The boisterous and energetic chants set the day on a positive and productive tone for students, institute staff and our amazing teachers.

Continue reading ‘Fourth Annual Summer Institute: Students Thrive through Debate’