Bill Lawhorn, economist with the Bureau of Leadership Statistics, explains: “Debaters must have strong research skills, think quickly, and communicate well. Debate clubs help students develop analytical and logical reasoning. Both colleges and employers value these skills.”

Our program helps students bolster their 21st Century Skills outside the classroom. Critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication are attributes employers identify as most necessary for success in the modern workplace – particularly in the fast-paced, innovative fields of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM).

Each year, debaters nationwide gain in-depth knowledge about real-world topics through the process of researching, debating, and competing. A sample of the last few years of debate topics demonstrates how students learn more than just the facts – they come to understand how science and technology interact with everyday life and policy decision-making.

You will find students debating STEM-related topics in our community-led programs, like the impact of Mars Colonization in our middle school debate league (2020), the ethics of genetic engineering in our Spanish Debate League (2019), and the regulation of social media technology (Spanish Debate League, 2021).

Each year, debaters nationwide gain in-depth knowledge about real-world topics through the process of researching, debating, and competing. A sample of the last few years of debate topics demonstrates how students learn more than just the facts – they come to understand how science and technology interact with everyday life and policy decision-making.

Sara Blakely is the inventor of Spanx and now a top female philanthropist. Back In high school, she was a cheerleader and debate team member. She continued refining her public speaking skills on the debate team at Florida State University.

Blakely says: “I’ve never paid to advertise, so grass-roots marketing was vital to the success of Spanx. I was also very active on the FSU debate team, and I took a lot of public speaking courses. Both helped me with my speeches and TV appearances.” (Tallahassee Magazine)

John Macken is a retired laser physicist who is an inventor with 36 US patents. While studying engineering at St. Mary’s College of California, he was a member of the debate team.

According to a profile from St Mary’s College of California, “Macken says the confidence and verbal skills he learned through debate later helped him obtain government contracts in the aerospace industry and effectively manage people… science and philosophy at SMC taught me how to think,” he says. “Debate taught me how to effectively communicate those thoughts.”(Source: St Mary’s College of California)

Paul McEnroe invented the vertical bar code, which has become a worldwide standard. A decade earlier, he had studied engineering at the University of Dayton. While studying there, he was part of the debate team at the University of Dayton.

Reflecting on his experience, McEnroe says, “I was on the debate team, and the public speaking skills I gained have helped me immensely. So many young engineers today can’t sell their ideas. To succeed in engineering, you have to be able to convince a company to develop your product.” (University of Dayton eCommons)

“I’m so grateful for being on the speech and debate team. It was through all those practice sessions and communication skills that I could do things like ace my college interview and to land my first job and ace that as well. Over the years, I have used my speech and debate skills to lead companies and build products.”

“Debate taught me how to form and defend a logical argument, how to think on my feet, and how to speak in a public forum. These skills became invaluable since I have used them continuously throughout my career.”