Enroll In AUGEX5B Special Immersion: MN Urban Debate League
By taking part in MNUDL’s Augsburg Experience course, you’ll help Twin Cities students become champion debaters!
The Minnesota Urban Debate League, a program of Augsburg University, makes debate teams possible in Twin Cities schools for 1,400+ students! For the first time, MNUDL is now an Augsburg Experience program.
Any undergraduate student who started fall of 2002 or later, as a first year student or transfer student, needs to complete at least one Augsburg Experience as part of the University’s general education “signature” requirements.
The Augsburg Experience enables students to gain first hand experience beyond the campus that links the liberal arts, classroom knowledge and skills with the larger world. This significant and practical element of your education will provide you opportunities to help you realize your capabilities draw out your potential, better equip you to make professional choices and engage you as an active participant in our local and global communities.
AUGEX5B Special Immersion: MN Urban Debate League
You can support our youth and gain valuable skills as part of the AUGEX5B Special Immersion: MN Urban Debate League course.
Benefits of participating:
- No debate experience is required – this opportunity is open to everyone!
- This counts toward your Augsburg Experience requirement, but it’s a 0-credit course, so you do NOT have to pay for participation.
- No specific major requirement!
- By participating, you can become qualified to judge multiple types of debate, which can lead to future paying gigs with the MNUDL!
Schedule & Registration Information
The spring 2025 semester course will take place from 12:30-1:30 PM on Fridays. The location will be the Anderson Hall basement (near the Campus Cupboard and MNUDL office.)
You’ll complete 40 hours supporting the MNUDL (20 must be completed off-campus.)
Use this document to find instructions for registration and use this link to register!
Why Support MNUDL Debate?
By learning how to become an effective debate judge, you’ll help Twin Cities middle school and high school students improve their debate skills. In the process, they’ll improve their academic skills, as shown by our recent outcomes.
For years, MNUDL has partnered directly with Minneapolis Public Schools and Saint Paul Public Schools’ research offices to compare students who debate versus their peers. This comparison is rigorously controlled, meaning the researchers factor in race, income, and previous academic outcomes. Our MPS reports have shown:
- Both our 2022-23 and 2021-22 report show astonishing impacts of debate on attendance: 96% of debaters met attendance standards compared to only 30% of peers in 2022-23 and 97% of debaters did compared to 20% of peers in 2021-22.
- 3 years of consistent findings that show debaters vs. non-debaters have 12-14% annual increase in MCA reading scores, after controlling for race, income, and previous academic success.
- Debaters were more likely to reach benchmarks on the 2023 spring ACT, with 67% meeting English standards versus 56% of peers (9% gap) and 61% meeting Reading standards compared to 51% of peers (10% gap).
- Debaters are more likely to be credit ready for graduation (94% of MNUDL debaters versus 77% of peers)
- In a previous MPS report, 58% of students of color who have done debate took either one or multiple advanced courses (AP or IB) compared to 39% of MPS peers.
Debate is so much more than an after-school activity. It’s a fantastic way for students to learn skills that will set them up for success in college, careers, and beyond! You can be a part of it when you register ASAP for AUGEX5B.
Questions? Contact:
Johan at udlvolunteers@augsburg.edu.
