Local Students Shine at 2025 East African Debate Championship
The East African Debate League unites talented debaters to discuss issues that are important to the Twin Cities’ local East African community. The 2025 topic centered around the question of what type of educational spaces support East African students better: integrated or culturally-specific classrooms. It was an invitation for the students to reflect on their own experiences, grounded in information they learned from existing research and advocacy.
The East African Debate League was developed to provide East African middle and high school students the opportunity to gain the cutting-edge academic skills debate provides. In the process of learning how to defend the pros and cons of both sides of the issue, participants built crucial argumentation, public speaking, and critical thinking skills.
At the championship tournament, students had the opportunity to earn two types of awards: partnership awards and team awards. Partnership awards are given to the debate partners with the top win/loss records. Speaker awards recognize the students who had the strongest individual performances, awarded top points by our trained judges.
We want to recognize the achievement of top competitors at the Middle School and High School division of our Championship tournament:
East African Middle School Debate Championship Results:
Partnership Awards (Top 5)
- Champions: Ugbad A., Muna A., & Najma A.(Sullivan)
- 2nd Place: Nasteho M. & Muna A. (Sullivan)
- 3rd Place: Yussef M. & Abdullahi S. (Sullivan)
- 4th Place: Zema Y. & Belen Y. (Capitol Hill Magnet School)
- 5th Place: Madina S. (Northeast Middle)
Speaker Awards (Top 10)
- Top Speaker: Zema Y. (Capitol Hill Magnet)
- 2nd Place: Belen Y. (Capitol Hill Magnet)
- 3rd Place: Najma A. (Sullivan)
- 4th Place: Madina S. (Northeast)
- 5th Place: Naima A. (Sullivan)
- 6th Place: Muhsin J. (Sullivan)
- 7th Place: Muna A. (Sullivan)
- 8th Place: Azhar A. (Sullivan)
- 9th Place: Sumaya A. (Northeast)
- 10th Place: Sakaria M. (East African Magnet School)
East African High School Debate Championship Results:
Partnership Awards:
- Champions: Salman O. & Ayan A. (Thomas Edison)
- 2nd Place: Ayub A. & Zakaria O. (Thomas Edison)
- 3rd Place: Anisa S. & Ahmed A. (Thomas Edison)
- 4th Place: Gudon A. & Khadra J. (Roosevelt HS)
- 5th Place: Yusra K. & Oumlhar A. (Thomas Edison)
Speakers Awards (Top 10)
- Top Speaker: Isra I. (Heritage)
- 2nd Place: Shukri B. (Roosevelt)
- 3rd Place: Salman O. (Thomas Edison)
- 4th Place: Sabrin A. (Roosevelt)
- 5th Place: Ayan A. (Thomas Edison)
- 6th Place: Zakaria O. (Thomas Edison)
- 7th Place: Ayub A. (Thomas Edison)
- 8th Place: Dahaba S. (Washburn HS)
- 9th Place: Anisa S. (Thomas Edison)
- 10th Place: Gudon A. (Roosevelt HS)
A special thank you goes to all the coaches who have worked diligently to prepare their teams for success, and to Washburn High School for graciously hosting this championship. Your hospitality and support helped create an environment where our students could excel.
Our Students in Action
Students carefully read their evidence during a debate round.
Highly-ranked competitors proudly received medals from MNUDL staff members.
One of our trained debate judges times the students as they prepare their next speeches on the fly.
Our Edison High School team coach proudly takes photos at the award ceremony.
Edison High School’s East African Debate team poses with their coach.
Find more pictures from the event at Marina Que Photography.
Thank you to Youthprise, Ka Joog, and MN DEED for partnering to make this work possible through the African Immigrant Youth Career Development Grant Program.
