NYU Policy Debate

NYU Policy Debate NYUCEDA's mission is debate excellence in competition & in the community. Mtgs: Wed 7:30pm (GCASL) Visit nyudebate.org

Students find their voice, become effective listeners & devote 100s of hrs to extending debate's transformative power to others. In the mid-90s, the NYU CEDA debate team was founded by an experienced debater (Jacob Weigler) and a veteran debate coach, Will Baker. Weigler and Baker recognized the importance of a new form of debate structure that was inclusive and balanced the educational requiremen

ts of a nationally competitive university with the rigors of competitive academic debate. They recruited a number of novices and committed to finding ways for all NYU students to compete. NYU became a forerunner in applying critical theory to debate in ways that would challenge the assumptions of policymakers and shape the development of argument theory innovation. NYU's CEDA team has been a success story since its inception four decades ago. In its first season debating the Mexico topic, NYU won awards in the Novice, JV and Open division despite starting competition in the middle of the year. The rapid success of the NYU team is thanks in part to its membership in the NY Coalition of Colleges, a program of the IMPACT Coalition. In 1991, Baker created a consortium of urban college debate programs at Columbia University, Rockland Community College and Queens College called the NY Coalition of Colleges [NYCC] to match the resources of larger traditional programs. The award-winning model supported programs at the college level that would not be able to start, much less maintain policy debate, without collaboration. Queens, Rockland and IMPACT’s support extended NYU’s four-figure budget into a five-figure one allowing travel from NY to California, Texas to Tucson and national prestige. After graduating five schools, [NYU, New School, Fordham, Columbia & CUNY] into successful teams using the NYCC program-building cooperative model, some NYU alumni who have become leading figures in their own rights [Keenan, Rubino, Patrice] are still active informally in new program development. NYU went on to national stature qualifying teams to the NDT, winning the CEDA National Championship [2003] , the first East region team to secure that honor and finishing ranked in the top 20 in the country for 18 consecutive years. NYUCEDA debaters are also passionate about service volunteering in excess of 400 hours annually. The team partners with the Brewer Foundation to deliver the annual International Public Policy Forum, hosts events for new regional programs, provides outreach to hundreds of underserved high school and middle school students and participates in social justice initiatives to respond to crises. With a 40-50 member squad, student travel is contingent on evidence production, preparedness, team service, community service, and performance. On average, we attend between 14 and 20 tournaments a year. Typical regional travel plans include: Cornell, Binghamton, West Point, Rochester, Monmouth, New School, Novice Nationals, JV Nationals, NDT District Qualifiers, CEDA East Regional Championships. When preparation and talent merits it, our national travel includes: Harvard, Northwestern, U of Texas-Austin, Georgetown, Wake, UNLV, UT-Dallas, CSU-Long Beach, Houston, Kentucky, CEDA Nationals, NDT and online events at Wayne State, Indiana, University of Minnesota and the Big Tent Online.

It is simply unfathomable to me that a small initiative in Dallas, Tx has grown into one of the foremost efforts to make...
04/20/2026

It is simply unfathomable to me that a small initiative in Dallas, Tx has grown into one of the foremost efforts to make debate accessible in the world. The NYU CEDA debate team is immensely proud of our 25 year partnership with the Brewer Foundation to administer the International Public Policy Forum bringing the transformative power of debate to over 10,000 students in more than 38 countries. I'm both exhausted from an incredible weekend of debates with our Elite 8 teams and our 1st Annual Symposium of Experts and excited for the possibilities for the next 50 years. I'm committing right now to redoubling my efforts to extend debate to disenfranchised communities this year internationally and domestically. Please consider this a CALLOUT to every NDT/CEDA program in the nation. I'm not waiting 2 weeks to recover. Since this initiative is 100% free for any school that registers by July, do not tell me what kids in black and brown communities can't do. Send me names of dedicated principals, teachers, underappreciated coaches and school district leaders & I'll them what they CAN do. Talk is cheap. Doing nothing is costly for a generation who desperately needs tools to disagree better, advocate for those they care about, frame arguments so that the powerful listen and discern ideas backed by evidence from AI slop. FB, email, smoke signals, whatever. Take 5 minutes to reach out and change trajectories. MAKE CALLS NOT EXCUSES. Peace.

12/31/2025

Thanks to NYU debaters and alums for helping complete the latest round of ballots for the International Public Policy Forum! We were excited to be joined this round by debaters from Texas Southern University and Howard University as this initiatve continues to reach more talented high schoolers around the world.

I'm grateful for the work of our Student Coordinators Nicole, Grace, and Anaya to support this vital community service endeavor.

The "Top 32" teams represent schools in 14 U.S. states and nine countries, including Turkey and Vietnam.

If you know one of these schools, shout them out or give a like. Results of the Top 64 Round are below:

Syosset High School from Syosset, New York (Team 1) advances over KIPS College Sargodha / Aitchison College from Punjab, Pakistan (Team 2) – (3-0)
Kealakehe Public High School from Kailua Kona, Hawaii (Team 3) advances over The Hockaday School from Dallas, Texas (Team 4) – (2-1)
BASIS International School Shenzhen from Shenzhen, China (Team 6) advances over Cypress Ranch High School from Cypress, Texas (Team 5) – (2-1)
Bergen Debate Club from Fort Lee, New Jersey (Team 8) advances over Upper St. Clair High School from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Team 7) – (2-1)
Seido Mikawadai High School from Nagasaki, Japan (Team 10) advances over Solon High School from Solon, Ohio (Team 9) – (2-1)
Jasper High School from Plano, Texas (Team 12) advances over Westwood High School 1 from Austin, Texas (Team 11) – (2-1)
Ivy Bridge Academy 1 (Team 14) advances over Speech & Debate India from Mumbai, India (Team 13) – (2-1)
Greenwich High School from Greenwich, Connecticut (Team 16) advances over San Marino High School from San Marino, California (Team 15) – (2-1)
Carroll Senior High School from Southlake, Texas (Team 18) advances over Summit Christian Academy from Yorktown, Virginia (Team 17) – (2-1)
Pomperaug Regional High School from Southbury, Connecticut (Team 19) advances over Shanghai Pinghe School from Shanghai, China (Team 20) – (2-1)
North Allegheny Senior High School from Wexford, Pennsylvania (Team 22) advances over Westwood High School 2 from Austin, Texas (Team 21) -
Flower Mound High School from Flower Mound, Texas (Team 24) advances over Shanghai American School Puxi from Shanghai, China (Team 23) – (2-1)
TH School from Hanoi, Vietnam (Team 26) advances over Mountain View-Los Altos Speech and Debate from Mountain View, California (Team 25) – (2-1)
Hamilton High School from Chandler, Arizona (Team 27) advances over Notre Dame High School from Sherman Oaks, California (Team 28) – (2-1)
The Academy of Classical Christian Studies from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Team 30) advances over Newark Academy from Livingston, New Jersey (Team 29) – (2-1)
Çevre High School from Istanbul, Turkey (Team 32) advances over The Episcopal School of Dallas from Dallas, Texas (Team 31) – (3-0)
Jabberwocky Studio from Delhi, India (Team 33) advances over Washington High School from Fremont, California (Team 34) – (2-1)
Ivy Bridge Academy 2 from Johns Creek, Georgia (Team 35) advances over Debate Education Forum High Wycombe, United Kingdom (Team 36) – (2-1)
Delbarton School from Morristown, New Jersey (Team 38) advances over American School Dhahran from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (Team 37) – (2-1)
Grand Oaks High School from Spring, Texas (Team 40) advances over College Preparatory School of America from Lombard, Illinois (Team 39) – (2-1)
Notre Dame San Jose from San Jose, California (Team 41) advances over Richland High School from Prosper, Texas (Team 42) – (2-1)
Phillips Exeter Academy Andover from Andover, Massachusetts (Team 44) advances over Orlando Science High School from Orlando, Florida (Team 43) – (2-1)
Millburn High School from Millburn, New Jersey (Team 46) advances over King George British International School from Bucharest, Romania (Team 45) – (2-1)
German European School Singapore from Singapore (Team 48) advances over Brookfield East High School from Brookfield, Wisconsin (Team 47) – (3-0)
Troy High School from Troy, Michigan (Team 49) advances over PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya 1, AFS Sambra from Karnataka, India (Team 50) – (2-1)
Phillips Exeter Academy from Exeter, New Hampshire (Team 51) advances over Saratoga High School from Saratoga, California (Team 52) – (2-1)
Saint Paul Preparatory Seoul from Seoul, Republic of Korea (Team 53) advances over Rock Canyon High School from Highlands Ranch, Colorado (Team 54) – (2-1)
Nova High School from Davie, Florida (Team 56) advances over Panther Creek High School from Frisco, Texas (Team 55) – (2-1)
Damien Memorial School from Honolulu, Hawaii (Team 58) advances over British International School Abu Dhabi from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Team 57) (3-0)
Westwood High School (Team 3) from Austin, Texas (Team 60) advances over Seoul International School from Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea (Team 59) – (2-1)
Marymount Academy International from Montreal, Canada (Team 62) advances over Woodberry Forest School from Woodberry Forest, Virginia (Team 61) – (2-1)
Northport High School from Northport, New York (Team 64) advances over Alpha Co from La Crescenta, California (Team 63) – (2-1)

Send a message to learn more

Great work, NYU debaters. The hundreds of essays you graded led to this announcement of the top 64 IPPF teams from aro...
11/04/2025

Great work, NYU debaters. The hundreds of essays you graded led to this announcement of the top 64 IPPF teams from around the world. On to the next round!

11/04/2025
Great job, everyone judging hundreds of essays to make this happen! Here are the advancing HS IPPF teams from all over ...
11/04/2025

Great job, everyone judging hundreds of essays to make this happen! Here are the advancing HS IPPF teams from all over the world:

Thanks to everyone who attended last night's judge training! NYU CEDA and the NYU Global Debate Fund are honored to par...
10/16/2025

Thanks to everyone who attended last night's judge training! NYU CEDA and the NYU Global Debate Fund are honored to participate in this Global Community Service project serving over 1200 students from 35 plus countries annually.

GREAT NEWS. The Brewer Foundation extended the IPPF Early Bird deadline to August 15th! The International Public Policy...
07/29/2025

GREAT NEWS. The Brewer Foundation extended the IPPF Early Bird deadline to August 15th! The International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) is a unique, accessible opportunity to compete with elite high schools for scholarships & global recognition. This is the 25th Anniversary of the partnership between Brewer Attorneys and the NYU CEDA team administering the IPPF. If you sign-up by the deadline, the program is entirely FREE. Pre-registration takes under 3 minutes. Visit https://lnkd.in/esuKSUfq . And if a school decides not to compete, there's no penalty fee.

For the opening round, your team will have months to submit ONE essay per team in favor or opposing the resolution. Early registrants gain access to sample winning essays and other supports for students & teachers.

The top 64 essay submissions advance. The top 8 teams win an all-expenses paid trip to New York City for team members & their coach.

Don't worry if your school doesn't have a debate team. Many schools engage English, Humanities or Social Studies classes with students that want scholarships.

Don't miss out! Join the 275 teams in 35 countries already pre-registered for this incredible event!

TUESDAY July 15th is the Early Bird registration deadline for the 2025-26 International Public Policy Forum. This globa...
07/14/2025

TUESDAY July 15th is the Early Bird registration deadline for the 2025-26 International Public Policy Forum. This global essay competition presents a unique, accessible opportunity for students worldwide to compete with other elite high schools for college scholarships & awards. Register today at https://lnkd.in/esuKSUfq in less than 3 minutes.

Once registered, teams have months to submit ONE essay in favor or opposing the resolution. Through the Circle of Champions, the IPPF website and NYU's CEDA Debate team, schools gain access to samples of great essays, training videos and tons of support.

The top 64 submissions advance. The top 8 teams win all-expense paid trips to New York City with their coach.

Also, if you register today and change your mind later about competing, there's no penalty fee.

Share this with students that you coach/tutor as well as your alma mater. Teams from China, Vancouver, India and other bastions of debate are welcome. Your essays are graded and evaluated in English.

Join the nearly 100 other schools globally that already pre-registered.

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