Rural Debate Initiative

?? Wall Street Connection Leadership Seminar ?? Chris W. delivered an exceptional seminar about his nonprofit, Wall Street Connection, which educates low-income Louisiana students in financial literacy, investment strategies, and equips them to compete in financial competitions. His dedication and expertise provided us with fresh perspectives and strategies for enhancing financial education initiatives. A standout moment from the session was learning about the organization's long-term commitment to its students, maintaining contact throughout their education and supporting their journey into careers in the financial industry. This holistic approach truly sets Wall Street Connection apart, ensuring students are not only equipped with knowledge but also guided to succeed in the financial sector. Our interns left the seminar inspired and more aware of the importance of financial literacy from a young age. Thank you, Chris, for your dedication, insights, and invaluable mentorship on our path to fostering financial empowerment in education. ?? #WallStreetConnection #FinancialLiteracy #RuralDebateInitiative #NonProfit #EducationalEquity #Mentorship #ThankYou

?? Grant Writing Workshop ?? Isabel T. did an outstanding job guiding us through the many facets of grant writing. From understanding the success rates of different grant applications to effective research strategies for identifying the right funding opportunities, Isabel provided invaluable insights that will undoubtedly shape our approach moving forward. One of the highlights of the session was the deep dive into the actual grant writing process. Isabel walked us through the intricacies of the application, sharing tips on how to present our ideas compellingly and effectively. She also emphasized the importance of supporting documents, showcasing real-world examples that illustrated how a well-rounded submission can make all the difference. Our interns left the workshop feeling more equipped and confident, ready to tackle the challenges of securing funding for our initiatives. Thank you, Isabel, for your time, knowledge, and commitment to helping us succeed. We are incredibly fortunate to have you as a mentor on this journey! ?? #GrantWriting #RuralDebateInitiative #NonProfit #EducationalEquity #Mentorship #ThankYou

?? New Summer Program Intern ?? Annan is a rising fourth year student at the University of Chicago double majoring in Philosophy and Economics. He has always been interested in speech and related activities. In high school, he competed in the DECA Business Law and Ethics event and placed Top 10 in Texas in 2020, qualifying for the International level competition which was unfortunately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In college, he is a member of Model United Nations, in which he staffs both the high school and collegiate Model United Nations conferences hosted at the University of Chicago. Annan is passionate about expanding opportunities for rural students, as he feels that they are a group of students that are underserved and underrepresented in many areas, especially on competitive circuits for extracurriculars such as debate. He has extensive experience in education, including research at UChicago, and is excited to translate his formal and theoretical lab experience into more practical work at the Rural Debate Initiative. ---- Enjoying our content? Subscribe to our newsletter here! https://lnkd.in/gnwaz448 Want to support us? Donate to our cause here! https://lnkd.in/gbrre47f We are the Rural Debate Initiative, a nationally focused non-profit that provides free debate education to 7th-12th grade students in rural areas. We aim to provide rural students with a comprehensive enrichment experience, equipping them with a variety of skills such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork that prepares them for any educational or career path of their choosing. #ruraleducation #debate #debater #ruraldevelopment #policydebate

?? New Summer Program Intern ?? Lucy is one of our newest summer interns at RuDI. With diverse experience in politics,? grassroots projects, and debate, Lucy will be focused on developing RuDI’s national reach and influence. Lucy is a second-year student at the University of Chicago, pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Science with aspirations of a legal career in environmental law. At the University of Chicago, she is a member of the Chicago Debate Society, continuing to hone her public speaking skills. Through her competitive experience and her time as president of her high school’s debate team, Lucy recognized the pivotal role of debate in a student’s well-rounded education. She is enthusiastic about working with the Rural Debate Initiative, hoping to provide other students with the same transformative benefits she gained from debate. ---- Enjoying our content? Subscribe to our newsletter here! https://lnkd.in/gnwaz448 Want to support us? Donate to our cause here! https://lnkd.in/gbrre47f We are the Rural Debate Initiative, a nationally focused non-profit that provides free debate education to 7th-12th grade students in rural areas. We aim to provide rural students with a comprehensive enrichment experience, equipping them with a variety of skills such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork that prepares them for any educational or career path of their choosing. #ruraleducation #debate #debater #ruraldevelopment #policydebate

?? New Summer Program Intern ?? Gabrihanna Jones is one of our newest summer interns at RuDI. Hailing from New York with a passion for outreach, Gabrihanna will focus on expanding RuDI's national reach and enhancing its social media presence on Instagram. Gabrihanna is a second-year student at the University of Chicago, where she is majoring in public policy. As a first-generation college student and Caribbean first-generation American, Gabrihanna brings a passion for social advocacy in healthcare and education. In high school, Gabrihanna discovered her passion for debate while participating in her school's debate team, an experience that shaped her desire to promote educational equity. At RuDI, she is eager to contribute to expanding access to debate programs in rural schools, aiming to empower students with critical thinking and communication skills. ---- Enjoying our content? Subscribe to our newsletter here! https://lnkd.in/gnwaz448 Want to support us? Donate to our cause here! https://lnkd.in/gbrre47f We are the Rural Debate Initiative, a nationally focused non-profit that provides free debate education to 7th-12th grade students in rural areas. We aim to provide rural students with a comprehensive enrichment experience, equipping them with a variety of skills such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork that prepares them for any educational or career path of their choosing. #ruraleducation #debate #debater #ruraldevelopment #policydebate

?Recent Projects? As the new year begin, RuDI is again actively building new debate programs for our rural students. Last week RuDI onboarded Sonora Elementary School to our debate program and hosted a debate workshop with the students. For six weeks, RuDI coaches will host four sessions per week with the Sonora students with the hopes of turning debate into an afterschool club. Sonora Elementary will be our second partner school in Tuolumne county of California. ------ Enjoying our content? Subscribe to our newsletter here!?https://lnkd.in/gnwaz448 Want to support us? Donate to our cause here!?https://lnkd.in/gbrre47f We are the Rural Debate Initiative, a nationally focused non-profit that provides free debate education to 7th-12th grade students in rural areas. We aim to provide rural students with a comprehensive enrichment experience, equipping them with a variety of skills such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork that prepares them for any educational or career path of their choosing. #ruraleducation?#debate?#debater?#ruraldevelopment?#policydebate

?Recent Projects? Last week RuDI hosted a very special presentation workshop with the entire 12th grade student cohort of Redwood Coast Montessori. Experienced RuDI coaches spent 10-15 minutes with each student and listened to their English finals presentation. The students were given valuable feedback regarding their speaking style, how to anticipate and answer follow-up questions, and how to build a more robust argument. 100% of students reported gaining some new skills and knowledge after our individualized workshop, with 50% noting that the workshop was "very helpful". Even though joining the debate club is not for everyone, RuDI is continuously looking for ways to incorporate speech, argumentative, and communication skills into the curriculum of rural classrooms. ------ Enjoying our content? Subscribe to our newsletter here!?https://lnkd.in/gnwaz448 Want to support us? Donate to our cause here!?https://lnkd.in/gbrre47f We are the Rural Debate Initiative, a nationally focused non-profit that provides free debate education to 7th-12th grade students in rural areas. We aim to provide rural students with a comprehensive enrichment experience, equipping them with a variety of skills such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork that prepares them for any educational or career path of their choosing. #ruraleducation?#debate?#debater?#ruraldevelopment?#policydebate

?Winter Scrimmage 2023? This past Saturday, RuDI hosted our first ever Winter Scrimmage! As all of RuDI's students are novices, we sought to create a supportive and encouraging environment for all our first-timers so they can have a pleasant competitive experience. Our scrimmage began with a mini-overview from our wonderful judges on the rules of this debate, which is a style that we condensed from traditional policy debate. Due to last-minute drop-outs we actually had a couple of students "iron manning" and debating as a single debater against a team of two, but they nonetheless did an exceptional job. Thanks to our staff who created the evidence packet for this scrimmage and all volunteers who attended! ------ Enjoying our content? Subscribe to our newsletter here!?https://lnkd.in/gnwaz448 Want to support us? Donate to our cause here!?https://lnkd.in/gbrre47f We are the Rural Debate Initiative, a nationally focused non-profit that provides free debate education to 7th-12th grade students in rural areas. We aim to provide rural students with a comprehensive enrichment experience, equipping them with a variety of skills such as communication, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork that prepares them for any educational or career path of their choosing. #ruraleducation?#debate?#debater?#ruraldevelopment?#policydebate