The debate programs' achievements are impressive. In Georgia tournaments averaging 140 debaters each, half are from Atlanta public schools. Changing Attitudes Towards Education Debate training and competitions empower students to enjoy and take Control over their own education. For many of these students, participation in debate is not just an extracurricular activity but a life-changing event, changing their whole attitude toward education and their futures. By learning to research, prepare, and deliver arguments, debaters learn to think critically, develop their academic research skills, improve their communication abilities, solve problems creatively, and increase their self-confidence.
Debaters often achieve higher grades in other subjects as well.
Many debate students who had never even thought of going on past high school, now earn scholarships and thrive in college. In the aftermath of the Littleton shootings, youth violence preys on everyone's fears. This lesson, students have confessed to .Baker, is often taken outside the classroom to cope with conflicts that occur in students' personal lives instead of letting frustration and anger lead to physical aggression, they persist in expressing their points verbally. Replacing Prejudice with Respect Wade is also director of debate at Emory University, which runs summer institutes for high school debaters. Students from diverse backgrounds are brought together to work as teams.