Don’t miss our upcoming fundraiser!
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Click Here to Get Your Tickets Now
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Don’t miss our upcoming fundraiser! 〰️ Click Here to Get Your Tickets Now 〰️
Speech & Debate should be accessible to all.
Unlike other leagues, students will never be turned away.
The Speech & Debate community is notorious for gatekeeping, charging exorbitant fees to participate and leaving behind students who can’t afford the hefty tuitions. We provide affordable access to coaching and competitions for all students looking for quality Speech & Debate programming.
Giuliana
“Speech & Debate was one of the most transformative parts of my high school experience.”
Samson
“BDL helped me embrace the fear of being silenced and conquer it by bringing power to my voice.”
Adia
“BDL created a safe community that allowed me to use my voice to help promote change in the world.”
WE DEPEND ON YOUR SUPPORT
Brooklyn Debate League is one of the only Speech and Debate communities in the country offering accessible coaching and competitions to all students.
Your donation helps keep us running.
Check out our co-founder Jon’s book!
I Wasn’t Supposed to be Here
In this deeply personal account, BDL co-founder Jonathan shares the full story of his incredible journey escaping the precarious circumstances he was born into, and the teachers, mentors, and guides who helped him along the way.
Born into a family crippled by addiction and homelessness, Jonathan "failed" kindergarten and was told he would never succeed academically. Instead, Jonathan found ways to defy the limited expectations placed upon him, eventually earning a full ride to Stonybrook University and pursuing a career as a neonatal respiratory therapist at NYU Langone.
Throughout this heartwarming memoir, Jonathan shares how his experience on his high school debate team and his friendship with his debate coach DiCo (with whom he co-founded BDL) changed his life.
