In May 2017, our founder DiCo was at the Speech & Debate National Championship with his students. He met a parent there who bragged about her 9th grade daughter making it to Nationals. Since most students at Nationals were upperclassmen, DiCo was curious about how this 9th grader qualified. The parent explained that her daughter had been participating in a “Speech & Debate Academy” since sixth grade. DiCo later learned that these academies, as well as the many expensive summer camps offered across the country, charge thousands of dollars to give kids who can afford it a head start at competitive Speech & Debate, leaving behind children and schools that can’t afford these hefty tuitions. After returning from Nationals that year, DiCo collaborated with local coaches to start the Brooklyn Debate League in an effort to provide affordable access to all students looking for quality Speech & Debate programming.
