Senior UDL Directors Conference Convened

The nation’s most experienced and accomplished Urban Debate League Directors convened in Chicago, November 15 and 16, for a networking conference sponsored by the NAUDL.  The following urban debate movement leaders attended:  Will Baker from the New York-based IMPACT Coalition and Associated Leaders Of Urban Debate; Jon Bruschke from California State University-Fullerton and the Southern California Urban Debate League; James Roland and Melissa Wade from Emory University, the Atlanta Urban Debate League, and the National Debate Project; and Pam Spiliadis from the Baltimore Urban Debate League.  The Open Society Institute, through a grant the NAUDL received last year, funded the gathering.  NAUDL Board Chair Lenny Gail, served as host.   
 
At the two-day conference, these urban debate leaders, who collectively have labored in this field for more than 60 years, shared their own experiences and insights on some of the most important questions facing the urban debate movement.  Topics included: to what efforts should the movement’s resources be dedicated, the proper role the NAUDL should play in advancing the urban debate mission, and how can the movement’s various participants most effectively collaborate. 
 
Conference participant Melissa Wade reflected on the conference:  “I appreciate the outreach NAUDL has initiated to develop appropriate lines of communication with existing national urban debate entities for the goal we all share of enfranchising the voice of children through the power of debate.”
  
Conference participant James Roland said afterward:  “The UDL Leadership Conference recently held in Chicago afforded the attendees a wonderful opportunity to think, reflect, and share their various concerns, visions, and ideas for the Urban Debate Network.  Having the opportunity to listen and discuss with others who are also heavily invested in using the transformative power of debate to help the youth of today was truly an informative and productive event.  These opportunities to meet help us build more productive, collaborative lines of communication.  This helps us better serve the students we work with now, and countless more in the future”
 
Says the NAUDL’s Lenny Gail:  "I was delighted to host the Senior League Director Conference.  While there is no doubt that the urban debate field in general has a need for this kind of conferencing, bringing together these specific leaders was particularly beneficial.  All the participants developed a much greater understanding of the NAUDL’s development over the past several years and its strategic vision going forward.  I came away with several good ideas for both the short and the long term that I plan to work with the NAUDL staff and UDLs across the country to begin implementing."