In 2021, Ebenezer Appiah and his Alief ISD teammates became the first CASE Debates team in the program’s history to take the top prize at the National Speech & Debate Championships.  

Fast forward to this summer, and Appiah’s debate journey has come full circle. Now a rising college sophomore, he returned to coach a group of young debaters at the University of Houston (UH) Honors Debate Workshop, hosted for the first time by the UH Honors College. 

This two-week workshop provided more than 200 high school students across the Houston area with rigorous debate training, access to elite coaches and the opportunity to connect with like-minded students.  

Nearly half of the students in this year’s summer workshop are from the CASE Debates program, an afterschool collaboration between Harris County Department of Education’s Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment for Kids (CASE for Kids) and the Houston Urban Debate League (HUDL).   

This partnership ensures that debate is accessible to at-risk high school students across the region by funding their participation in activities like the UH Honors Debate Workshop, which includes meals, a two-week residency on the UH campus and admission talks from UH staff. 

When the opportunity to host the summer debate workshop was presented, Heidi Appel, Dean of the UH Honors College was on board from the beginning. 

“We at the Honors College – and University of Houston as a whole – believe it’s important to reach outside of the college to help students reach their full potential,” Appel said. “We’re really proud to host the camp and recognize how debate develops skills that are important for anything students want to do, personally and professionally.”  

The workshop was structured to maximize learning and practice. The first week focused on delivering content for students, while the second week emphasized practice and application. Debate requires copious amounts of practice to learn the nuances, so the workshop offered students plenty of opportunities to practice their skills in a supportive environment.  

Appiah’s decision to coach at the summer workshop was driven by his desire to give back to his community and support students at the start of their debate journeys.  

“CASE Debates was a very impactful program for me and offered free resources and premiere debate coaches,” Appiah said. “It also provided access to job opportunities, the ability to compete at the national level and gain scholarships for college.” 

Through the program, students not only sharpen their debate skills, but also learn to process philosophical concepts, objectively approach social issues and respectfully engage with their peers – skills that will serve them in college and beyond.  

The CASE Debates program is also creating a pipeline of alumni who return to the debate camp each summer, just like Appiah. These alumni, once former participants, now use their debate skills in the classroom as coaches.  

“It’s surreal coming back as a coach,” Appiah said. “But it’s nice to see the passion in students that I had myself. From the beginning, we find out what their goals are and help them achieve those goals every step of the way.”