CASE Debates concluded another successful campaign in early March with a number of area students showcasing their talents at the Houston Urban Debate League City Championships. Funded through the Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment (CASE) for Kids, the initiative provide inner-city youth and aspiring debaters with training and access to both coaching and tournament competition.
To celebrate the successes during the 2024-2025 school year, which includes three Alief Independent School District teams advancing to national competition, the division hosted the CASE Debates Impact Awards for students, coaches and participating schools on March 26 at the Irvington Conference Center.
Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) and CASE for Kids leadership were on hand to lead the celebration. CASE Debates Project Coordinator Javier Lopez gave an overview of the program, encouraged returning students to grow and challenged graduating seniors to give back by serving as camp teachers and tournament judges.
Lopez then presented awards, some based on attributes within CASE Debates such as top rising star, creative thinker and most dependable, while the “Z Awards” were designated to honor standout students. In total, students representing 12 different schools were honored.