To officially start its 2025-2026 debate campaign, nearly 80 high school students representing six schools across greater Houston gathered at the University of Houston on Sept. 6 for the CASE Debates Seminar. An initiative within Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment (CASE) for Kids, the program is funded for inner-city youth at no cost to participants, providing aspiring debaters with training and access to coaching and tournaments.

The new year brings together a new collaboration between CASE Debates and the University of Houston’s Speech and Debate Program. It’s a continuation of UH’s increased investment for aspiring debaters – 32 students were provided scholarships through the school and CASE for Kids to attend the UH Honors Debate Workshop in July.

At the seminar, students were able to get on a specialized track for new or novice debaters, while breakout sessions featured lectures on the individual debate formats. The Texas Debate Collective also offered a teacher-only track on coaching speech and debate.

Teams will complete in five tournaments throughout the school year, beginning on Sept. 20. The Program culminates in the Houston Urban Debate League’s City Championship Finals, to be held Feb. 28 at the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse.