With nearly double the count from a year ago, 160 students representing 12 schools across greater Houston gathered Aug. 29 at the University of Houston for the CASE Debates Seminar. The daylong program officially kicks off CASE Debates, an initiative within Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment (CASE) for Kids and funded for inner-city youth at no cost to participants. The program provides aspiring debaters with training and access to coaching and tournaments.

Continuing its collaboration with the University of Houston’s Speech and Debate Program, CASE Debates participants were able to select a specialized track and attend breakout sessions that featured lectures on each of the debate formats. Attending coaches were also offered a track to help them train their students on speech and debate.

Teams will compete in five tournaments throughout the year, beginning Sept. 19. The program culminates in the Houston Urban Debate League’s City Championship Finals, scheduled for Feb. 27 at the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse.