Debate On! How Public Speaking Transforms Student Lives
My students need 4 laptops in order to participate in district wide debates. These laptops would allow students to edit their resources for debate online and highlight any necessary information they wish to cite during debates.
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
I like to say that all students are special, because they are, but what makes my students especially special is their resiliency and individuality. At my school, an academy that specializes in the arts, many of my students have encountered challenging situations that made it difficult for them to express themselves freely. As a result, many of the students I receive have been prescribed medication for depression, hurt themselves physically through cutting, or have attempted suicide. Others have come from living off the streets to moving away from abusive or negligent households. They felt ostracized by society...and yet, they survived, and they excelled by being themselves. Our school is a Title I school that accepts all students from the district, in or outside of Harbor City. We provide a nourishing environment that supports creativity and individuality. Students have access to visual and performing arts pathways throughout their four years of high school.
My Project
"Growing up, it was always instilled how important education was. Born from two immigrant parents, I knew they had sacrificed a whole lot for me to be successful. Both my mother and father did not get a proper education because of family crises, which led to them magnifying the importance of education upon my siblings and I. As a child, my mother always went out of her way for her children, making sure they had the best opportunities available to them. Her courageous, and selfless, actions led to me pushing and excelling in my academic life just to prove myself to others. Debate gave me a chance to do this. One accomplishment which I have felt personally proud of would be winning the City Championship in my debate tournament. I felt proud of myself because it showed me I'm capable of things I did not even know I was." -Current Debate Student
This is just one story of many.
My school site includes 87% of students who meet the poverty guidelines. This means their access to a working laptop is minimal. In order to help them achieve, and excel, in weekend debates, it is my goal to ensure they have equal access to resources that other debaters will have access to such as working laptops.
Having laptops will benefit my students during the debates because it will allow to access to the thousands of readings and evidence necessary to succeed. They will be able to edit and highlight the sources, so they may have more access to supportive evidence during debates; and they will be able to use the computers to research their given topic.
As of now, I have been making hard copies for them but this is extremely difficult when it comes to editing their paperwork.
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Willard and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
