2027 Debater of the Year Application

2027 Debater of the Year Application - First Round

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The Debater of the Year is awarded to a debater who demonstrates

Commitment and dedication to debate
Improvement in their performance in debate and in school
Academic excellence
Leadership in their school, urban debate league, and community.

To be eligible for nomination, a debater must be:

A high school senior graduating between January and June 2027;
An active competitor in their urban debate league this school year;
An active competitor in their urban debate league last school year; and
A student with a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.

Guidelines can be found on the NAUDL website

Photo releases for students Over 18 and Under 18 can also be found on our website.

First round information should be submitted by November 30th, 2026.

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance to the final round by 5pm Central Time December 11, 2026. Applicants who are accepted to the finals will need to complete supplementary materials, including a video of a public speaking sample.

There will be opportunities for the Debater & Coach of the Year to be featured by NAUDL, which may include speaking at larger audiences like the UDNC (March 19-21, 2027).

Please email Taylor Beck (taylorbeck@urbandebate.org) with any questions.

Urban Debate League

Student Information

First Name

Middle Name

Last Name

High School Name

Debater Email Address

Debater Cell Phone

Expected Graduation Year (YYYY)

Student Headshot/Photo

Signed Student NAUDL Media Release

The nominated student meets the eligibility requirements listed above

YesNo

Activities

List activities in which you have participated in your school (such as publications, debate, drama, sports, music, art, student government, and other clubs).

	Activity	Hours per week	Activity awards and honors
1
2
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4
5

Special Talents

List any special talents (in areas such as music, the arts, sports, published writing or scientific research) that you pursue outside of school.

	Talent or Activity	Periods of Participation	Talent awards and honors
1
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3
4
5

Volunteering

List community activities in which you have participated in without pay (such as judging or coaching debate, volunteering at a hospital, religious work, drug/teen/homework hotlines, or other outreach programs).

	Type of work and agency	Hours per week	Volunteering recognition and honors
1
2
3
4
5

Employment

List jobs you have held during the past 4 years

	Type of work and employer	Hours per week	Summer or School Year?
1
2
3
4
5

Short Answer

Debaters please be concise when responding to each prompt. One paragraph should be sufficient for each prompt.

Describe the most important characteristics of your family and/or community and how they have impacted your personal development.

Discuss how debate has made a difference in your development as a student and a leader in your community.

Describe a mistake you made or a challenge you faced. How did you respond to that mistake or challenge, and what did you learn from your experience?

Nominator Information

First name

Last Name

Connection to debater

Email address

Phone

Nomination Essay

This essay should be no more than 2 pages long (double spaced and 12-point font) explaining how your nominee has shown:

Commitment and dedication to debate
Demonstrated improvement in his or her debate and academic performance
Academic excellence
Leadership in his or her school, urban debate league, and community.

Be sure to provide details to support what sets this debater apart for national level recognition.

Please ask your nominator to send their letter directly to Taylor Beck (taylorbeck@urbandebate.org) via email.

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