New York, NY—The English-Speaking Union of the United States, in collaboration with Claremont McKenna College, is holding a Garden State Debate League tournament for middle school students on Saturday, January 28th, 9 am-4:30 pm, at Red Bank Charter School in Red Bank, NJ (59 Oakland Street, Red Bank).

The Garden State Debate League is part of a national network of middle school debate programs established ten years ago by Claremont McKenna College to integrate public speaking and debating into the school curriculum for young adolescents.

Competing for trophies in the categories of Best Speaker, Top Team and Best Overall School, more than 70 students from Stone Bridge Middle School (Upper Freehold Regional Schools), Red Bank Charter School, Mother Teresa Regional School (Atlantic Highlands), Our Lady of Sorrows School (Hamilton), Bolger Middle School (Keansburg), and Barkalow Middle School (Freehold) will pose well-researched arguments on topics: Schools should be peanut free; New Jersey's bullying laws do more harm than good; the United States should increase its use of solar power; the European Union should drop the Euro; and the Occupy Wall Street movement is good for America.

Established this school year, the Garden State Debate League promotes sophisticated public speaking, critical thinking, research, argumentation and refutation skills through school classes and inter-school competitions. Public, charter, independent and parochial middle schools in Monmouth County are invited to participate.

Coach Judi Hoffman from Stone Bridge Middle School explains the power of debate: “Teaching has many rewarding moments, but when you witness a Middle School Debate you will be truly amazed. A must see event for all educators and parents. A learning lab where young adolescents enter informed and leave empowered. They are a force to be reckoned with.”

The English-Speaking Union is a non-profit, non-political educational organization whose mission is to celebrate English as a shared language to foster global understanding and good will by providing educational and cultural opportunities for students, educators, and members. The ESU carries out its work through a network of 70 Branches across the United States, sponsoring a variety of language and international education programs.

Through middle school debate leagues, the English-Speaking Union teaches the art of public speaking and debate, and improves the state of civil discourse among our country’s younger citizens.