IMPACT Coalition

IMPACT Coalition
Founded 1991
Focus Policy debate
Location
Area served
New York City Public Schools
Key people
 Will Baker, Chief Executive Officer
Website www.impactcoalition.org

The mission of the IMPACT Coalition is to expand opportunities for urban students, schools and organizational partners by providing debate, debate curricula, and support services to develop informed, concerned citizens.[1]

History

In the early 1980s many urban schools faced budget cuts and debate teams were one of the first casualties. The IMPACT Coalition has helped New York and other big cities to experience a comeback for debate.[2]

IMPACT was founded in 1991 by Will Baker as IMPACT Foundation. The first concept was to use intercollegiate debate teams as mentoring programs. This model was based on the research of Pamela Kallbfliesch and Angela Davies on mentoring to counteract poverty and discrimination.

IMPACT became an affiliate of the Phelps Stokes Fund with Andrew Rainwater Jacobs as IMPACT’s first program director. In 1991, IMPACT created a consortium of urban college debate programs at Columbia University, Rockland Community College and Queens College called the NY Coalition of Colleges to match the resources of larger traditional programs.[3] The first sponsored event was the Urban Workshop Series at the Church Center for the UN.

From this series, new college debate teams were developed at Baruch College, Fordham University, Columbia University, the New School and NYU. These teams partnered with corporate volunteers, alumni, experienced debaters, and coaches enabling each school to sustain its own debate program and present them on a wider stage. IMPACT changed its name from “Foundation” to “Coalition” to reflect the multiple partnerships that comprised its operations.

In 1994, IMPACT expanded its efforts to reach students who could not travel to weekend tournaments forming the Public Forum Debate League (PFDL). Baker recruited Yeshiva University and extended debate to faith-based populations previously precluded from debating competitively by their observances.

In 1997, the Open Society Institute (OSI) with Beth Breger, decided to replicate the existing Atlanta urban debate model. The first urban debate league replication was piloted in New York City in 1997. Thus, the New York Urban Debate League (NYUDL) was created in partnership with Emory University and with Baker consulting on behalf of IMPACT. The NYUDL launched the current era of urban debate expansion.[4]

Programs

On average, The IMPACT Coalition provides the debate league's member schools with $10,000 a year each for competition expenses, including travel, lodging and registration fees.[5]

Achievements

Bank of America, Children Aids Society, Local 1199, the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

References

  1. ↑ Resolved the HBO documentary; IMPACT Coalition is one of the film's resources.
  2. ↑ Resolved: That High School Debate is Back; Discusses an IMPACT Coalition Member School .
  3. ↑ NYU Debate; Discusses the team's history and IMPACT's involvement.
  4. ↑ Students from inner cities find power at the podium; article in the Christian Science Monitor.
  5. ↑ NY Times Article on an IMPACT Member School; "The Debate Team From a Hardscrabble School Seeks National Honors".
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