Programs
After-school program
Our after-school program is for middle and high schoolers at participating schools. Each participating school has a team of 10-20 students. Each team meets twice a week for debate practice after school and is coached by an Umoja Debate League-hired coach and a coach from their school. One Saturday a month, these teams meet for competition. During these monthly competitions, they debate a variety of local city ordinances, community issues, and global topics. For the 1st place winners of the season, the grand prize was a trip to Ghana! Our 2025 champions were Bates Academy and Henry Ford High School.
summer CAMP
In an effort to expand our pipeline to future lawyers and provide opportunities for students who do not attend one of our participating schools, we offer our Debate Summer Camp. In partnership with the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, we host a 10-week debate camp open to youth ages 11 to 18, with a maximum enrollment of 60 participants. Throughout the program, students learn how to debate and compete. Camp is held five days a week. Monday through Thursday is dedicated to debate instruction, while Fridays are reserved for "Friday Fundays" These are field trips designed to expose students to experiences beyond debate. Summer 2024's Friday Fundays included visits to Delta Airlines, StockX HQ, Google HQ, the Hip Hop House, a cooking class with Chef Que at The Kitchen, and a trip to Umoja Village. Although our primary mission is to teach debate, we ensure our students are also exposed to a wide variety of career paths.
Community engagement at umoja village
Umoja Village is an outdoor community space that was built for and by the community. In 2022, Umoja Debate League purchased 3 blighted lots and built what is now Umoja Village. Umoja Village is a space that features a community garden, art, a free little library, and a stage for the community to hold meetings/children to debate. We use Umoja Village as a space to teach the youth about getting involved and being the change you want to see in your community.