Our Story

Two debaters from opposite sides of the world, seeking to bridge the gap

A journey to make public speaking learning
resources globally accessible

Sam and Justine noticed that debate was often isolated into small communities, observing that competitors in the United States often only viewed debate from a Western and US-centric lens, despite a world of different perspectives and debaters waiting to be discovered. After winning the national championship in Vietnam, Justine wanted to explore how she could challenge herself and her debate community to expand diverse perspectives. Thus, Outreach Debate began expanding beyond the United States and Vietnam.

From there, a global mission expanded.

From September 2021 onwards, Sam, Justine, and a growing team of like-minded students strived to reach as many debate communities as possible around the world. After establishing a team of 7 initial members in Vietnam and the USA, they contacted as many debaters around the world, from Thailand and Beijing to South Africa and Paris. As the team's efforts were met by international enthusiasm, a strong community was formed. Within this community, the team launched a global series of debate camps, workshops, resource drives, and mentorship programs to help underprivileged students around the world. Soon, the team of 7 had grown to a network of national branches across more than 20 countries around the world.

The world's largest debate nonprofit

Today, Outreach Debate has grown to become the world's largest student-run debate nonprofit. Our reach extends to more than 20 countries, 20 American states, more than 1700 members, and more than 250 volunteers. We've hosted six debate camps, eight tournaments, and dozens of online workshops at no cost to students. As Sam and Justine's initial vision, this organization's ultimate goal is to make the life-changing speech and debate accessible to every student in the world.