Introduction to Debate - Part 2! - A Six-Week Program for Middle School Students

Introduction to Debate - Part 2! is wrapping up its run at the College Avenue Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library, with the final session on Monday, November 9. It's the second part of a six-week program for middle school students, and this one is led by Penelope Guevara, a Park Tudor junior and debate champion.

The series runs from September 21 through November 9, with the library closed on October 12 and November 2. It builds on the fundamentals covered in the first series, which ran in Spring 2026, and spends the next few weeks sharpening students' skills in argumentation, rebuttal, and public speaking through activities and practice debates. Over the course of the sessions, participants learn what debate actually is, how to research a topic and find and use evidence, how to build a persuasive argument, how to respond to opposing viewpoints, and how to speak with confidence. The whole thing culminates in mini-debates.

No prior experience is required and new students are welcome, though registration is now closed. The College Avenue Branch itself has a bit of history: it opened in 1924 as the Broadway Branch in a frame house on E. 42nd Street; a 6,500-square-foot facility opened on Broadway Street in 1958 and was replaced in August 2000 by the current 16,000-square-foot building. The session runs from 6 PM to 7:15 PM and it's free.