HOUSTON URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE

ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

HOUSTON, TX - The Board of Directors of the Houston Urban Debate League (HUDL) has named Anthony Jardina as its new Executive Director.  Mr. Jardina’s appointment marks the continued growth of HUDL, which now serves approximately 1,000 high school students in 28 Houston Title I schools.

Mr. Jardina comes to HUDL with a wealth of debate experience, dating back to his high school years.   He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Northwestern University, where he was a member of the Northwestern Debate Society.  During his debate career, he was won the Novice National Championship and was ranked in the top 16 debate teams in the country. While at Northwestern, Jardina started helping urban debate by coaching Kennedy High School and teaching at the Chicago Urban Debate League’s Summer Institute.

Following graduation from Northwestern, Jardina worked at the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues for two years as its executive assistant and program officer.  While there, he volunteered to coach the debate team from Walter Payton College Prep, which won the 2009 Chicago City Championship and went on to win the Chase Urban Debate National Championship.

Mr. Jardina received his Master’s Degree in Communication from Wake Forest University with a concentration in non-profit organizations.  “I am thrilled to return to Texas and become part of the HUDL family,” says Mr. Jardina.  “The support for HUDL is great.  We are the second largest and fastest growing urban debate league in the country, and I intend to keep the momentum going.”  

ABOUT THE HOUSTON URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE:
The Houston Urban Debate League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that builds, supports, and sustains programs in Houston’s public schools to make policy debate an educational resource available to all students. Policy debate prepares students to be effective advocates for themselves, their families, and their communities. It has also been shown to improve student academic achievement, to increase college matriculation, to close the education gap, and to make learning fun. HUDL currently serves close to 1,000 of Houston’s most in need high-school students.  For more information on HUDL, please visit:  www.houstonurbandebate.org.