irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $147KMSQI INITIATIVE -IN 2014, THE NEW YORK CITY URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE AND THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PARTNERED UP TO BRING CURRICULAR DEBATE AND AFTER SCHOOL DEBATE PROGRAMS TO OVER 100 NEW YORK CITY MIDDLE SCHOOLS TO CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP. THE MSQI DEBATE INITIATIVE USES AN EVIDENCE BASED ARGUMENTATION CURRICULUM TO INCREASE STUDENT LITERACY, WRITING, PUBLIC SPEAKING, AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. THE NYCUDL TEAM PROVIDES SCHOOLS WITH ON SITE TEACHER TRAINING, DEBATE RESOURCES, WORKSHOPS, AND MONTHLY DEBATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MSQI STUDENTS. PRELIMINARY RESULTS SHOW SUBSTANTIAL GAINS IN LITERACY FOR STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN DEBATE VERSUS THEIR PEERS WHO DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN DEBATE.
- #2 $99KDEBATE CAMP - STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-4 WILL FOCUS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS AND STUDENTS IN GRADES 5-8 WILL LEARN AND/OR WORK ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE SKILLS.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
MSQI Initiative
Partnership with the New York City Department of Education to bring curricular and after-school debate programs to over 100 middle schools, providing teacher training, debate resources, workshops, and monthly debate opportunities to improve student literacy and critical thinking skills.
NYCUDL Summer Debate Institute
Summer program offering debate workshops and classes for middle and high school students, including separate sessions for middle school and high school participants with dedicated tournaments at the end of each session.
NYCUDL x Bella Abzug Leadership Tournament
Leadership tournament event focused on debate and civic engagement, held in partnership with the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute.
Summer Leader Training
Training program for student leaders, likely focused on debate coaching and peer leadership development.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Youth Debate and Public Speaking Programs 5 activities
- Co-hosts leadership tournaments with partner organizationsPartners with organizations such as Bella Abzug Leadership to co-host leadership tournaments that integrate debate and civic engagement, providing students with opportunities to demonstrate leadership and argumentation skills in collaborative settings.
- Conducts after-school and community-based debate practice sessionsRuns regular debate practice sessions in neighborhoods across New York City, including the Adolescent Literacy Program in Queens and Brooklyn, and Dream Team debate practices, to support student skill development outside of school hours.
- Hosts middle and high school debate tournamentsOrganizes and hosts competitive debate tournaments for middle and high school students as part of its Summer Debate Institute and ongoing programs, including dedicated events for each level to apply learned debate skills in formal settings.
- Implements school-based debate and argumentation programs in NYC public schoolsDelivers an evidence-based argumentation curriculum to improve literacy, writing, public speaking, and critical thinking skills in over 100 New York City middle schools, with expansion to more than 250 Title I schools; serves approximately 4,000 students citywide. Provides on-site teacher training, debate resources, workshops, and monthly debate opportunities.
- Operates summer debate institutes for middle and high school studentsRuns a free summer day camp for K–12 students, including separate debate institutes for middle and high school levels, featuring debate workshops, classes, electives, and labs. The program includes breakfast and lunch for all participants and focuses on public speaking development for younger students and parliamentary debate skills for older students.
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Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Conducts leadership training for debate participantsProvides summer leader training and BALI Leader Training programs to develop leadership skills among debate participants, preparing them to take on roles as peer leaders and mentors within the debate community.
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Industry and Community Recognition Awards 1 activity
- Hosts annual Champions of Debate GalaOrganizes the NYCUDL Champions of Debate Gala each year to celebrate student achievements, recognize contributions to the debate community, and promote public engagement with youth debate initiatives.
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Educational Field Trips and Experiential Outings 1 activity
- Organizes educational field trips for debate participantsPlans and conducts field trips, such as visits to Ellis Island, for middle and high school debate students to support topic exploration and deepen understanding of historical and civic themes relevant to debate topics.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.94M
Contributions & grants$1.46M50%
Program service revenue$1.53M52%
Investment income$21K1%
Other revenue$-73K
expenses
Total expenses$2.15M
Program expenses52%
Admin / overhead47%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$1.45M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.26M
Cash$809K
Investments$1.03M
Liabilities$4K
Net assets$3.26M
Liquid reserves10.3 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +5.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMISHA MEHTA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 50 | $248K |
| JEFFREY BARLOW | FINANCE AND OPERATIONS OFFICER | 50 | $91K |
board members · 10
- ARI SELMAN — BOARD MEMBER
- DARRYL STEIN — BOARD MEMBER
- ELIZABETH ROBINSON — TREASURER (FROM NOV 2024)
- ERIC ABOAF — BOARD CHAIR
- JESSE YEO — BOARD MEMBER
- JON PAUL LUPO — BOARD MEMBER
- JORDAN STOCKDALE — BOARD MEMBER
- LES MATTHEWS — VICE BOARD CHAIR
- MARY BETH MALONEY — BOARD MEMBER
- YINING CHEN — TREASURER (THROUGH OCT 2024)
relationships · 12
Who they work with
- Bella Abzug Leadership Partner — Co-hosts a leadership tournament with NYCUDL.
- Bella Abzug Leadership Tournament Partner — Co-hosts a leadership tournament with NYCUDL
- Community School District 10 Partner — Collaborates to expand debate outreach in underserved communities.
- Community School District 13 Partner — Collaborates to expand debate outreach in underserved communities.
- Community School District 15 Partner — Collaborates to expand debate outreach in underserved communities.
- Community School District 16 Partner — Collaborates to expand debate outreach in underserved communities.
- Community School District 7 Partner — Collaborates to expand debate outreach in underserved communities.
- Community School District 8 Partner — Collaborates to expand debate outreach in underserved communities.
- Community School District 9 Partner — Collaborates to expand debate outreach in underserved communities.
- New York City Department of Education Partner — Partnered with NYCUDL to launch and implement the MSQI Debate Initiative in over 100 New York City middle schools.
- New York City Department of Education Partner — Partnership through the NYC Reads initiative to expand debate programs.
- New York City Public Schools Partner — Collaborates with public schools to provide debate programs to students.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Evidence-Based Debate Educationmethodology: evidence_based_debate_educationBy using competitive debate as an evidence-based educational practice, the organization improves academic performance, graduation rates, college readiness, and civic engagement because structured argumentation reinforces literacy, critical thinking, and engagement with real-world issues.
- Experiential Learning to Contextualize Debate Topicsmethodology: experiential_learningBy integrating field trips to historical sites with debate preparation, the organization enhances topic understanding and contextual learning because immersive, real-world experiences make abstract policy issues more tangible and memorable.
- Perspective-Taking Through Dual-Side Argumentationmethodology: perspective_taking_modelBy requiring students to argue both sides of a debate topic, the organization deepens understanding and builds empathy, active listening, and cognitive flexibility because engaging with opposing viewpoints challenges assumptions and fosters intellectual humility.
- Student-Centered Debate Pedagogymethodology: student_centered_learningBy centering student voice and experience in debate education, the organization creates an inclusive and empowering environment because relevance to personal context increases engagement, ownership, and expression.