I Visited Vermont’s youngest Debate Team

Javen Sears at Christ The King School teaching debate. via Stephanie Mack

Had an absolutely fantastic time at Christ the King School today, getting to do a debate presentation with one of the youngest debate teams in Vermont! Even cooler, the team was actually started by a third grader, which is incredible. Seeing that kind of initiative and leadership from someone so young is inspiring.

We got to try a bunch of different types of debates with the students: “Would You Rather” questions, “Should we…?” scenarios, True or False challenges, and even discussions about good vs. bad emotions. It was amazing to see how creative and thoughtful these kids could be, even when tackling topics that are tricky or abstract. For about 40 minutes, we dove into actual debating, and the energy in the room was contagious. The students ranged from third graders all the way up to eighth graders, which made it so cool to see different ages engaging with each other and learning from one another. There were probably around 20 students total, a really impressive turnout!

I also got to share some tips about how to think on your feet, express yourself clearly, and structure arguments, and then put some of it into practice by debating with the students. And yes, I even got to sign a record-breaking three autographs, which was a fun bonus!

I genuinely love seeing young Vermonters learning how to speak up, think critically, and communicate with confidence. Moments like these remind me why it’s so important to encourage curiosity, creativity, and self-expression in kids from a young age. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be part of something so special starting up at Christ the King School, big thanks to Stephanie Mack!