Greenhouse Forensics (Speech & Debate)

Program Description

Programming is offered to schools and youth organizations during the day, after school, and Saturdays. Many of our participants perform below their grade level in English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science. Our critical and engaging pedagogy provides a best practice pathway to improving academic outcomes by challenging the participant to “read the world by reading the word”. The learning needs of our participants are improved in a proven model that emphasizes the participant first. Emphasizing the student’s voice and needs first leads to commitment, increased confidence, and eventually increased competency for the participant. Struggling students improve their scores and high trajectory students improve their skills and opportunities as well.

Our learners respond in a ways traditional institutions have failed to develop within them and apply the moral and academic lessons learned in the program to everyday life. Successful participants complete their short-term educational goals and achieve long term identity changes that lead to improved moral and ethical imperatives that directly benefit the participant and our community. We provide employment, internships, and referrals for our participants to immediately apply their recent learning and leadership development.

Greenhouse Forensics League

The competitions are Intraschool and Interschool based competitions for Policy Debate (Team & LD), Parliamentary Debate, Individual Events (Oratory, Informative Speaking, Humorous Interpretation, Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, Duo Interpretation, Programmed Oral Interpretation, Prose Interpretation) Round Robin style, taking place during the week and culminating on a Friday or Saturday. Swing/Championship style tournaments for debate and individual events occur on Friday evenings and all-day Saturdays. Round Robin tournaments are generally for intraschool competitions, Swing Tournaments are reserved for regionally sponsored Greenhouse teams, and Championships combine all of our competing locations in a Winter and Summer Finale. Winners receive trophies, leadership advancement opportunities, and cash.

The Greenhouse Forensics League is intended to provide speech and debate services to students who do not have the opportunity to participate in Speech & Debate activities. Programming for the Greenhouse Forensics League occurs in day and after school programs in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, as well as online for competitors outside of the St. Louis region.

Curriculum Framework

The GCI curriculum is focused on facilitating a critical and engaging pedagogy for our clients. Student activities are based on over 50 Greenhouse Power Standards and anchored by numerous Missouri Learning Standards for English Language Arts, Social Studies, Theater, Science, and Math. Our activites focus on writing, argumentation and debate, leadership, oral interpretation (acting), limited prep speaking, leadership, public address speaking, entrepreneurship, and community organizing. Partnering organizations may lease the Greenhouse Curriculum, designed for years of participation, elementary through high school.

Development & Improvement Process

1. Curriculum Committee Convened

2. Identified Key Issues & Trends in Our Content Areas

3. Assessing Needs & Issues

4. Situation Analysis

5. Course Rational & Logistics Developed

The GCI Curriculum is based on the following criteria:

1. K-12 Program Philosophy

2. Selected and Developed Models

3. Infused Culture

4. Alignment with GCI's Mission

5. Consider lived experiences, moral imperatives, & formal training

Championing the Data

15 years of GCI programming have generated a wealth of data that is relied upon to inform major decisions in programming, marketing, curriculum, and development. Initial assessments and post program assessments continuously deonstrate the need to utilize forensics as a major tool in improving literacy and quality of life outcomes. The forensics program has over 200 Key Performance Indicators that are carefully logged and analyzed for each participant, as well as aggregated data for interpreting overall client/site performance and impact. Years of data analysis from thousands of participants across multiple states has revealed a significant necessity to immediately act to solve the problems we engage with daily. Our data has also reveled that our pedagogical approach to problem solving and increasing literacy skills is an overwhelming success!

Applying an Equity-Centered Lens to Our Work

An Equitable Participant Focus

Our programs are for all people, but we are intentional about prioritizing underserved communities and participants. At the strategic level, we assess the community needs that are aligned with our problem-solving goals, go into specific communities and institutions that are struggling with solving problems for black and brown communities, to begin our programming in spaces with the worst problems for our participants.

We are the only Forensics League in St. Louis that does not charge participants for participation. We also reward our participants with cash prizes and stipends for outstanding participation and leadership. GCI employees are paid fairly and are always given and equitable, living wage.

The Roots & Implications of Our Equitable Priorities

The GCI, Inc’s critical and engaging pedagogy is rooted in literacy and liberation theories focused on “pedagogies of the oppressed”, centering black and brown voices at the center of every participant’s learning. Our equity centered lens for programming directly influences who we provide services for, received funding from, and partner/collaborate with in multiple communities and locations.

Our equity lens also serves as a guide for our curriculum that emphasizes learning about civic engagement, local issues and policy challenges along with state, federal, and international policy relevant to our students and their community through applied learning and other initiatives. All Greenhouse Forensics participants are allowed to learn and compete for no cost to the participant.