Did you know new research reveals that the most rapid brain development occurs during the middle school years, second only to the first three years of life? Middle school youth need safety, supportive adults and a sense of belonging to build the skills needed to thrive as an adult—all things that high-quality afterschool programs provide!
But just when students are most in need of afterschool programs, we see a 33% drop in participation as Pennsylvania youth start middle school. Due to limited funding and availability, nearly 4 in 5 PA middle school youth are being left behind in afterschool programming.
That’s why ASAP invests so heavily in programs for middle school youth, like our debate program that starts in fourth grade! Together, we can make sure that every Philadelphia middle schooler has access to a safe place to go after school, a mentor, a healthy friend group, and activities that inspire lifelong passions.
Finding A Sense of Belonging in School
One of the most critical parts of a successful transition to high school is teens’ ability to form a safe, welcoming community where they feel a sense of belonging. ASAP’s middle school debate program provides a ready-made path to friendship and inclusion that students can take with them into high school.
“When I was looking at high schools, something I prioritized was making sure that they had a debate team,” Rose, an ASAP Debate senior who started in sixth grade, says. “It definitely provided me with a community really early on, gave me something to look forward to in high school. I would also say it gave me a level of consistency across these two experiences because everything else in my life was changing.”
Building Confidence, Leadership, & Career Skills
Rose credits her start in middle school with becoming a co-captain in 10th grade. As co-captain she helps onboard new students, shape team culture, and ensure her peers are confident and ready to compete. This year, as part of ASAP’s Debate Mentors program, Rose got paid to co-lead newer debate clubs for 8-10 weeks, building leadership and career skills!
“Through my roles as an ASAP Debate Mentor and as a captain of my team, I’ve worked a lot with students, teaching them new skills, working through problems we have, celebrating wins. And I think all of those things have really developed in me an understanding about what it means to be a leader. It’s not just speaking. It’s so much more about being involved in the learning process and making sure everybody understands, everybody’s following along,” says Rose.
At Nebinger Middle School, eighth graders in ASAP Debate are already stepping up to mentor and train younger students.
“It’s been really wonderful to see them take on that role and shepherd the sixth and seventh graders to tournaments, walk them through how it works and how to prepare their best case,” Erin Sweeney, Nebinger’s ASAP Debate coach, says.
90% of ASAP Debate high schoolers who started in middle school scored high in grit/resilience, according to our 2024-2025 year-end survey.
100% scored high in empathy and perspective taking.
Forging Critical Thinking & Reasoning
In an age of AI and disinformation, ASAP Debate students at Nebinger learn real-world reasoning skills from their volunteer coach Erin, a lawyer and former youth debater. Erin teaches her students to think critically when finding facts to back up their arguments and persuade the judges.
“You can’t just quote randos on YouTube!” she says. “You have to tell me what the source is, where you find it, and why you think it’s good.”
Alonda, an eighth grader who’s been in Erin’s club since sixth grade, says ASAP Debate has strengthened her thinking and writing skills. “When you’re writing an argument, if you’re in debate, you can point out why the other claim is wrong, why the other claim is not as stable as the claim you’re arguing,” she says.
By the time ASAP middle school debaters enter high school, they’ve honed academic skills they can use from day one.
“You develop a lot of research and reading comprehension skills that are really great and have really helped me throughout high school,” says Rose.
Your Donation Impacts Students Across Philadelphia
When you make a gift to ASAP, you’re helping almost 3,000 students—including over 250 middle school debaters—reach their greatest potential in high school and beyond. Help us raise $80,000 to ensure Philadelphia students like Rose and Alonda have access to fun, high-quality after school & summer programs that spark a passion, boost career readiness, and provide a safe community for kids across Philadelphia.