ASAP Scrabble club coach Erica Darken takes great pride in making her club as welcoming as possible for Francis Scott Key School’s 4th-6th graders. 73% of students at her school speak a language other than English at home, but that hasn’t been a barrier to teaching high-scoring Scrabble words or getting kids to connect, whether they are bilingual, learning English, or exclusively-English speaking.
“Last year ASAP Scrabble gave us two Scrabble boards in Spanish in addition to the boards in English.”
– Erica Darken, ASAP Scrabble Coach
Since 2023-2024, with students more comfortable with the game, “bilingual students have chosen to play in English,” she says.
“We do vocabulary-building word games. Playing in pairs, and sometimes trios when there is an odd number, is a great support for all students.”
– Erica Darken, ASAP Scrabble Coach
Her club also has been a great way for siblings in different grades to come together, and for families to maintain bonds with the school community. Not only have siblings joined the club together, but “sometimes I’ve had a student in my club who is the younger sibling of a former student, and it’s great to reconnect with the family,” Erica says.
The club has been a great way for Erica to meaningfully connect with students, too.
“I’ve enjoyed getting to know students in this new board game context!”
– Erica Darken, ASAP Scrabble Coach
ASAP loves hearing from club leaders like Erica Darken, who use their club to not only teach new skills but also to strengthen students’ sense of belonging at school.
Your support is crucial to helping ASAP create strong clubs like Erica’s!
We hope you will consider making a donation to our mission, in whatever way works best for you:
“Having people that you know are always going to be there, that are just as equally competitive as you are, and are going to invest just as much time as you are — I think that’s what makes the ASAP Debate community strong.”
–Jenny Yim, ASAP Debate Alum
Meet Jenny Yim!
Jenny is a former Northeast High School ASAP debater and is currently undergoing what we like to call a full circle, ASAP moment: Jenny is now both a teacher AND assistant debate coach to her former debate coach, Theresa Bramwell at her alma mater. Teaching fell into Jenny’s lap after completing her post-secondary education at Temple University and Moore College of Art & Design. When she thought about adding “after school” to her resume, choosing a program was simple.
“I was in a lot of clubs at Northeast, but when I started working here, I thought ‘the only after school program I would really like helping out in would be ASAP Debate.’”
–Jenny
Jenny knew firsthand the impact of ASAP Debate and jumped at the chance to open those doors for her students. In fact, she attributes a lot of her own academic success to her time spent debating.
“When I studied art, education, and criminal justice I learned that because of my debate experience in researching, I could handle a lot of information a lot quicker than others. Finding strong information and then being able to explain it in a comprehensive way – that’s all debate.”
–Jenny
Now as a coach, Jenny can mentor her students based on her own experience and passion for competing.
“A judge once told me ‘you’re just saying a lot of information; you’re not talking TO each other, you’re talking AT each other.’ It really showed me that debate isn’t just about arguing your point. It’s about being able to listen. We have to be able to listen. I think a lot of debaters in general, because we’re young, we aren’t listening.”
–Jenny
While listening may seem like a simple enough skill, the ability to listen can make or break the match outcome. And perhaps even more importantly, it’s a huge factor in ensuring our children become informed, active citizens of their community.
“Listening. Being able to think. Doing your own research and communicating clearly. Debating really formulates your own autonomy on the way you think. Especially when you’re researching and have to argue both sides even if you personally don’t agree with one of them. Debate helps you develop your own ideals better, your own view better, and also be able to see different perspectives.”
–Jenny
At the end of the day, Jenny is less concerned with her students winning or losing than with helping them see the lesson in every match.
“I became very used to accepting a loss, just the same as I accepted a win. To me, they are equally fine outcomes. It’s just that what I learned from losing is often more important. I like directing students towards that behavior– to get used to losing, or how to think under pressure when you’re nervous.”
–Jenny
What’s Coach Jenny up to now?
What has Jenny and Northeast been up to recently? Her students competed in the ASAP Debate High School League Finals on April 3rd and Coach Bramwell won High School Debate Coach of the Year!
Thanks to the commitment of ASAP club leaders and coaches, students in Philadelphia aren’t letting the pandemic get in the way of pursuing their passions and bonding with their peers.
For Northeast High School freshmen Isaac and Reina, when it came to finding their place at their new school, they leaned on ASAP Debate—a program they’ve been a part of since the 6th grade.
“I am really grateful for ASAP for allowing me to experience the joy of Debate. I have loved it more and more each year. Even when Covid struck, ASAP went virtual and did not slow down at all.”
-Isaac
Pictured: Northeast debate coach Theresa Bramwell (bottom right), 9th grader Reina (top right), and 9th grader Isaac (top left)
And thanks to the recommendation of teacher and veteran coach Theresa Bramwell, Isaac and Reina are not only participating as freshmen — they are excelling. This young duo went straight to the Varsity division of ASAP’s Scholastic Debate League, competing against the city’s most seasoned competitive debaters on complex topics like whether or not the federal government should regulate the cryptocurrency industry.
But fear was no factor here.
“I was really grateful that she saw big potential in us and gave us the opportunity to thrive in Debate.”
-Isaac
“Winning debate matches as 9th graders in the varsity league is really uplifting. We were able to compete with other students who for all we knew could be seniors and still win nevertheless!”
-Reina
Coach Bramwell didn’t make the decision to promote lightly. With more than 10 years of coaching experience, she’s learned to recognize the potential of dedicated students like Isaac and Reina. So far, she’s impressed:
“Reina and Isaac write very sophisticated arguments. They’re having fun and doing great. They can hang with varsity!”
-Coach Bramwell
Combining their talents with guidance from their coach, Reina and Isaac have flourished:
“[Ms. Bramwell] is very gifted at making complicated topics understandable. With her help, I have learned to stop stuttering, argue both sides of an argument, and talk more fluidly.”
-Reina
So this giving season, we ask that you help ASAP give students like Reina and Isaac and coaches like Ms. Bramwell throughout Philadelphia the after school opportunities and experiences they deserve. Your generosity and partnership does not go unnoticed, by both ASAP, and the students we serve.
“I am so happy to be a part of a program that is so determined to provide youth with so many skills and opportunities.”
-Isaac
“I am grateful for my coaches, my current debate partner, Isaac, and to ASAP debate who made this all possible!”
