On August 1, 2011, the Houston (Texas) Urban Debate League (HUDL), in conjunction with the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, will host a cutting-edge seminar—the Space Policy Day. Name A Star Live CEO Charles Chafer is the President-Elect of the HUDL Board of Directors. The seminar will place space industry leaders in front of 200 Houston Independent School District high-school urban debaters and will be Web cast “live” to students and members of the space and educational communities around the world. Name A Star Live will link to the Web cast from our homepage August 1. Scheduled participants include NASA Administrator Charles “Charlie” Bolden, and astronaut Nicole Stott. The program will also include a warm tribute to commercial space pioneer David Hannah, Jr.

Throughout the 2011-2012 school year, debaters across the United States will research, learn about, and debate the complex issues facing the space industry today. HUDL —the nation’s fastest growing and second largest urban debate league serving nearly 1,000 students from 28 high schools—will “launch” the discussion with this truly unique opportunity to learn from the brightest and the best minds in the space industry. Debating space policy prepares these students for careers not only in law business, but also in science, technology, engineering and math.

“Debate season” has already begun for HUDL students. In May, seminars at the University of Houston on Space Policy were led by Dr. Wendell Mendell, Chief, Office for Lunar and Planetary Exploration, Constellation Systems Program Office, NASA Johnson Space Center. Throughout the summer, research and practice are ongoing and culminate in a week-long camp at the University of Houston with some of the most successful college debate instructors in the nation. By September, HUDL debaters start the school year having already participated in over 12,000 hours of research, writing and debating.

In this time of budget cuts and decreasing options for extracurricular activities, HUDL’s well-rounded educational activities have never been more relevant. Participating in debate helps students learn to think critically and improves their overall academic performance. HUDL will begin its fourth academic year in Fall 2011. This year, HUDL will inspire young, emerging leaders who may enter a career in the space industry or advocate for space policy in the halls of Congress.

ABOUT THE HOUSTON URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE:
The Houston Urban Debate League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that builds, supports, and sustains programs in Houston’s public schools to make policy debate an educational resource available to all students. Policy debate prepares students to be effective advocates for themselves, their families, and their communities. It is also proven to improve student academic achievement, to increase college matriculation, to close the education gap, and to make learning fun. Each year, HUDL serves up to 1,000 of Houston’s most in need high-school students. To learn more about HUDL, visit www.houstonurbandebate.org.

ABOUT THE JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY:
Since its inception in 1993, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy has established itself as one of the leading nonpartisan public policy think tanks in the country. As an integral part of Rice University, one of the nation’s most distinguished institutions of higher education, the Baker Institute has a strong track record of achievement based on the work of Rice University faculty and the institute’s endowed fellows and scholars. To learn more about the Baker Institute, visit www.bakerinstitute.org.