FLORIDA DEBATE INITIATIVE INC

In February 2019, then Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran visited Apopka High School and was amazed by the Central Florida Debate Initiative , a program co-founded by Tara Tedrow and Beth Eskin . He found hundreds of students from public schools debating complex topics with the intensity of athletes.

Tedrow, a three-time national champion, was inspired to revive the debate scene after returning home to find her championship team gone. She partnered with Eskin, an experienced coach, to rebuild the program. From 2014 to 2019, they added 22 new debate programs, funding them with their own money and small grants.

Their success convinced Commissioner Corcoran that the initiative could go statewide. With a $5 million grant from a private foundation and $1.425 million in state funding for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons, the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative was born. This partnership between the Florida Education Foundation and Tedrow and Eskin's organization was ready to put debate back on the map for students across the state.