Developing tomorrow's leaders
PEA’s Environmental Debate Program develops young environmental leaders with the skills, knowledge, and passion to become change-makers in the community. Each year, students debate a topic that addresses a key and current environmental issue, including solutions to the ongoing climate crisis.
PEA’s Debate Program recruits students to form their own debate teams in local high schools, giving students the opportunity to engage in competitive, academic debate on leading environmental issues. PEA partners with Wake Forest’s debate team to engage with student and teacher participants, and provide skills-training workshops, information packets, and research materials to any interested high school student in the Piedmont region. The culmination of the program is the annual one-day tournament, where students debate both sides of a controversial environmental topic.
High school teachers are invited to serve as advisors to student teams, and $100 mini grants are available to teacher advisors that bring 3 or more teams to participate. No experience is required for students or teachers, and PEA will work with you throughout the process to provide materials and assistance as needed.
Program in partnership with Wake Debate 
2026 FREE Environmental Debate Tournament Details
Piedmont Environmental Alliance and Wake Debate are excited to co-host the 2026 FREE Environmental Debate Tournament for high school students.
Date: to be announced Fall 2025
Topic: to be announced Winter 2025
The winners of the semi-finals will have the opportunity to debate in front of a larger audience at the Piedmont Earth Day Fair.
Breakfast and lunch provided for all participating students.
Are you a student or teacher interested in learning more or participating?
SIGN UP TO GET MORE INFORMATION!
Are you a community member interested in volunteering?
Environmental Debate Proudly Sponsored By:
2025 Tournament Successes
Congratulations to 1st place team from West Forsyth High School in Forsyth County:
Nicholas and Cheick
-
140 students debated "is small scale, organic farming superior to industrial agriculture in the United States?"
-
Students represented 19 schools across Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Davie, and Davidson counties
-
55 community judges volunteered their time
Why Debate? Just ask the students...
- McAllister Stowe, Mt. Tabor High School
- Austin Smith, Career Center
- Ethan Austin, Atkins High & 2016 Debate Winner
Student Spotlight
"By using debate as a tool, PEA really brought to our attention many environmental issues, and gave us academic and citizenship skills that many of us simply hadn't been exposed to."
Rohan Kapileshwari, a sophomore at Atkins High School, had never participated in debate before signing up for the PEA Environmental Debate Tournament in 2016. He and his partner Ethan Austin won the debate semi-finals on March 12, 2016 and went on to win the final round of the tournament at the Piedmont Earth Day Fair on April 23, 2016. After participating in the PEA Debate Program, Rohan went on to participate and win a statewide debate tournament and participated in a national debate competition.