Youth Programs

***Aspen High School thanks the Aspen Institute for providing seminars and scholarships to local teens (Aspen Daily News, February 25, 2007).***

Since 1999, the Institute has supported a full-time effort to share our phenomenal resources with the local Aspen and Roaring Fork Valley community.  The response has been outstanding and we have forged a strong tie to the schools in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley. 

**NEW Teen and Youth Events for Summer 2008!!**
In addition to these events, we would like to encourage teenagers to attend any of our McCloskey Speaker Series talks, Architecture Lecture Series talks, Arts & Ideas Panels, and other Aspen Institute Community Events. More Information.

Summer Dialogues
In collaboration with Tomorrow’s Voices on the Summer Dialogues, a program for Roaring Fork Valley students and teachers in consort with the McCloskey Speaker Series, participants will engage in a facilitated dialogue preceding each McCloskey Series talk. 
Information: (970) 925-2521 or piper@tomorrowsvoices.org.  

Tuesday, June 10- Thursday, June 12
High School Argument & Debate Workshop [Register]
Students will come away from this workshop with enhanced research skills and a greater
understanding of what constitutes 'best evidence' on an issue. Perhaps most importantly,
students will seek to base argumentation and debate strategies in points of agreement and
a commitment to civil discourse.
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Koch Building

Monday, June 30- Thursday, July 3
Aspen Ideas Festival Children’s Workshop
Presented in partnership with Anderson Ranch Arts Center, this camp invites children to participate in the creation of artworks that will be installed in The Aspen Music Festival’s Benedict Music Tent during His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s talk on July 26.
Ages 6 to 12 years.
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Boettcher Building;Information: reg@andersonranch.org

Saturday, June 28- Monday, June 30                      
Teen Socrates Seminar: Wilderness Experience
Based on the Socrates Society, Teen Socrates offers teenagers the opportunity to examine our relationship to nature, with a unifying theme of the meaning of wilderness in history, religion, aesthetics and philosophy, and the often conflicting values of society and the conservation of nature.
Information: (202) 736-1497 or lu.duong@aspeninst.org

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Summary of 2007's Youth Events:

The High School Great Ideas Seminar: "The Good Life and the Good Society:
(The Aspen Institute Executive Seminar for High School Students)

In November, the Institute hosted 23 students from five of the valley’s high schools who took part in the Great Ideas Seminar. This seminar, modeled after the Institute’s cornerstone Executive Seminar, lead students through the classic writings that explore some of the core ideas and values that have arisen over 2500 years of human history. Employing informed, Socratic dialog to better understand our civilization’s underlying values and ideas – and how these evolved – students were able to clarify their own values and ideas. 

This four-day seminar incorporates the discussion and analysis of excerpts from the Great Books series with the practice of applicable leadership and problem solving skills. The method of Socratic dialog and the emphasis of discussion and debate allow the course to delve into the core of human values of our culture, the origins of American democracy, and what it means to pursue Aristotle’s concept of “the good life”. 

When asked “What did you like best about the seminar?” some responses included: 

The seminar topics were really great, and personally I really enjoyed meeting people from other schools. I liked talking with kids my age about important topics. Everyone was equal. The seminar was very enriching and felt safe. The fact that I was able to question not only the ideas and opinions of others, but the ideas of my own. Other than EVERYTHING, the power of interaction and style of learning by discussion. I have never shared a bond of respect and intelligence with other people like I now share with these people. The experience I had at this seminar is almost indescribable. This was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I will carry this wisdom and passion for knowledge with me for the rest of my life. Thank you!“

Aspen Institute Aspen High School “Speaking to the Future Series”

The Aspen Institute and Aspen High School speaker series continues this school year with an event that took place November 7^th featuring Lee Bycel with 115 students in attendance. This series was launched last school year, as part of an ongoing effort to collaborate and share Aspen Institute resources with youth. The series will run throughout each school year. 

Dr. Lee Bycel, serves as executive director of the Western Region of American Jewish World Service, which works to alleviate poverty, hunger, and disease in the developing world regardless of the people’s race, religion, or nationality. Lee Bycel’s devotion to aiding people in need is demonstrated by his former position of senior advisor to the Global Strategy of International Medical Corps and his recent trips to Darfur, Chad, and Rwanda. Bycel was also the Aspen High School commencement speaker earlier this year. 

Dr. Bycel’s topic was “Global Responsibility: Caring for people around the world: Responsibility, Choice, or Imperative?” His speech was moving and inspiring; and engaged students in the conversation about how much we are morally responsible to do; how much are we willing to do; what can we do in our lives everyday to show that we care about the 4 billion people in the world who live on less than $2 per day. GrassRoots TV Channel 12 filmed the event and is airing it. Watch Lee Bycel's lecture (quicktime, windows media player).

High School Debate Activities:

Momentum is building as we enter the third year of the Aspen Institute Aspen School District Debate Dialogue collaboration. The following is a program update since the last report in Spring 2007. 

The Aspen High School Speech & Debate Team continues to grow in size and experience. The 2007-2008 AHS squad has already attended tournaments at:

• Longmont HS, (Longmont, CO);
• The Liberty Bell Classic -University of Pennsylvania, (Philadelphia, PA), 
• Battle Mountain High School, (Vail, CO);
•  The David Damus Trojan Classic- University of Southern California, (L.A., CA); and
• The squad, with great support from the Aspen community, hosted the first Aspen High School Speech and Debate Tournament since 1982.
• Jefferson County Coaches Invitational at Green Mountain HS, Lakewood, CO

Squad membership has more than tripled over three years, now boasting over twenty members ranging from freshmen to seniors.

The 2007-2008 AHS team is fully engaged in Policy, Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum debate topics.

The national high school policy debate topic for the year is, “Resolved: That the United States federal government should substantially increase its public health assistance to sub-Sahara Africa.” 

The September-October Lincoln-Douglas debate topic was, “Resolved: A just society ought not use the death penalty as a form of punishment.”

The November-December topic is, “Resolved: In the United States, plea bargaining in exchange for testimony is unjust.” 

AHS Public Forum debaters have successfully completed the October topic, “Resolved: That the United States should encourage the implementation of a soft partition of Iraq” and are currently engaging the November topic, “Resolved: That eliminating United States government budget deficits should be prioritized over increasing domestic spending.” In addition to these debate forums, Aspen students have competed in Extemporaneous Speaking—an event where the contestant chooses a question on a controversial current event and then has 30 minutes to research, organize and prepare a seven minute speech on that topic. 

Aspen students have provided impressive performances in National and International Extermoraneous Speaking, Original Oration, Dramatic  and Humorous Interpretations of Literature, Creative Storytelling and Impromptu Speaking.

Upcoming team competitions occur on December 1 at Fruita HS, (CO), December 15 at Glenwood Springs HS, (CO), January 19-21, 2008 atThe Golden Desert Invitational in Henderson, NV and February 16-18 at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.  We look forward to more success at more tournaments with more students in the coming months! 

We are pleased to explain and describe recent events and activities promoting debate and civil dialogue in our Valley communities.

Bilingual Debate Program – Roaring Fork Valley

Equally exciting is the development and emergence of a bilingual debate program for all Roaring Fork Valley students. Utilizing the expertise and assistance of Mr. Steve Kaufman, students from Aspen, Basalt and Roaring Fork High Schools have met at Access Roaring Fork studio each Sunday to organize, strategize, research and debate issues relating to immigration and U.S. citizenship.

The format for these debates features three person teams, one member presenting their ‘opening statements’, one member responding to the opposition’s opening statements and one member providing a final rebuttal or ‘closing argument’. For the argument to be considered, ‘in’ the debate, students must make the same argument twice, once in Spanish and again in English. Supporting evidence can be used from published sources in either language. Cross examination may utilize either or both languages. 

The goal of this program is to extend debate and civil dialogue/discourse to traditionally underserved communities. A panel presentation about this bilingual debate initiative was given to the recently concluded National Communication Association convention in San Antonio, Texas. Ideas and suggestions were shared with colleagues attempting to develop similar programs in Austin, Texas and Los Angeles, California. The first taped and televised debate engaged the topic: “Resolved: That the United States federal government should not build a wall on the U.S.- Mexican border.”

Future debates will be aired utilizing internet webcast technology.

Debate Dialogue Techniques in the Classroom

In addition to these extra-curricular debate efforts, debate and Socratic methods of instruction have also been utilized in the Aspen High School and Middle School classrooms.

A seventh grade, “Introduction to the Introduction to Philosophy” or “Thinking About Thinking” class seeks to introduce students to the many issues surrounding learning styles and differences, addressing the question of what it means to be ‘smart’. The course also includes units on formal logic, logical fallacies and types of intelligences. Perhaps most importantly, students are learning how to begin debates and discussions from points of agreement and an understanding of respect and civility in all interactions. All AMS eighth grade students participate in a Speech Communication course where students are introduced to the various forms and styles of communication including the performance of various types and formats of public speaking, mass media, interpersonal and small group communication.

 At Aspen High School, Film Criticism, Comparative Religion, Introduction to Philosophy and Argumentation and Debate classes seek to develop critical thinking and communication skills in students.

• Film Criticism students have learned and applied multiple standards of criticism to various film artifacts of their choosing as well as making their own films.
• Comparative Religion strives to develop an understanding and appreciation of the many theological traditions existing in the world. The course further seeks to foster civil dialogue in debates and discussions about religion, identifying starting points of similarity and agreement.
• The Argumentation and Debate course promotes an understanding of the various philosophical, theoretical and strategic options available to students seeking a competitive edge in interscholastic debate competitions and home and class argument. The course seeks to improve student communication, critical thinking skills as well as improving organizational, note-taking and research skills, all of which can aid the student’s performance in all of their courses at AHS. 
• Introduction to Philosophy provides a survey of both Western and Eastern philosophical traditions. The course seeks to incorporate and promote civil dialogue methods in classroom discussions and debates.

Student feedback in all of these courses, (AMS and AHS) has been overwhelmingly positive.

Debate Workshop – A debate workshop was held August 1st and 2^nd at the Aspen Institute. Students were instructed in both theoretical and substantive aspects of 2007-2008 debate topics. Students from Aspen, Basalt, and Roaring Fork High Schools were in attendance. The workshop was designed to promote and develop critical thinking and communication skills. Logic and philosophy, evidence and argument organization, note-taking, critical listening and public speaking were all studied in the course of this 2 day program. Application of argumentation and debate theory and rules to 2007 national high school Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum topics were made and students concluded the program ready to be a positive asset for any high school debate team.

The Aspen Institute will feature several events throughout the year for the public including the McCloskey Speaker Series.  See the full calendar of events for more detail.