Pro Se: Empowering Justice-Involved Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities through Speech & Debate Training

Overview

Pro Se Speech & Debate is an engaged learning program for Cornell undergraduate students who provide peer mentoring and education to justice-impacted youth, ages 14–17, in Central New York. The students, who are also members of organizations like the Cornell Undergraduate Mock Trial Association and the ILR School Speech and Debate program, design the curriculum to support youth learning and empowerment by building skills around speech, debate, and self-advocacy. 

For youth participants, Pro Se includes three known best practices: (a) one-on-one peer mentoring; (b) supplemental educational programming outside alternative or home school settings; and (c) rebuilding social networks and social/career capital.

The two-way service-learning opportunities offered by Pro Se benefit both the youth participants and the future legal professionals from Cornell, who can drive juvenile justice innovation and reform from within.

In its pilot year, during the 2021–2022 academic year, 12 youth participated in programming led by seven Cornell students who provided mentorship as “Speech and Debate Coaches.” Data from the pilot program supports that over 80% of participants have either made progress in their individual goals or successfully graduated from the program. In 2022–23, 10 additional youth have participated, with six Cornell student mentors.