The Global Speech Debate and Leadership Association was founded by educators with many years of combined experience coaching competitive speech and debate, with hands-on work supporting marginalized youth in under-resourced communities globally.
We emerged from a singular conviction: debate education, long the province of well-resourced schools, could and should be democratized — through adaptable curricula, trained local educators, and community-based leagues that communities can run themselves. Our Indonesia pilot proved it.
We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, actively seeking founding partners, funders, and institutional allies.
Want to bring GSDLA to your community? We are actively expanding partnerships. Reach out to co-design a program for your school, district, or region.
Access Over Pedigree
We prioritize students historically excluded from competitive speech and debate due to geography, income, or institutional inequity.
Local Ownership
We build programs with communities, not for them — training local coaches and embedding in existing educational infrastructure.
Civic Courage
Democracy is strengthened when every citizen can articulate a reasoned argument and hold power accountable.
Global Perspective
We cultivate leaders who are globally aware and equipped to navigate complexity in their communities and on the world stage.
Maim Hoque is the founder of the Global Speech Debate and Leadership Association. He has worked in education and youth development for nearly a decade, beginning as a competitive collegiate debater and later serving as a debate coach and teacher in the United States. He has taught and mentored hundreds of students, from elementary school through university. A testament to the life-changing power of speech and debate himself, he has witnessed the same transformation in the students he teaches.
GSDLA was born from his first experience working with students in regional Indonesia, alongside local educators. There, they saw curiosity and leadership potential in students who had no access to formal enrichment programs. Knowing firsthand how such opportunities can change a life, he built GSDLA to help students in overlooked communities develop confidence, civic voice, and connection.
The part he treasures most: the very first students he taught almost a decade ago are now adults, and they are working alongside him as co-equals in building GSDLA. He considers it no higher honor, and dedicates GSDLA to every student he has taught and to all those who will come after.
Work With Us.
We are seeking founding partners, funders, and institutional allies.