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• In 2007, the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance was formed to bring competitive policy debate programming to Dallas ISD. At that time, there was virtually no such programming available to public high school students in the district.

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• In the summer of 2008, DUDA held its first summer camp. This symbolized the emergence of growing university partnerships including the University of North Texas and the University of Texas at Dallas.

 

• In 2011, at the urging of DISD middle school principals, DUDA officially added middle schools to its programming. The middle school program worked with over 400 students across 19 middle schools.

 

• In 2012, DUDA was nationally voted the “Urban Debate League of the Year” by the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues. DUDA won this award while competing with 18 other urban debate leagues around the country.

 

• In 2014, DUDA was the 2014 recipient of the prestigious Jack Lowe Sr. Award for Community Leadership presented by the Dallas Bar Foundation. This award is given annually to an organization making significant strides in education in the Dallas Community.

 

• In 2014, DUDA secured its first formal scholarship partnership by partnering with UT Austin. As a result, three DUDA students received a total of $100,000 in scholarship money to attend UT Austin.

 

• In 2015, two DUDA teams received national recognition by making it to the octafinal round and semifinal round respectively, at the Urban Debate National Championship. While competing against over fifty teams from all across the country, the DUDA team from Woodrow Wilson, by advancing to the semifinal round, made it further than any team in DUDA’s history.

 

• In the 2015-2016 school year, DUDA worked with almost 60 Dallas ISD Schools. 

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• In 2017, students- Crayton Gerst and Vernon Johnson from Law Magnet GJ won Policy at the TFA State Tournament.

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• In 2020, DUDA student Olivia Northcutt-Wyly won the NAUDL Debater of the Year award - https://urbandebate.org/2020-debater-of-the-year-profile/

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• In the 2021-22 season, Dallas Urban Debate began an expansion of its offerings, introducing its first new debate format since its inception: World Schools Debate. Mary Gregg, the debate coach at JBS Law Magnet, was a finalist for the NAUDL Coach of the Year Award and Francesca Gilbard, a policy debater from TAG was a finalist for the NAUDL Student of the Year Award.​

• In 2022-23, DUDA began the season with over 70 high schools and middle schools. 

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