Kroc Center Invitational Complete!

Tournament assistant and ballot runner Evie Turner.

Debaters getting pizza before awards!

The Lavista Middle School crew!

Millard North Middle School team.

All ten competitors with their charity donation certificates!

Thank you to the Kroc Center and Jill Harman, Youth Development Coordinator, for hosting a middle school debate competition for first year middle school 6th and 7th graders in the Omaha area today! The students pictured above include Josalie Tyson (far left), our Guided by Kids student, a 6th grader who competed in five speech and debate tournaments this year and took home medals and one trophy in three different invitationals.

For this tournament, instead of receiving medals and trophies, each student was asked to designate one charity they wished to receive a $10 donation in recognition of their participation. Mr. Robertson, on behalf of Guided by Kids, will donate a total of $100 to these designated charities: Project Eli, The National Suicide Hotline, The Salvation Army, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Susan G. Komen, the Mills County Flood Relief Fund, St. Jude Research Hospital, and RettSyndrome.org. Each student receiving a certificate spoke about why they chose a charity, and it was wonderful to see their confidence in speaking about causes they want to contribute to in order to help others.

Thanks to all who helped out judging, to my co-teacher Payton Shudak for all of her hard work all year, parents and coaches who brought competitors, and especially the middle school competitors-- all who made our first tournament hosting experience so much fun!

It's been a great second year for Guided by Kids, and this was a beautiful way to finish our work.

Please consider Guided by Kids as one of the non-profits you give to on Omaha Gives Day, May 22. We hope to serve more students and have even greater learning next year, and we need your support!

Fred Robertson, Director, Guided by Kids