Debating is an excellent extracurricular activity for children to consider. It can improve their chances to get into their dream school and may even lead to scholarship opportunities. These camps can help children develop their love of discussion and turn it into a valuable tool to give them the best chances of success in the future. Here is our list of the top 10 best summer debate camps for 2024.
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#1 – Capitol Debate Public Speaking and Debate Camps
These camps provide an unparalleled opportunity for middle and high school debate students to develop and hone their public speaking and debating skills. In addition to focusing on the fundamentals of public speaking and debate, Capitol Debate’s camps offer a variety of activities and exercises to engage and inspire students. Don’t miss this opportunity to give your child the gift of assertive communication skills that will benefit them for a lifetime.
- Capitol Debate is a reputable organization that offers public speaking and debate camps for middle and high school students.
- They provide a range of programs, both on-campus and virtual, with experienced instructors.
- Attending their summer camp can help students become confident public speakers, and skilled debaters, and gain valuable life skills.
Attending their summer camp can help students become confident public speakers, skilled debaters, and gain valuable life skills
#2 – Harvard Debate Council Summer Workshop
When considering high-quality debate camps, the Debate Council Summer Workshop at Harvard is an excellent option. This summer camp is designed for students who want an introductory camp to policy debate. Over eight days, attendees can learn the basic fundamentals of debate, including topics focusing on research methods, argumentation, and speech preparation. After completing the camp, students will be prepared to succeed at their next debate tournament.
- Harvard Debate Council Summer Workshops offer a range of programs in debate and public speaking for students of all levels of experience.
- The workshops focus on developing confidence, speaking skills, critical thinking, creativity, and leadership abilities.
- With over 35 years of experience, the Harvard Debate Council has a reputation for excellence.
#3 – American Debate League Virtual Speech & Debate
This summer is an excellent resource for children who are interested in debate. You can enroll your child in various programs, including debate in public forums, public speaking, and policy debate. Within each program, there is a focus on developing different skills. Children will learn how to structure arguments, conduct effective research, and confidently deliver speeches. The camp is divided into classes based on grade level.
- The American Debate League offers a virtual summer camp for upper elementary to high school students, focusing on developing public speaking and argumentation skills.
- Participants will gain confidence, critical thinking abilities, communication skills, creativity, and leadership qualities.
- The camp offers programs in different debate formats and provides a secure environment for students to improve their communication abilities.
#4 – Rose Debate
This is an institute that offers after-school and summer programs for elementary and junior high school students to improve their debate skills and speech skills. The programs are both online and in-person, with the online option open to students that are in grade four and higher. The in-person camps are held at local K-12 schools located in sunny Palo Alto, California. The staff at Rose Debate is composed of trained public speakers that are expert debaters who follow a carefully designed curriculum. Children can increase their self-confidence and gain valuable communication and leadership skills by participating in these programs.
- Rose Debate Institute offers comprehensive programs in public speaking and debate, focusing on effective communication, confidence-building, and critical thinking skills.
- They cater to students of all ages and offer both after-school programs and private courses.
- The institute has expanded to multiple locations and provides online programs as well.
#5 – Cornell International Summer Debate Camp
The Cornell University Debate Camp is a nine-day program that offers students the opportunity to learn and practice debate skills with experts at the debate, including Cornell staff and other faculty involved in the debate. The camp covers various debate points and topics using the World Schools Debate rules and culminates in a tournament where students can put their skills into action. During the camp, students will attend a mix of small group session learning, subject matter expert lectures, and homework to help raise their skills. This program is open to junior high and high school students and runs in the summer.
- The International Summer Debate Camp at Cornell University offers high school students an immersive experience to learn and practice debate skills.
- With a focus on the World Schools Debate format and expert instructors, the camp provides comprehensive instruction and opportunities for students to engage in competitive debates.
- The camp’s location on Cornell’s campus and the inclusion of lectures by faculty members enhance the academic experience.
#6 – The Richmond Debate Institute Summer Camp
The Richmond Debate Institute Summer Camp is a one-week program for students attending junior high school or high school, who want to improve their public speaking and debate skills. The camp teaches debate techniques for use in competitions, research methods, and how to prepare for national-level tournaments. It also allows participants to practice essential skills. Through a carefully planned curriculum, experienced instructors help campers develop critical conceptualizing and public speaking skills that they can use to prepare for academic year competitions. The camp offers three programs for children, each tailored to a specific age range and focus.
- The Richmond Debate Institute offers summer camps focused on competitive speech and debate for middle school and high school students.
- The camps, held at the VCU School of Business, provide students with an opportunity to enhance their language, research, and public speaking skills.
- Guided by experienced mentors and debate teachers, students engage in thought-provoking topics and participate in a final debate tournament.
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# 7 – Kansas State Debate Summer Camp
K-State has a high-quality debate camp ideal for students who want to improve their skills and get an inside look at campus life. The camp is suitable for debate students of all levels of experience and focuses on teaching essential strategies and arguments to assist students in getting prepared for regional high school debate competitions. Students are divided into teams based on the level of their skills to ensure that they receive appropriate instruction. The camp is skill-intensive rather than concentrating on the research aspect of the debate, allowing students to sharpen their abilities and participate in speaking exercises as well as practice speeches.
- Kansas State University offers debate camps and clinics to high school students interested in improving their debate skills.
- The summer camp provides a college-level competition experience and covers a range of topics in debate.
- The presence of experienced staff and guest lectures from topic experts adds value to the camp experience.
#8 – Emory University High School Debate Camps
Emory University’s prestigious High School Debate Camp allows students to work in close quarters with Emory University’s debate staff and college debate team members to learn the finer points of debate. The camp is available in seven- or fourteen-day sessions, and students can choose the session that best meets their goals. The 1-Week Fundamentals program is designed for students wanting to get involved in spirited debates while learning to discuss a wide range of topics effectively. This camp lets students deep dive into a multitude of topics for debate, exercise their critical thinking, and argumentation, and is suitable for students of all levels of experience.
- Emory University offers high school debate camps through the Barkley Forum, providing students with opportunities to develop their debate skills and engage in argumentation.
- The camps offer programs tailored to different experience levels and focus on competitive debate or broader debate skills.
- Emory’s experience in teaching debate to high school and middle school students, along with the involvement of skilled staff and college debaters, enhances the learning experience.
#9 – National Symposium for Debate
The National Symposium for Debate has been hosting summer camps and workshops for all grade levels since 2004. Led by a team of highly respected speech and debate teachers and coaches, NSD’s mission is to provide exceptional summer camp experiences for all students, combining educational excellence with personalized, hands-on instruction from some of the best field educators and a supportive community of learners.
- The NSD Summer Camps website showcases the National Symposium for Debate and its summer programs, highlighting their track record of success and the quality of their faculty.
- The camps offer a rigorous curriculum, personalized attention, and a collaborative learning environment.
- NSD alumni have achieved notable results in competitive debate, and the website provides information on camp options, resources, and contact details.
#10 – University of Missouri-Kansas City
The University Missouri in Kansas City Summer Debate Institute is a summer camp that offers two and four-week sessions for high school students that have an interest in learning the finer points in competitive policy debate. The instructors at the camp have a wealth of experience coaching debate in high school and college. Many of them have also taught at summer camps for many years.
- The UMKC Summer Debate Institute offers high school students an opportunity to learn about competitive policy debate.
- The camp provides quality instruction, covers specific debate topics, and offers a range of instruction from basic to advanced skills.
- The camp is focused on affordability and has a track record of success with past participants excelling at national debate competitions.
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Choose a Program for Your Children
Enroll your child in one of these excellent debate and public speaking camps this summer. At these camps, your child can learn various skills to help them in their daily life or assist with college applications.
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