*All proceeds from Summer Institute go toward our debate programs in Title 1 schools across the city. We hire summer staff based on registration numbers. For these reasons, we cannot offer refunds once tuition has been paid. Thank you for your understanding, and your contribution to our mission!
2024 Summer Schedule
July 1-5 (excluding July 4)
July 8-12
July 15-19
July 8-12
Scholarship Policy
Scholarships are available to students who qualify and participate in our league through their school. Any student may participate in Summer Debate Institute, but only students who attend our league schools are eligible for scholarships. If your student is a debater at one of our member schools, please fill out this form to apply for a scholarship.
Questions? Email us at summer@debate.nyc
Dates/Times/Prices
- Live Session (High School & Advanced Middle School PF): July 1-12 (9-3pm) // Cost: $1,819
- Live Session (Middle School): July 15-26 (9-3pm) // Cost: $1,819
- Remote Session (Middle School): July 1-12 (9-12:30pm) // Cost: $819
If you would like financial aid, please contact your coach to recommend you or apply directly through this form. Financial aid is available to students who have financial need and debate on teams at member schools in good standing with the NYCUDL.
FORMATS (Click on each tab to read more!)
Introduction to Debate: In our introduction class you can expect students to learn the fundamentals of debate which include: public speaking, research skills and basic argument formation. Students will collaborate to incorporate these skills in a debate setting such as in-class scrimmages.
Public Forum: In public forum debate, we focus on enhancing the NSDA standards expected in a public forum round. Some skills include topic specific research on the proposed Public forum NSDA topic along with learning format specific skills in given speeches.
Parliamentary: Parli format especially focuses on listening and extemporaneous speaking skills as students work on teams of three to debate topics with limited prep.
Why Join the NYCUDL’s Summer Debate Institutes?
History and experience. The NYCUDL was formed in 2012 and has run Summer Debate Institute every year since its founding to support debate in NYC.
Support Debate Access: All proceeds from NYCUDL Summer Institute goes directly back into our programming in Title 1 schools throughout the academic year. Thank you for your support of our mission!
Our Staff. Our teaching staff includes incredibly accomplished debaters and coaches (including former coaches from the Northwestern University and Harvard debate teams).
The best way to learn debate is to debate!
“Intro to Debate” at Summer Institute will impart the essentials of public speaking and basic debate with a frequent mix of active practice and feedback. Comprehensive units aim to raise skills—and enjoyment!—of public speaking, research, inquiry, vocabulary, critical literacy and higher-order thinking. Ask your instructor questions at any time. All units embrace skills that invaluably transfer to make your academic success faster, higher and stronger!
Parliamentary Debate is the largest and most popular debate format in the world as well as at the American collegiate level. Students learn more debate topics than any other debate format and unlike other debate formats. Parliamentary emphasizes extemporaneous and impromptu debate skills with limited preparation times and having to “think on your feet.” Debaters work on teams of three with time to argue topics with limited prep in this energetic format.
Public Forum debate is now one of our largest debate formats in the country. The focus is more on persuading your audience – rather than the heavy evidence focus of policy debate. Public Forum Debate is also unique in that it was founded to be easily accessible for the “public” so that any one can serve as a “citizen judge” and any student can be a debater. Debaters work on teams of two to present and defend their cases with active moments of crossfire questioning between speeches.