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ContinueYour first speech starts here. A guided 10-day camp that takes students from zero experience to their first competitive debate round — through improv games, coached practice, and a structured curriculum built by real classroom teachers.
Key Info
Residential Camp
Middle - High school
Location
Student to teacher ratio
Hurry Up! Only Limited Seats Available.
Camps
Students Camped
Parents Satisfaction
Coaches
Days 1–2 start with improv games and impromptu speaking drills — no debate jargon, no pressure. Students respond to a variety of prompts: some build impromptu speeches, some prepare a short argument under time constraints, and others train quick thinking on their feet. The goal is to get every student comfortable speaking before introducing competition.
Days 3–4 introduce research and structured argumentation. Lectures cover core debate concepts like the Toulmin Model (Claim/Warrant/Impact) with real-time practice and active recall checks built in. Coaches diagnose and correct issues on the spot through brief drills and mini-debates.
Days 5–8 pivot toward formal Public Forum debate. Students watch demo rounds from Varsity/PFBC students while a staff judge flows alongside them, prompting questions to connect lecture concepts to in-round application. Then students run their own guided practice debates — first with coach support, then independently.
Days 9–10 are a modified Public Forum tournament. Topics are chosen to be accessible to new students, emphasizing student analysis over evidence cutting. Students get multiple rounds with individualized feedback after each one.
Public Speaking & Improv Games
Research & Argument Construction
Intro to Public Forum & Demo Rounds
Guided Practice Debates
Camp Tournament
8:30 AM
8:30 AM
Students will review skills learned asynchronously with guided questions from staff.
9:00 AM
9:00 AM
Coaches will walk students through an activity to practice core skills reviewed in that morning's lecture.
10:30 AM
10:30 AM
Students will do their first practice debate of the day and get extensive feedback from the coaches judging.
12:00 AM
12:00 AM
Eat lunch!
1:30 PM
1:30 PM
Groups of 6–8 with one coach. Targeted improvement and skill-building based on the feedback from morning round.
3:30 PM
3:30 PM
Guided time to update or cases based on feedback from the morning round.
5:00 PM
5:00 PM
Students take skills from the day's activities to do their second practice debate of the day, also coach-guided and with extensive feedback.
6:30 PM
6:30 PM
Evidence research, coach office hours, or additional drills for students who want more.
Head Coach | St. Luke's
Bryce coached Public Forum for the Lakeville Debate Team, growing the squad from a couple of students to a nationally competitive squad of a dozen debaters. Bryce also served as the President of the student-run Minnesota NPDA and is the foudner of Public Forum Boot Camp
Director of Debate | Civic Debate Academy
Katheryne was top speaker at Harvard , top-5 speaker awards at Valley, Blake, and Bronx, semifinalist at the TOC, 2x champion of the Valley, finalist at the Harvard, and semifinalist at Blake. As a coach, Katheryne has worked as an assistant at Taipei American School as well as ISD and NSD
Assistant Coach | The Blake School
Christian has worked as an assistant debate coach at the Blake School. Since then he has coached multiple invitational, state, and national champions, (NDCA and TOC) and was a Senior lab leader at the Harvard Debate Council’s Summer Workshops
CDA Camp faculty are not just award-winning debaters, they are some of the most effective teachers. Each staff member goes through dozens of hours of training and is dedicated to the success of every student
Not 30. Not 20. Our labs are small by design so every student gets coach time, feedback time, and round time daily. Staff step in during practice to guide, not just observe.
Our curriculum is built by classroom teachers and nationally recognized coaches with results at NSDA Nationals, TOC, and state championships across every region of PF since 2016. They teach — not just lecture.
Every camp ends with a multi-round tournament in a low-stakes, high-support environment. Staff guide the experience so the focus stays on skill development and ethical competitive practices.
Students leave with guided research and a full packet of evidence on the September/October competition topic — ready to use in their first tournament of the season.
Students will stay in a secure, comfortable hotel with separate accommodations, 24/7 supervision, and well-maintained facilities for a safe and pleasant stay.
Amenities
TBA (Chicago, IL)
O’Hare International Airport (ORD) · 35–45 min
TBA
Included
Day 5 (Open Day) + Day 10 Tournament.
July 12, by 2:00 PM – July 22, after 11:00 AM
24/7 Security and Adult Supervision
No experience? No problem. A guided 10-day introduction to public speaking and debate — from improv games to your first competitive round.
For students who know the basics and want to start competing. Structured PF coaching, practice rounds, and an evidence packet to take into the season.
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Intensive training for experienced competitors. Advanced strategy, elimination-round prep, and coaching from staff with NSDA and TOC championship results.
Chicago, IL
A guided 10-day introduction to public speaking and debate. Students go from improv games to their first competitive round — no experience needed.
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Online
Pre-camp classes in public speaking and argumentation so your student arrives with a head start on day one.
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Debate camp is an investment in your student's confidence, communication skills, and competitive future. Tuition includes a prep package and weekly mock and drill sessions at no extra charge — plus financial aid and early bird discounts to help make it work.
Tuition Amount
Comprehensive Prep Package
Included
$800
Post Camp Support
Included
$960
Average Financial Aid Award
-$1,300
Early Bird Discount
-$
295
What’s on your mind?
CDA offers both online classes across the country and in-person class in Chicago to fit students’ needs, ensuring flexibility and access to high-quality coaching regardless of location. The National Debate Club Travel Team is hosted online with in-person and online tournaments.
Getting started is simple! Explore our class options with our easy to use class search tool or apply to join the National Debate Club for a competitive travel team.
CDA provides a full-service academy experience, combining accountability, regular progress evaluations, competitive travel teams, and introductory classes. With everything students need to excel in debate, CDA ensures you never have to look elsewhere.
The National Debate Club is CDA’s elite competitive travel team, designed for top-performing students who are ready to compete on the national circuit. Members receive advanced coaching, access to top-tier tournaments, and support to secure TOC bids and achieve success at the highest levels of debate. Click here to learn more!
Civic Debate Academy (CDA) is a premier debate coaching organization dedicated to helping students improve critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills through expert-led classes, workshops, and competitive travel teams.
A 9-week online prep course for intro students attending camp, focused on building fundamentals and structured practice. Requires camp registration ($3,995), with bundled pricing reducing total tuition to $3,744.
Recommended Online classes before Camp.
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Middle to High School
Class Duration
Location
$OGPrice
$Price
Middle School Schedule
Mondays
7:00-8:30 PM CT
High School Schedule
Mondays
7:00-8:30 PM CT
