Does CDA offer online or in-person classes?

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.

What makes CDA different from other debate organizations?

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.

Can beginners join the National Debate Club?

While NDC is designed for advanced debaters, CDA offers programs for all skill levels. Students can start with foundational classes and work their way up to joining the elite travel team.

How much do tournaments cost?

NDC offers tournaments at cost with no upcharges, making it unique compared to other programs. Online tournaments generally range from $125-$250, including all fees and judging. In-person tournaments generally cost $750-$1500, covering all expenses such as travel, housing, food, judging, and supervision. Parents are not required to judge or attend, ensuring a hassle-free experience.

What kind of tournaments does the National Debate Club attend?

NDC competes in top-tier national circuit tournaments (like Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia), offering students the opportunity to secure TOC bids and showcase their skills against the best in the country. Many student also choose to complete with their schools on their respective local circuits!

How do I join the National Debate Club?

Students interested in joining NDC can apply through the CDA website. Admission is based on a consultation and evaluation of debate experience and potential. No matter your skill level, we'll have a program for you.

What is the National Debate Club (NDC)?

The National Debate Club (NDC) is CDA's elite travel team, designed to elevate students to the highest levels of competitive debate with semi-private coaching and a strong team culture.

The National Debate Club

Who is this for?

Competitive PF debaters in middle and high school who want more than a school team can offer — dedicated coaching, national-circuit tournament access, and a team culture built around getting better every week. Whether you're trying to break at your first regional or qualify for TOC, NDC meets you where you are and pushes you forward.

Tournament Logistics

Competing at tournaments is essential to being a top debater. At CDA, we handle all the travel logistics. In fact, we offer all of these services at cost, meaning we do not make money from tournaments, keeping competition as affordable as possible.

Prestigious Tournaments

We offer a robust schedule of both in-person and online TOC bid tournaments. Our teams consistently attend Harvard, Grapevine, Stanford, and dozens more.

Full Logistic Service

We understand that parents have lives of their own and cannot take their kids to tournaments every weekend or don’t have the time to coordinate schedules with partners and look up flights and hotels. At CDA, we handle everything from judge registration to hotels and flights. With our exclusive corporate partnerships, we ensure the lowest travel prices available.

Seminars

In addition to classes, prep, and practice rounds. The NDC Elite Staff holds multiple lectures a month focused on complex topics like the settler colonialism K or how to break the “clash” of a certain topic.

Taught by Experts

With such a talented coaching staff, our lectures are given by experts in the subject, ensuring a nuanced understanding by students and an engaging lecture.

Engaging Presentations

Our seminars are not simply words on a slide show, we make it a point of emphasis to engage students through questions and drills throughout the session. It's an active learning experience.

Prep Support

Every top-debater has been a top researcher. At the National Debate Club we focus on teaching efficient research strategies while also providing necessary prep support throughout the topics.

100s of Pages of Coach Made Prep

For every topic, our coaches produce a ready-to-read block file and progressive argumentation file totaling over 150 pages.

24-Hour Card Request

One of the most difficult and time-consuming parts of debate is finding evidence. Our 24-hour card request helps students focus on argumentation while still receiving the evidence necessary for their success.

Practice Rounds

Outside of class time, students are offered numerous opportunities to practice their skills in a simulated environment. This allows for real-time feedback, and experimentation, building confidence before real rounds.

Challenging Competition

Our competitive debaters are some of the best in the country. Every practice round is paired based on skill level, ensuring a challenging but rewarding experience.

Flexible Scheduling

We understand our students are busy, all of our practice rounds are scheduled to fit into their schedules.

Weekly Classes

Our weekly 90-minute classes are designed to provide students with a structured learning environment. Each session focuses on different aspects of the curriculum, ensuring comprehensive coverage and consistent growth.

Consistent Practice

A consistent 90-minute weekly class allows students to build repetition and snowball their learning from one session to the next, maximizing improvement and success.

Maximum 4:1 Student-Faculty Ratio

Each class has one coach with a maximum of six students (rarely 4:1 due to student numbers), ensuring personalized attention and time spent on every student’s needs.

Team Camaraderie

Every class is taught by the same coach and attended by the same students, building a sense of community within each cohort as well as an accountability partner.

Program Director

Katheryne Dwyer leads NDC's day-to-day coaching and program development. She's one of the most respected voices in Public Forum debate — a member of the NSDA's PF Topic Wording Committee and a coach whose students consistently perform at the national circuit's highest levels.

Katheryne's approach combines deep technical knowledge of PF with a genuine investment in each student's growth. She doesn't just prepare debaters to win rounds — she builds the critical thinking and communication skills that carry well beyond competition.

#1 Ranked Faculty (2027 Assistant Coaches TBA)

NDC 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

Ben Hodges

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Quazi Ishaan

Congressional Coach

Stanford University

Helios Lung

Congressional Coach

University of California, Berkeley

Fadhil Lawal

Congressional Coach

Vanderbilt University

Peter Hablinski

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Dartmouth University

Seth Small

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Texas Austin

Cameron Ingram

Assistant Travel Team & Policy Coach

Western Kentucky University

Spencer McElligott

Assistant Travel Team & Policy Coach

University of Iowa

Zaid Ashruf

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Columbia University

Aarav Jamdar

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of California Berkeley

Max Emanuel

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Chicago

Michael Aiello

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Notre Dame

Ben Rask

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Virginia

Natalie Wang

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Stanford University

James Yu

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Williams College

Sophia Xiong

Assistant Travel Team Coach

George Washington University

Shoumili Tarafder

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Michigan

Amudhan Gandhi

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Maryland College Park

Yang Bai

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Texas Austin

Deanna Ma

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University College London

Aryan Sethi

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Toronto

Gia Patel

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of California Los Angeles

Andrew Li

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Yale University

Dhruv Patil

Assistant Travel Team Coach

New York University

Shuarya Shah

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Case Western Reserve University

Raghav Ashok

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of California Berkeley

Jash Lohani

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Arizona State University

Thelonious Kurland

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Chicago

Leo Hao

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Georgetown University

Divija Rao

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Nicholas Willett

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Nicholas Athanassiou

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Michigan

Roger Li

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Stanford University

Willie Tsai

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Cornell University

Nikhil Daniel

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Harvard University

Bryan Zhao

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Columbia University

Anuraa Venkat

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Columbia University

Connor Chun

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Michigan

Rahul Rani

Assistant Travel Team Coach

Northeastern University

Nathan Lee

Lead Travel Team Coach

Duke University

Vina Hung

Lead Travel Team Coach

University of Michigan

Ruhi Kurdikar

Lead Travel Team Coach

Northwestern University

Kabir Iyengar

Lead Travel Team Coach

Emory University

Riki Balu

Lead Travel Team Coach

Cornell University

Michi Synn

Lead Travel Team Coach

Harvard University

Eva Redmond

Lead Travel Team Coach

University of Wisconsin Madison

Henry Anastasi Scott

Lead Travel Team Coach

University of Pittsburgh

Veer Prakash

Lead Travel Team Coach

NYU Stern

Oliver Alferness

Lead Travel Team Coach

Brown University

Anika Gupta

Lead Travel Team Coach

Harvard University

Ishan Dubey

Lead Travel Team Coach

Coach at Strake Jesuit

Malcolm Davis

Lead Travel Team Coach

Coach at the Nueva School

Bryce Piotrowski

Lead Travel Team Coach

Director of Debate at St. Luke's School

Saanvi Goyal

Travel Team Coach

Dartmouth University

Kayte Chan

Travel Team Staff

University of Southern California

Justin Wang

Travel Team Staff

University of California San Diego

Charlie Yang

Travel Team Staff

University of Pennsylvania

Arrman Kapoor

Travel Team Coach

University of Texas at Austin

Derek Song

Travel Team Staff

Georgetown University

Dylan Liu

Travel Team Staff

Yale University

Cailyn Min

Travel Team Staff

Georgetown University

Aidan Krishnaney

Travel Team Staff

University of Pennsylvania

Michi Synn

Travel Team Staff

Harvard

Aumrita Savdharia

Assistant Travel Team Coach

University of Southern California

Gabe Seidman

Founder

Carleton College

Adithya Vaidyanathan

Founder

The Ohio State University

Katheryne Dwyer

Director of Debate

University of Chicago

Sienna Vaughn

Lead Travel Team Coach

George Washington University

Sana Mehra

Travel Team Coach

Stanford University

Ali Sidiqyar

Lead Coach

Vanderbilt University

Student Testimonials

CDA has given me the resources and community I never had as a small school competitor. Every practice and drill is tailored to my needs and reflective of where I need to improve. Further, the close-knit support system of students and coaches has made me feel included in the community and helped me improve greatly.

2024

Nathan Lee

CDA has smoothed out my transition between local competition and debate at the national level with generous considerations regarding my family’s financial situation. From the weekly lectures to the tight-knit labs, the tailored education at CDA has helped me hone my technical debate skills and become a better speaker.

2025

Adonay Mahatsente-Tewelde

CDA has helped me grow a lot as a debater. The coaches and the class schedule are great for enhancing prep and in-round strategy as a debater. I would recommend this club if you want to join a good environment and become a better debater.

2025

Riki Balu

What your typical month will look like

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

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Tournament Briefing & Role Assignment

Intensive Practice & Scenario Drills

Final Case Lock & Evidence Review

Light Prep & Travel Readiness

Travel Team

Full Competition Day

Elimination Rounds, Debriefs and Return

Travel Team

Light Prep & Travel Readiness

Travel Team

Full Competition Day

Elimination Rounds, Debriefs and Return

Travel Team

Light Prep & Travel Readiness

Travel Team

Full Competition Day

Elimination Rounds, Debriefs and Return

Travel Team

Light Prep & Travel Readiness

Travel Team

Full Competition Day

Elimination Rounds, Debriefs and Return

Affordable Excellence in Debate Education

Civic Debate Academy makes high-quality debate coaching affordable for all. With flexible pricing, financial aid, and scholarships, no student is held back by cost. We're here to ensure everyone can excel in debate, without breaking the bank. If you want to join the program, cost won't be the reason you don't.

The 2026-2027 National Debate Club (Travel Team)

A Tailored Program to Make Top Debate Champions.

Who is this for?

Tournament Logistics

Seminars

Prep Support

Practice Rounds

Weekly Classes

Program Director

#1 Ranked Faculty (2027 Assistant Coaches TBA)

Our Lectures

2026 - 2027 TOC Tournament Schedule

Student Testimonials

What your typical month will look like

Affordable Excellence in Debate Education

Tuition and Financial Aid

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn More

The 2026-2027 National Debate Club (Travel Team)

A Tailored Program to Make Top Debate Champions.

Who is this for?

Tournament Logistics

Seminars

Prep Support

Practice Rounds

Weekly Classes

Program Director

#1 Ranked Faculty (2027 Assistant Coaches TBA)

Our Lectures

2026 - 2027 TOC Tournament Schedule

Student Testimonials

What your typical month will look like

Affordable Excellence in Debate Education

Tuition and Financial Aid

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn More

List of Lectures

List of Tournaments