Ready to Give your Student the Experience of a Lifetime?
With over 40 locations in 2020, Capitol Debate will transform thousands of lives this year. Capitol Debate has a proven track record of producing champions & Ivy League scholars.
Creating A Fun, Safe, & Supportive Environment
Capitol Debate was founded in 2006 with the aim of helping students improve their social, intellectual, and academic skills through debate. We believe that participating in debate allows students to develop valuable public speaking and leadership skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Our goal is to provide all our youth with the opportunity to learn these skills and more, as our summer debate camps are designed to improve public speaking, communication, and critical thinking skills. Our summer debate camps also provide a chance for students to build lifelong friendships and make lasting memories through immersive learning and fun activities.
Our dedication to this mission has never wavered, and we have grown to serve thousands of students at our summer public speaking and debate camps. Our principles have also allowed us to reach students globally through our Public Speaking and Debate Camps held in over 20 cities.
In addition, we have established a well-respected Club Debate League to provide access to debate for all students. We invite you to join us as we support youth in finding their voice and passion through debate.
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Our Curriculum
Our comprehensive public speaking and debate camp covers everything from the characteristics of a strong speaker to research techniques and argumentation principles.
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1. Become a Confident and Compelling SpeakerWe teach students the characteristics of a strong speaker, such as confidence, passion, and effective use of body language and eye contact. By learning these skills and techniques, students will be able to communicate more effectively and confidently in any setting. Additionally, by eliminating filler words like "um" and "like," students will be able to speak more clearly and persuasively, enhancing their ability to influence and persuade others. By mastering these techniques, students will become stronger and more effective speakers, capable of captivating and engaging any audience.
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2. Master the Art of Effective DeliveryWe teach students various communication skills, including vocal variety, articulation, pronunciation, voice projection, intonation, body language, and eye contact. These skills help students become better communicators, able to convey their message clearly and effectively to any audience.
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3. Create First Impressions on Audience: Writing a Powerful opening for your SpeechWe teach students how to use rhetorical questions and stunning statistics to grab their audience's attention and make a powerful impact. These techniques can be especially effective at the beginning of a speech, as they can engage the audience's curiosity and emotions and set the stage for a compelling and persuasive presentation. We also teach students the importance of stating their thesis or main argument clearly and early on in the speech. This helps to focus the audience's attention and gives them a clear understanding of the direction that the speech will take. By stating their thesis clearly and persuasively, students can set the stage for a strong and compelling case that leaves a lasting impression on their audience.
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4. Maximize your Impact with Organized Main Ideas and Supporting ContentOrganizing a speech into main points and using examples, supporting materials, and evidence can help our students create a clear and logical structure and strengthen their argument, making their ideas more convincing and persuasive to the audience. This can lead to a more effective and memorable speech.
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5. Find Reliable Sources and Compelling Arguments: The Keys to Successful ResearchLearning how to research effectively is an important skill for success in public speaking and debate. It allows students to increase their knowledge and understanding of a topic, find reliable and persuasive evidence to support their arguments, and improve critical thinking skills. These skills also have practical applications as they can enhance confidence and prepare students for personal and professional challenges. By learning how to research effectively, your child will gain confidence in their own abilities and feel more prepared for any challenge that comes their way.
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6. Craft a Winning Debate Case: The Power of the Written WordLearning how to write a winning debate case is an important skill for any student. It allows them to synthesize their arguments into a compelling case that is clear, logical, and persuasive. By organizing their thoughts and ideas into a structured and well-supported case, students can more effectively communicate their position and persuade their audience. Writing a winning debate case requires students to carefully select and order their best arguments into a logical and persuasive case. This process can help students to become more analytical and discerning in their thinking, skills that are valuable not only in debates, but in all areas of life.
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7.Unleash the Power of Cross Examination: Winning Strategies for DebateLearning the power of cross examination can give students a significant advantage in their debates. Cross examination is a critical component of any debate, as it allows debaters to test the credibility and reliability of their opponent's arguments. By effectively conducting cross examination, debaters can expose weaknesses in their opponent's case and strengthen their own argument. Understanding the power of effective cross-examination, will provide students the upper hand in all areas of life including arguing a point with a friend or negotiating a deal in the professional world.
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8. Master the Art of Refutation: Outmaneuvering Your OpponentLearning how to effectively refute arguments is an essential skill for any debater. At Capitol Debate, students have the opportunity to learn and practice this crucial skill in a supportive and structured environment. By learning how to identify weaknesses in their opponents' arguments and effectively counter them, students can strengthen their own arguments and increase their chances of winning debates.
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9. Close with a Bang: Win Every Debate with a Knockout FinishGiving a memorable and persuasive closing speech is an essential skill for any debater. It is the final opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the judges and to convince them that your argument is the strongest. At Capitol Debate, students have the opportunity to learn and practice the techniques of giving a powerful closing speech from the top debate instructors in the country. By learning how to effectively summarize their arguments and leave a lasting impact on the audience, students can increase their chances of winning debates and become more confident and persuasive speakers. In addition, learning how to give a memorable closing speech can help students develop their public speaking skills and the ability to think on their feet. Overall, mastering the art of the closing speech is an important step on the path to becoming a successful debater and an effective communicator.
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10. Think on Your Feet: The Key to Success in Debate and LifeLearning how to think on your feet is an essential skill for success in debate and in life. In debate, being able to quickly and effectively respond to unexpected arguments and challenges is crucial to winning. At Capitol Debate students have the opportunity to learn and practice this important skill. This skill can also be valuable in everyday life, as it allows individuals to think on their feet in a variety of situations and to adapt to new challenges and changes quickly. Whether it's giving a presentation at school, participating in a job interview, or simply engaging in casual conversation, the ability to think on your feet can help students succeed in any situation. Overall, learning how to think on your feet is an important step on the path to becoming a confident and effective communicator.
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Safe & Secure
It is our most important priority to ensure that the high standards held of our facilities and staff provide you and your family peace of mind while your student is with us at any of our summer or year round programs.
It is our most important priority to ensure that the high standards held of our facilities and staff provide you and your family peace of mind while your student is with us at any of our summer or year round programs.
When your child arrives to Capitol Debate on the first day, they will be introduced to our staff members, peers, and our policies and guidelines. We establish these policies and guidelines to keep students safe, happy, and healthy, during the time that they are under our watch.
- State and federal background checks performed on all staff
- Adult dorm directors present 24/7
- Extensive safety training required for all staff
- Nut-Free Policy activated at all Capitol Debate locations
- Swipe Card / Key coded access to enter buildings
- Residential advisors on every floor
- Students are required to remain in groups all day
- Students are not permitted to wander alone or leave campus
- Attendance is taken at every class to ensure students' safe arrival
At Capitol Debate, we have a strict NO Bullying policy and we will investigate and act on any case brought to our attention which involves accusations of such.
We have been running debate camps for more than 20 years. Our academic staff have over a century of combined industry experience. We study the standards of the American Camp Association closely to ensure our safety standards meet the maximum requirements. We have extensive measures for dealing with conflicts and crises. Capitol Debate us one of the safest, most secure summer debate camps in the country.
A supportive and shielded community lets students learn, free from unnecessary pressures or concerns. It allows parents to feel confident in their decision to send their children to Capitol Debate. It allows us to create one of the best academic summer public speaking and debate camps in the United States and across the world.
Widely Attended
Our academic summer public speaking and debate camps attract students from around the world.
Our public speaking and debate camps include a cross-section of world cultures, creating an inspiring atmosphere for innovation and camaraderie. Students have the opportunity to interact and learn with like-minded children from across the United States and the entire world.
We have students from most US states and more than 15 countries attending our summer academic programs, middle school debate summer camps, high school debate summer camps, business communication summer camps, public speaking summer camps, leadership development summer camps and youth leadership summer programss.
Our summer academic camps have included international students from: Taiwan, China, Korea, India, Singapore, Mexico, Serbia, England, the Caribbean islands, Russia, South America, Canada, the Philippines, and many other countries. Using the platform of debate, our summer camps students are able to learn ways to speak confidently and improve their communication skills through a myriad of classroom activities.
Whether students are coming to Capitol Debate for debate, public speaking, research, gifted learning, writing or leadership training, Capitol Debate teaches children to think, to think differently, and to think with others to achieve success through creative cooperation.