1 (866) 833-2283
(866) 833-2283
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Location
Online via Zoom
(Real, expert debate coaches!
Dates
Session 1: June 5 - June 30
Session 2: July 10 - August 4
(students can join one or both)
Workshops
(dates vary, see below)
Pricing
Per Session:
$465
Per Workshop
$300
Session 1 Novice Teams
If you are looking to join us for the first time, we recommend that you attend our free trial/tryout before registering. If you are unable to attend our free trial/tryout, you can register for the novice level that is appropriate for your age group.
Course Options (Select One)
(90 minutes/session, twice a week, for 4 weeks)
Ruby Teams (Grades 4-5)
Sapphire Teams (Gr. 6-8)
Amber Teams (Gr. 9-12)
-Mon/Wed at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Mon/Wed at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Mon/Wed at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
-Tue/Thu at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
-Mon/Wed at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Mon/Wed at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
-Tue/Thu at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
Session 1: Experienced Debate Teams
If you are an experienced debater with prior competitive debate experience, please see the following course offerings:
Magenta Teams (Gr. 4-5)
Indigo Teams (Gr. 6-8)
Emerald (Grades 9-12)
Varsity (Grades 6 - 12)
-Mon/Wed at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Mon/Wed at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Tue/Thu at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
-Mon/Wed at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Mon/Wed at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
Session 2 Novice Teams
If you are looking to join us for the first time, we recommend that you attend our free trial/tryout before registering. If you are unable to attend our free trial/tryout, you can register for the novice level that is appropriate for your age group.
Course Options (Select One)
(90 minutes/session, twice a week, for 4 weeks)
Ruby Teams (Grades 4-5)
Sapphire Teams (Gr. 6-8)
Amber Teams (Gr. 9-12)
-Tue/Thu at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Mon/Wed at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
-Tue/Thu at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Tue/Thu at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
-Mon/Wed at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
-Tue/Thu at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Tue/Thu at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
Session 2: Experienced Debate Teams
If you are an experienced debater with prior competitive debate experience, please see the following course offerings:
Magenta Teams (Gr. 4-5)
Indigo Teams (Gr. 6-8)
Emerald (Grades 9-12)
Varsity (Grades 6 - 12)
-Tue/Thu at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Mon/Wed at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
-Tue/Thu at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Mon/Wed at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
-Tue/Thu at 05:30 PM - 07:00 PM ET (02:30 PM - 04:00 PM PT)
-Tue/Thu at 07:15 PM - 08:45 PM ET (04:15 PM - 05:45 PM PT)
Workshops
Potomac Debate summer workshops are helpful to students of all levels, including brand new debaters! There is nothing better than "learning by doing," which is why Potomac focuses on providing debaters with hands-on experience that will empower them to make strategic decisions during rounds and hone skills such as logical reasoning, public speaking, and research. Workshops will also help prepare students for success in the upcoming 2023-2024 National Circuit competitive debate season. Students will be working with Potomac's renowned coaches, who in the last competition season have helped Potomac debaters win nearly 200 team awards and over 100 speaker awards on the National Circuit, as well as helped dozens of students bid for TOC.
Practicum (Drills & Mock Debates)
Preparing for Sept / Oct Debate Topic
Mastering Progressive Debate
-June 19 - 23 @ 12:00 - 1:30 PM ET (9:00 - 10:30 AM PT)
-June 26 - 30 @ 12:00 - 1:30 PM ET (9:00 - 10:30 AM PT)
-July 24 - 28 @ 12:00 - 1:30 PM ET (9:00 - 10:30 AM PT)
-July 31 - August 4 @ 12:00 - 1:30 PM ET (9:00 - 10:30 AM PT)
Summer Intramurals
Intramurals are a great way for students to practice their skills, get feedback from experienced coaches and judges, and win awards! Each session, debaters will be invited to participate in our intramural tournament where students will have an opportunity to receive feedback from seasoned judges and to experience the thrill of competitive debate. Here are the dates of the intramurals (whole day activity):
Session 1: June 24
Session 2: July 29
Skills: • public speaking • argumentation • critical thinking • logic reasoning • analysis • research & writing
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Frequently Asked Questions:
What should I expect?
Each class meeting is unique and designed with the needs of the students in mind. We strive to get students up and debating as fast as possible and work to teach fundamental debate skills that are appropriate for the course level. Students will participate in speaking exercises and mock debates, learn important skills, such as how to conduct research and write cases, and improve their public speaking skills through the lens of a debate topic of global importance.
What type of debate is this?
Public Forum is a partner based debate format where students present arguments for and against a set resolution. This particular style of debate encourages students to research the topics beforehand and write up "cases," which strengthen students' research and writing skills. During competition, students are tasked with presenting their cases to a judge while taking the time to rebut the opposing teams' arguments.
What skills will my child develop by joining your team?
Debating helps students improve their public speaking, critical thinking, logical reasoning, research and writing skills. Students who participate in debate will also be able to identify logical fallacies, gain confidence, and expand their understanding of current events. Studies show that debaters, on average, have higher grades in school, stronger test scores, and better college admission outcomes. In fact, our top ranked debaters are consistently admitted into the top colleges around the nation, including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.
What is a free trial/tryout?
Our free trial/tryout is a great way for families to learn more about our program and assess if debate might be for them, as well as an opportunity for our team to assess if students interested in debate are ready for our program. During our free trial/tryout, students work in small groups with an instructor to run through debate exercises. Once tryouts are over our team will reach out to all accepted students with recommended next steps. Most students are placed into our classes for beginners, but experienced debaters can be placed into more advanced classes.
What if I realize debate is not for my student?
If a student who is new to our debate team drops from the team after the first class, a full refund will be provided as long as the coach is notified at least 24 hours before the start of the second class. No refunds will be provided outside of this window.