FALL SEMESTER 2021:
First Class of Spring Semester: August 28th, 2021
Last Class of Spring Semester: January 15th, 2022
First Class of Spring Semester: August 28th, 2021
Last Class of Spring Semester: January 15th, 2022
- Elementary Speech & Debate
- Who: All 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.
What: The elementary speech and debate course is the perfect for any elementary school student looking to explore the world of speech and debate, and has quickly become one of our most popular offerings. The goal of this course is to get students excited and comfortable with public speaking, develop familiarity with organized augmentation, and have fun exploring kid-friendly topics. Students will get exposure to all the major pillars of debate education including: public speaking, argumentation, logic, critical reasoning, oratory, prepared and spontaneous speeches, debate strategy, and persuasive writing. The course will include activities to bolster students skills such as SPAR debates, crystallization drills, storytelling exercises, in-class debate tournaments, and more!
Beginner Middle School Speech & Debate
Who: Middle School students that are new to debate
What: The beginner Speech and Debate course is designed for middle school students who are at the start of their Speech and Debate journey. Students will learn about all the major Speech and Debate events including Lincoln-Douglas debate, Parliamentary Debate, Congressional Debate, Impromptu Speaking, Oratory, and more! Students will also learn key debate skills such as argumentation, technical writing and evidence gathering along with rhetoric surrounding political philosophy, morality, democratic theory and more. Classes will also prepare students for debate tournaments and each semester will have between 2 to 4 tournament opportunities for students which are a great way to accelerate student learning! In class activities will include a variety of speaking drills, block preparation, philosophical discussions and occasional games!
Who: Middle School students that are new to debate
What: The beginner Speech and Debate course is designed for middle school students who are at the start of their Speech and Debate journey. Students will learn about all the major Speech and Debate events including Lincoln-Douglas debate, Parliamentary Debate, Congressional Debate, Impromptu Speaking, Oratory, and more! Students will also learn key debate skills such as argumentation, technical writing and evidence gathering along with rhetoric surrounding political philosophy, morality, democratic theory and more. Classes will also prepare students for debate tournaments and each semester will have between 2 to 4 tournament opportunities for students which are a great way to accelerate student learning! In class activities will include a variety of speaking drills, block preparation, philosophical discussions and occasional games!
Experienced Speech & Debate
Who: Any student with over 1 year of speech and debate experience. Students typically stay in Experienced for 1 to 2 years. After that, they can move into Advanced Debate.
What: The Experienced Speech and Debate course is designed for adept students who are ready to take their Speech and Debate training to the next level. Students in our Experienced program will have completed a Beginner Speech and Debate, or the equivalent. Students will typically then stay in our Experienced program for two years. This is the program for students prior to entering Advanced Debate. In this program, students will continue on their speech and debate journeys to master key speech and debate events and skills, sharpen technique, acquire a higher-level knowledge based, and learn how to elevate their skills to the next level. This program leads to great take-off for students in their debate journey. This program also invests heavily in preparing students for tournaments throughout the semester.
Who: Any student with over 1 year of speech and debate experience. Students typically stay in Experienced for 1 to 2 years. After that, they can move into Advanced Debate.
What: The Experienced Speech and Debate course is designed for adept students who are ready to take their Speech and Debate training to the next level. Students in our Experienced program will have completed a Beginner Speech and Debate, or the equivalent. Students will typically then stay in our Experienced program for two years. This is the program for students prior to entering Advanced Debate. In this program, students will continue on their speech and debate journeys to master key speech and debate events and skills, sharpen technique, acquire a higher-level knowledge based, and learn how to elevate their skills to the next level. This program leads to great take-off for students in their debate journey. This program also invests heavily in preparing students for tournaments throughout the semester.
High School Beginner Speech & Debate
Who: Any high school student with less than a year of experience.
What: The Beginner Speech and Debate course is designed for high school students who are at the start of their Speech and Debate journey. Students will learn about all the major Speech and Debate events including Lincoln-Douglas debate, Parliamentary Debate, Congressional Debate, Impromptu Speaking, Oratory, and more! Students will also learn key debate skills such as argumentation, technical writing and evidence gathering along with rhetoric surrounding political philosophy, morality, democratic theory and more. Classes will also prepare students for debate tournaments and each semester will have between 2 to 4 tournament opportunities for students which are a great way to accelerate student learning! In class activities will include a variety of speaking drills, block preparation, philosophical discussions and occasional games!
Who: Any high school student with less than a year of experience.
What: The Beginner Speech and Debate course is designed for high school students who are at the start of their Speech and Debate journey. Students will learn about all the major Speech and Debate events including Lincoln-Douglas debate, Parliamentary Debate, Congressional Debate, Impromptu Speaking, Oratory, and more! Students will also learn key debate skills such as argumentation, technical writing and evidence gathering along with rhetoric surrounding political philosophy, morality, democratic theory and more. Classes will also prepare students for debate tournaments and each semester will have between 2 to 4 tournament opportunities for students which are a great way to accelerate student learning! In class activities will include a variety of speaking drills, block preparation, philosophical discussions and occasional games!
Advanced Debate Program / AdLab
Who: Any student with 2 or more years of debate experience who believes they are ready for the most advanced debate training
What: The Advanced Debate course is for students who are ready to dive into the most advanced caverns of debate. This program will group top competitors into a single cohort, allowing them to reach the apex of their debate potential by preparing for tournaments together. Advanced students will have the opportunity to share prep materials, debate other top-tier students, work with a full slate of Athens instructors to engage in more advanced curriculum and help each other reach the next level of competitive debate. The curriculum will center around advanced casing strategies, advanced refutation techniques, theory debate, critical argumentation, unconventional frameworks, advanced word economy techniques, advanced philosophy, DA argumentation, role of the ballot argumentation, and judge adaptation strategies.
Who: Any student with 2 or more years of debate experience who believes they are ready for the most advanced debate training
What: The Advanced Debate course is for students who are ready to dive into the most advanced caverns of debate. This program will group top competitors into a single cohort, allowing them to reach the apex of their debate potential by preparing for tournaments together. Advanced students will have the opportunity to share prep materials, debate other top-tier students, work with a full slate of Athens instructors to engage in more advanced curriculum and help each other reach the next level of competitive debate. The curriculum will center around advanced casing strategies, advanced refutation techniques, theory debate, critical argumentation, unconventional frameworks, advanced word economy techniques, advanced philosophy, DA argumentation, role of the ballot argumentation, and judge adaptation strategies.