Summer 2025 and Fall 2025 Registration is Now Open!
Welcome to Athens Debate! The Bay Area's Top Academy for Speech & Debate
Schedule a Phone Chat | Fall 2025 Program | Fall Class Schedule | Fall Course Descriptions
Summer 2025 Program | Summer Schedule | Summer Descriptions
Welcome to Athens Debate! The Bay Area's Top Academy for Speech & Debate
Schedule a Phone Chat | Fall 2025 Program | Fall Class Schedule | Fall Course Descriptions
Summer 2025 Program | Summer Schedule | Summer Descriptions
Latest News: Athens Debate Wins 2024 National Championship - Ranks #1 at Nationals - 8 Gold Medals | Athens Debate Wins #1 Both 2024 California State Championship Tournaments - Ranks #1 in California | Athens Debate Wins 2024 Bay Area Championships - Ranks #1 in the Bay Area | Athens Debate Wins 1st Place at Harvard Debate International Tournament | Athens Debate Wins 1st Place Stanford University | Athens Debate Totals More Than 50 1st Place Awards in 2023 Season | Athens Debate Sets Record For Success In 2023-2024 Season | Athens Debate Students Gain Admission Into MIT, Yale, Stanford, Berkeley, and Top Colleges | Athens Debate Students Gain Admission Into Top High Schools
The Athens Approach:
Athens Debate teaches public speaking, debate, and next-level critical thinking. Through speech and debate, we teach students to become strong thinkers, confident speakers, and inquisitive learners so that they can unlock their full potential to become the leaders of tomorrow. The Athens approach focuses on content mastery, teaching a holistic curriculum, and inspiring students to believe in their brilliance. We don't teach students what to think, we teach students how to think. Through Athens, students develop a toolkit to problem-solve any issue and a confidence to express their views in the journey that awaits them.
Athens Courses:
Elementary Speech and Debate
Grades: 3rd, 4th, 5th | Prerequisite: None
The Elementary Speech and Debate program is the perfect entry point for any elementary school student looking to explore the world of speech and debate. This program has quickly become one of our most popular offerings. The goal of this program is build early confidence in public speaking, create strong foundations, and expose students to an array of core speech and debate subjects. Students will learn logic, argumentation, communication, public speaking techniques, spontaneous speech, prepared speech, philosophy, persuasive writing, research skills, SPAR debate, Impromptu, Congress Debate, oratory, and more! All elementary students are welcome to participate in tournaments!
Advanced Elementary Speech and Debate
Prerequisite: One or more semesters of "Elementary Speech and Debate"
The Advanced Elementary Speech and Debate program is for those who have either done Elementary Speech and Debate (during the Fall/Spring), several weeks of Athens Summer, or significant prior experience. In this program, we take Elementary Debate to the next level. Students will learn advanced techniques in SPAR and Impromptu and also go beyond and learn Congressional Debate, team-debate formats, Original Oratory, Storytelling, and Declamation. We build on prior knowledge, apply advanced elementary techniques, and take things to the next level to set them up for more success!
Beginner Middle School Speech and Debate
Grade: Middle School (6th, 7th, 8th); Prerequisite: None
The Beginner Middle School Speech and Debate program is where debate begins for all Middle School students. This is where Athens started and our most popular program. Students learn everything from A to Z as it related to Middle School Speech and Debate. Students will learn Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Congressional Debate, SPAR Debate, Parliamentary Debate, Impromptu, Oratory, and Declamation. Students are taught logic, argumentation, case writing, research, communication and public speaking, philosophy, fundamentals around policy, and so much more! All of this is presented in a fun, interactive, and highly nurturing way. All middle school students are welcome to participate in tournaments!
Experienced Speech and Debate
Prerequisite: One year of experience or more | Grades: Middle School and Up
Experienced Debate is for students who have either taken Beginner Debate or those with a year of prior experience. This program really takes things to the next level for students and exposes students to great depth around key speech and debate events. Students go much deeper into key debate events, as well as speech. Students will focus on Lincoln Douglas Debate, Congressional Debate, SPAR, Impromptu, Oratory, and Declamation. Students will be able to specialize in events they want to compete in. Students are prepared very well for tournaments and are able to specialize in their select events.
High School Beginner Speech and Debate
Prerequisite: None | Grades: High School
The High School Beginner Speech and Debate program is where debate begins for all High School students. This course is for students new to high school speech and debate. Students will learn Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Congressional Debate, SPAR Debate, Parliamentary Debate, Impromptu, Oratory, and Declamation. Students are taught logic, argumentation, case writing, research, communication and public speaking, philosophy, fundamentals around policy, and so much more! All of this is presented in a fun, interactive, and highly nurturing way. All high school students are welcome to participate in tournaments!
Advanced Speech and Debate
Prerequisite: Two years of experience or more
The Advanced Debate course is for students who are ready to dive into the most advanced caverns of debate. Advanced Debate 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 the most advanced curriculum and help each other reach the next level of competitive debate. The curriculum will center around advanced casing strategies, advanced refutation techniques, advanced philosophy, and the most rigorous set of content.
Advanced Speech and Debate
Prerequisite: Two years of experience or more
The Advanced Debate course is for students who are ready to dive into the most advanced caverns of debate. Advanced Debate 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 the most advanced curriculum and help each other reach the next level of competitive debate. The curriculum will center around advanced casing strategies, advanced refutation techniques, advanced philosophy, and the most rigorous set of content.
Advanced Lincoln Douglas (LD) Debate Lab
Prerequisite: Two years of experience or more; Or significant LD success
The Advanced Debate LD Debate Lab (AdLab) course is for students who are ready to dive into the most advanced caverns of LD debate. Students will learn: Advanced framework argumentation (value, value criterion), mastery of the contention model, how to defend and refute popular frameworks, advanced refutation, argument analysis of advanced cases, strategies that maximize persuasive appeal in front of parent judges, how to write strategic cases for traditional debates, how to give powerful rebuttal speeches, establishing and maintaining room presence, impact weighing, link weighing, answering extinction arguments, permutations, answering common "Kritiks", consequentialist frameworks, impact weighing abuse scenarios, conditionality, RVIs, topicality, PICs, spreading, debate strategy, critical debate, philosophical framework debate, theory debate, etc.
What's Included?
Learning Map:
Championships:
50 First Place Wins in the 2022-2023 Season! Congratulations, Champions!
2023 CHSSA State Championships: 1st Place in Middle School Lincoln Douglas Debate
2023 CHSSA State Championships: 1st Place in Middle School Parliamentary Debate
National Championships: 1st Place in Middle School Lincoln Douglas Debate
National Championships: 1st Place in High School Lincoln Douglas Debate
National Championships: 1st Place in Parliamentary Debate
National Championships: 1st Place in High School SPAR Debate
National Championships: 1st Place in Elementary School SPAR Debate
Bay Area Championships: 1st Place Speaker in Lincoln Douglas Debate
Bay Area Championships: 1st Seed in Lincoln Douglas Debate
2023 Stanford Invitational: 1st Place in Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate
2023 Dempsey Cronin Invitational Championships: 1st Place in Lincoln Douglas Debate
2023 Dempsey Cronin Invitational Championships: 1st Speaker Lincoln Douglas Debate
2023 Dempsey Cronin Invitational Championships: 1st Place in Elementary SPAR
2023 Philhistorian Championships: 1st Speaker Lincoln Douglas Debate
2023 Philhistorian Championships: 1st Place in Middle School SPAR Debate
2023 Philhistorian Championships: 1st Place in Elementary Congressional Debate
2023 Philhistorian Championships: 1st Place in High School Congressional Debate
2023 Philhistorian Championships: 1st Place in Declamation
2023 Evergreen Invitational: 1st Place in Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate
2023 La Reina Invitational: 1st Place in JV SPAR Debate
2023 La Reina Invitational: 1st Place in Elementary SPAR Debate
2023 La Reina Invitational: 1st Place in Elementary Impromptu
2023 La Reina Invitational: 1st Place in JV Impromptu
2023 La Reina Invitational: 1st Place in Declamation
2022 Tom Miller Invitational: 1st Place in Elementary Impromptu
2022 Tom Miller Invitational: 1st Place in Elementary SPAR Debate
2022 Tom Miller Invitational: 1st Place in High School LD Debate
2022 Tom Miller Invitational: 1st Place in Middle School LD Debate
2022 Tom Miller Invitational: 1st Speaker in Middle School LD Debate
2022 Tom Miller Invitational: 1st Place in Middle School SPAR Debate
2022 La Reina Invitational: 1st Place in Elementary Impromptu
2022 La Reina Invitational: 1st Place in Parliamentary Debate
2022 La Reina Invitational: 1st Place in Middle School SPAR Debate
2022 La Reina Invitational: 1st Speaker in Novice LD Debate
2022 Bay Area Fall Championships: 1st Place in Elementary Impromptu
2022 Bay Area Fall Championships: 1st Place in Elementary SPAR Debate
2022 Bay Area Fall Championships: 1st Place in LD Debate
2022 Bay Area Fall Championships: 1st Place in Middle School SPAR Debate
2022 Bay Area Fall Championships: 1st Place in Middle School Impromptu
2022 Winter Invitational: 1st Place in Elementary Impromptu
2022 Winter Invitational: 1st Place in Elementary SPAR Debate
2022 Winter Invitational: 1st Place in High School LD Debate
2022 Winter Invitational: 1st Place in Middle School Impromptu
2022 Winter Invitational: 1st Place in Middle School LD Debate
2022 Winter Invitational: 1st Place in Middle School SPAR Debate