Speak. Succeed.
In an historic, exhilarating environment.

Top Instructors

Our instructors have reached the highest levels of competition as coaches and as competitors. They all share a spirit of wanting to help students from around the world benefit from the activity!

All Levels

We provide programs for students with any degree of experience, from those with no exposure to debate or public speaking to those preparing to win national tournaments.

Years of Excellence

The Harvard Debate Council has been offering summer workshops for over 35 years. We pride ourselves on continuing to grow based on our experience.

Our Programs

Public Speaking
For students who have no competitive debate experience. This program helps students improve confidence and speaking skills, to potentially join a high speech and/or debate team — or just for enrichment.
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Public Forum
For students currently competing or who will compete next school year in Public Forum Debate, a two-person team debate where students debate a national topic that changes throughout the school year.
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Congressional Debate
For students currently competing or who will compete next school year in Congressional Debate or Model Congress, where students write, propose, and debate legislation, employing parliamentary procedure.​
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Policy Debate (Novice & Sophomore Labs)
For students who have little to no competitive policy debate experience who will compete next school year in Policy Debate, a two-person, team debate event where students debate an annual national topic on implementing domestic and/or international policy.
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World Schools
For all levels of students inclusive of those just beginning their journey into World Schools debating to those with an experience level that allows them to position themselves for consideration on the national teams that might represent their nation at the World Schools Debating Championship.
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Lincoln-Douglas Debate
For students currently competing or who will compete next school year in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, a one-on-one debate where students debate a national topic that changes throughout the school year.
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Why Learn With Us?

  • Established for Over 35 Years
  • Low Student-Faculty Ratio
  • Harvard Debate Council Excellence

What Students and Parents Say

[My daughter] absolutely enjoyed the camp and has grown tremendously from the collaborative environment online. She has always had interest in entrepreneurship and has created a website and Instagram that promotes women in technology… She is interviewing a series of women within this field and will be launching it on her site within the next couple of months.
Parent of a Public Speaking Program Student
Online is generally very difficult to make quite as productive but the adaptation from in person camp was amazing, and very well organized, and the lab leaders had great ways of keeping us from getting bored.
Policy Debater
I just wanted to thank you so much for helping my student attend congress camp this summer. He raved and raved about the experience. This past weekend he participated in an online tournament. Not only did [he] final (first time EVER!), but he also placed 8th! Camp was transformative for him, and I’m so very grateful to you and your staff.
Coach of Congressional Debater
I am writing to thoroughly thank you and everyone else involved with the camp. … I questioned how much I could learn without being able to see my classmates, or my instructors. However, I was so wrong. …[T]his has been my best and favorite camp experience ever, even better than the camps I have attended in person. I genuinely learnt so much. Not just about Public Forum, but just how to be more confident, and how to work better with others…I really just wanted to put out my appreciation for how this camp was run. It was so organized, and I was shocked at how much I was able to learn in such a short amount of time. …I feel like I grew so much as a debater, …The staff at camp were incredible. All of the instructors were so helpful and willing to give feedback. ...Furthermore, I really enjoyed how the sessions were on a broad variety of prevalent topics and themes that are especially important today. …[I]t's the life skills that I learnt at camp that I will carry with me for a lifetime. …Thank you. Truly, thank you so much. And thank you to all the other organizers at camp, for making every day so educational, yet also incredible fun. Thank you for all of the amazing memories I now have, and the friends that will last a lifetime!
Public Forum Student

Why Learn With Us?

  • Established for Over 35 Years
  • Low Student-Faculty Ratio
  • Harvard Debate Council Excellence

What Students and Parents Say

[My daughter] absolutely enjoyed the camp and has grown tremendously from the collaborative environment online. She has always had interest in entrepreneurship and has created a website and Instagram that promotes women in technology… She is interviewing a series of women within this field and will be launching it on her site within the next couple of months.
Parent of a Public Speaking Program Student
[My daughter] absolutely enjoyed the camp and has grown tremendously from the collaborative environment online. She has always had interest in entrepreneurship and has created a website and Instagram that promotes women in technology… She is interviewing a series of women within this field and will be launching it on her site within the next couple of months.
Parent of a Public Speaking Program Student
[My daughter] absolutely enjoyed the camp and has grown tremendously from the collaborative environment online. She has always had interest in entrepreneurship and has created a website and Instagram that promotes women in technology… She is interviewing a series of women within this field and will be launching it on her site within the next couple of months.
Parent of a Public Speaking Program Student
[My daughter] absolutely enjoyed the camp and has grown tremendously from the collaborative environment online. She has always had interest in entrepreneurship and has created a website and Instagram that promotes women in technology… She is interviewing a series of women within this field and will be launching it on her site within the next couple of months.
Parent of a Public Speaking Program Student
Online is generally very difficult to make quite as productive but the adaptation from in person camp was amazing, and very well organized, and the lab leaders had great ways of keeping us from getting bored.
Policy Debater
I just wanted to thank you so much for helping my student attend congress camp this summer. He raved and raved about the experience. This past weekend he participated in an online tournament. Not only did [he] final (first time EVER!), but he also placed 8th! Camp was transformative for him, and I’m so very grateful to you and your staff.
Coach of Congressional Debater
I am writing to thoroughly thank you and everyone else involved with the camp. … I questioned how much I could learn without being able to see my classmates, or my instructors. However, I was so wrong. …[T]his has been my best and favorite camp experience ever, even better than the camps I have attended in person. I genuinely learnt so much. Not just about Public Forum, but just how to be more confident, and how to work better with others…I really just wanted to put out my appreciation for how this camp was run. It was so organized, and I was shocked at how much I was able to learn in such a short amount of time. …I feel like I grew so much as a debater, …The staff at camp were incredible. All of the instructors were so helpful and willing to give feedback. ...Furthermore, I really enjoyed how the sessions were on a broad variety of prevalent topics and themes that are especially important today. …[I]t's the life skills that I learnt at camp that I will carry with me for a lifetime. …Thank you. Truly, thank you so much. And thank you to all the other organizers at camp, for making every day so educational, yet also incredible fun. Thank you for all of the amazing memories I now have, and the friends that will last a lifetime!
Public Forum Student

Why Learn With Us?

  • Established for Over 35 Years
  • Low Student-Faculty Ratio
  • Harvard Debate Council Excellence

What Students and Parents Say

[My daughter] absolutely enjoyed the camp and has grown tremendously from the collaborative environment online. She has always had interest in entrepreneurship and has created a website and Instagram that promotes women in technology… She is interviewing a series of women within this field and will be launching it on her site within the next couple of months.
Parent of a Public Speaking Program Student
Online is generally very difficult to make quite as productive but the adaptation from in person camp was amazing, and very well organized, and the lab leaders had great ways of keeping us from getting bored.
Policy Debater
I just wanted to thank you so much for helping my student attend congress camp this summer. He raved and raved about the experience. This past weekend he participated in an online tournament. Not only did [he] final (first time EVER!), but he also placed 8th! Camp was transformative for him, and I’m so very grateful to you and your staff.
Coach of Congressional Debater
I am writing to thoroughly thank you and everyone else involved with the camp. … I questioned how much I could learn without being able to see my classmates, or my instructors. However, I was so wrong. …[T]his has been my best and favorite camp experience ever, even better than the camps I have attended in person. I genuinely learnt so much. Not just about Public Forum, but just how to be more confident, and how to work better with others…I really just wanted to put out my appreciation for how this camp was run. It was so organized, and I was shocked at how much I was able to learn in such a short amount of time. …I feel like I grew so much as a debater, …The staff at camp were incredible. All of the instructors were so helpful and willing to give feedback. ...Furthermore, I really enjoyed how the sessions were on a broad variety of prevalent topics and themes that are especially important today. …[I]t's the life skills that I learnt at camp that I will carry with me for a lifetime. …Thank you. Truly, thank you so much. And thank you to all the other organizers at camp, for making every day so educational, yet also incredible fun. Thank you for all of the amazing memories I now have, and the friends that will last a lifetime!
Public Forum Student
Links
Contact/FAQS

Developed/Maintained by Suddha.Marketing | Harvard Debate Council is an undergraduate organization of Harvard College.

Contact/FAQS

Developed/Maintained by Suddha.Marketing | Harvard Debate Council is an undergraduate organization of Harvard College.