Summer Academic Enrichment Eligible Programs

Goals

Many students are curious about debate but do not have the opportunity to compete on their own school’s team. Or, they may want to join, but feel intimidated by certain aspects of the activity. In this camp, students who are new to speech & debate will have a chance to learn the ropes of basic argumentation and public speaking before joining the speech & debate team at their school. Our goal is to provide a welcoming, comfortable, low-stakes environment where students can try (and fail, and try again) to learn the core tenets of this activity.

Because this designed for students who are new to speech & debate, students will:

Learn the fundamentals of debate: public speaking, refutation, research, and cross examination skills Learn about opportunities to compete, whether through formal teams or oratorical contests, in this setting Leave camp prepared for classroom debates, presentations, or joining their school’s competitive debate team.

These debate skills are core to success in competitive debate activities, but also remain useful in the classroom and as students pursue leadership positions in their own communities. Students will learn not just how to win debates, but also how to adapt while incorporating feedback, work closely with a partner, use evidence to support a case for policy change, and weigh the potential impacts of policy action for various interests. For many students, this will also be their first opportunity to speak in front of large groups. We believe this skill is particularly important in light of the recent return to in-person programming after virtual schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The skills and content knowledge debate provides translate to essay writing and analysis in social studies courses. Public speaking, argumentative writing, and deep reading of non-fiction texts prepares students for success in their English coursework and Advanced Placement/IB courses.

Activities

The core principle of MDAW is that debate is best learned by doing. Students will have a practice debate almost every day at camp. MDAW is where we learn new arguments, research new topics, and try-on new ideas. For many students, attending this camp will be their first time ever attempting the activity. Our staff members will be supportive and help them grow their skills from any entry point.

While there are many speech and debate camps, most are aimed at students who have already elected to join a specific activity (i.e. public forum debate, Congressional debate, original oratory.) We designed this camp to give students who are new to the activity a sampling of what speech & debate has to offer, and the opportunity to build their skills outside of a team.

Students will learn the fundamentals of argumentation, including mastering the claim-data-warrant model. Through independent, small-group, and large-group work led by Dr. David Cram Helwich, students will have the opportunity to explore arguments and build cases about the topics they are most passionate about. In mock practice debates, students will work with a partner, get feedback from educator judges, and build exposure to the stresses and challenges of in-person public speaking in a low-stakes environment.

What sets the MDAW apart from other debate camps is the intentional community-building aspect. MDAW believes strongly in the importance of developing positive relationships between staff and students – along with growing our own leadership. The vast majority of our staff were participants themselves in MDAW. While much of the day will be spent undertaking rigorous study and skill-building in debate, students will have intentional time for building relationships with others through free time and fun debate games.

The final day of camp will culminate in a mock debate with an audience, where students will present the strongest cases they created over the course of camp.

Program Dates

Virtual and in-person sessions held: 06/27/2022 - 07/01/2022, M - F, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM CDT

Can students reside on campus? No

Can students commute to campus? Yes

Can students take online classes? Yes