Summer Academic Enrichment Eligible Programs

Goals

Many middle school students are trying speech & debate out for the first time, or are unable to compete in the activity until high school. In this camp, middle school students who are new to Congressional debate will have a chance to learn the ropes of basic argumentation, case-building, and debating. 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.

Middle school students, whether they have debate experience or not, will become skilled Student Congress debaters at our camp. Students will: - Learn to successfully debate with civility in an academic setting - Gain the soft skills necessary to build consensus among people with diverse opinions - Gain research, writing, and presentation skills that build from what they learned in other camps - Learn strategies and best practices to help them grow as empathic listeners who can adapt messages to meet the needs of diverse audiences. - Learn how to respond to and successfully refute opposing arguments.

These skills and content knowledge directly 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. It is fundamental to our camp design that students who participate will become prepared to excel in academic courses in which they need to research, write, present, and defend positions. Middle school students can also bring these skills to later high school Congressional debate competitions and other oratorical contests.

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. Camp experience also includes a camp tournament and awards ceremony on the final day.

At our day camp, students will learn the fundamentals of debate through games and activities held in individual, large group, and small group settings. Students will attend lectures covering the core skills needed to succeed as Congress debaters. The campers will also have an opportunity to write their own legislation based on important community issues, as well as hold multiple mock Congress sessions in which students will advocate for their own legislation. Coach Ross Eichele and members of high school Congress teams will help students spend time researching the issues they are most passionate about, as well as proposed topics from the high school NSDA (national) docket.

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. Campersl can do fun activities like roasting s’mores, tie-dyeing T shirts, making craft projects, or simply playing frisbee on Augsburg University’s lawn. Frequent breaks and games will help keep students engaged as they return to in-person learning.

The final day of camp will culminate in a mock Congressional hearing, where students will present the strongest cases they created over the course of camp. Students will gain feedback from judges and receive awards for their work.

Program Dates

This camp occurs from 06/27/2022 - 07/01/2022 M - F, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM.

Can students reside on campus? No

Can students commute to campus? Yes

Can students take online classes? No