Stanford Invitational Tournament

Thanks for joining us this summer!  Please return to see the dates of our 2022 programs which we anticipate to be available by late 2021.

Beginners' Introduction to Debate

This series of programs is designed to be the starting place for students who are just beginning their speech & debate career.  We offer a 1-Week Introduction to Argumentation & Debate which covers the fundamentals and basics of argumentation and debate so that students learn the bedrock skills necessary to enter into one of our debate format specific sessions (ex Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, Individual Events, Congressional Debate, etc) at a more advanced level.  This session will cover argument theory, basic debate research skills, "flowing" (note taking for debate), and other important topics.  In addition, there will be an introductory survey of the specific formats of competitive debate so that students can make an informed choice about which format to choose for their entry into forensics.

We realize that it is daunting to choose your debate format before you come to camp in the summer, so we offer several longer Beginners’/Intro Flex Packages which allow students to continue into the specific debate format of their choice immediately after completing the survey component of the 1-Week Introduction to Argumentation & Debate session:



2024 Beginners' Introduction to Debate Staff Members Include:

Check back closer to the start of camp for details on our 2024 staff

We will continue to add additional staff members as enrollment and availability dictate. Details are posted on additional staff members as they are confirmed and as we have complete biographic information available. Staff listing may not be fully up to date or reflect all hires to date.


2023 Beginners' Introduction to Debate Staff Members Included:


Upcoming Camps

1-Week Introduction to Argumentation & Debate

Speech & debate is a very powerful activity which teaches students many skills which are in high demand in the contemporary world: public speaking, research skills, writing and logical thinking!  Students in this session will learn the bedrock theories and methods necessary to enter the world of competitive speech & debate.  There will also be a brief introduction to the major standardized formats of competitive debate which are offered at high schools around the natio...

2-Week Beginners' Flex Package

The 2-Week Beginners' Flex Package

3-Week Beginners' Core Flex Package

The 3-Week Beginners' Core Flex Package

4-Week Beginners' Experience Flex Package

The  4-Week Beginners' Flex Package Experience