Stanford National Forensic Institute

The Stanford National Forensic Institute offers a unique national caliber program conducted by the Stanford Debate Society of Stanford University, a registered student organization of the Associated Students of Stanford University.  The SNFI Policy camp offers two, three and four week options.

The SNFI Policy division, across each of the programs, has received extremely positive feedback from past attending students. In particular, over the four years, over 95% of attending students said that they would recommend the program to others, and more than 90% of students have rated the quality and effort their instructor made on their behalf as a 9 or 10 out of 10 on their end of camp evaluation forms.

The Division Director for Policy Debate is Brian Manuel, the Director of Policy Debate at the Stanford Debate Society.

Director's Note

This summer begins my 13th year of competitive debate coaching. A lot has changed since I started in this activity, but I feel that summer debate institutes have been a constant that serve as the backbone for a truly successful debate career. Since taking over as the Director of Policy Debate at Stanford, I've dedicated my time to assembling a curriculum and staff that will hopefully live up to the expectations that coaches and students have for their summer institute experience. I've worked tirelessly to incorporate students' and coaches' feedback from previous summers along with gathering input from my extensive network of colleagues from all over the country. Utilizing this feedback I believe we can and will offer a one-of-a-kind learning experience for high school debaters at the Stanford National Forensic Institute this coming summer.

Our staff has over a century of combined debate institute experience. I've focused my efforts on increasing the ranks of active coaches at the SNFI, and in so doing we’ve been able to recruit a number of full time high school directors to join us, along with some of the best young minds in the debate world. I believe this carefully balanced staff will effectively bridge the gap between the high school and college debate communities. This year’s staff aren't just colleagues, but friends as well. We have a common bond with one another and work together to achieve a common goal, which is to provide the very best summer debate education for your kids.

Our curriculum has always been a trendsetter in the debate community. Our summer institute ranks as one of the oldest in existence and many of the top debaters and instructors in our activity have either attended or taught at the Stanford National Forensic Institute, or both. Some of the students who committed to multiple years with us, really having SNFI as their major camp experience throughout high school, went on to incredible success including winning top speaker at every major tournament in the country. Our approach is simple; we focus on the process over the product, and do our best to create the foundation from which students can be their own best and most reflective critic, and who can thus improve as rapidly as possible throughout the year. Your students will learn how to become a more well-rounded student of logic and rhetoric while at the SNFI. In addition, once your student leaves Stanford they'll return home able to provide guidance to help build and maintain a culture of excellence on each one of their squads. For students who apply themselves and learn the proper techniques the sky is the limit as to their success in this activity. Upon their return everyone who has the opportunity to work with them will see the leadership skills they’ve acquired over the summer. If they bring serious effort to improve to the table, we will match their efforts every step of the way.

These are just a few of the reasons that I believe if you give us the opportunity to work with your students, we can and will contribute to a truly exceptional experience not only during the camp but into the year beyond. In addition, you have my firm personal commitment that if you send your kids to us this summer to learn about policy debate that I will match the efforts of your students with equally or even more intensive efforts on my end. Whatever level of student you send to us, highly experienced or not, I will be personally monitoring everything that happens at our policy camp to make sure we are helping your students reach their most extreme potential. As a staff we will do everything we can to set them up for a tremendous and memorable competitive year in the season ahead. If at any point you need to reach me in reference to your students' progress, I will be available to you just as I will be to your students.

Thanks for considering the Stanford National Forensic Institute's policy program in your summer planning. I hope you will give me and the staff I've helped assemble the chance to work with you and your students this summer, and in the years to come! Please feel free to contact me directly if I can answer any questions for you about our program.

Sincere regards,

Brian J. Manuel
Director of Policy Debate
Stanford Debate Society; Stanford University