Public Speaking Programs : Stanford National Forensic Institute

It's not too late to join us for summer 2021! We still have space in many of our programs, however some sessions are approaching maximum capacity--if you're planning to attend, we strongly suggest that you sign up soon!

All summer 2021 programs are planned to be be fully virtual with no in-person component, see our Online Virtual Programs page for more details.

Not sure which program to choose? Review our "How to pick the right program" guide!

Public Speaking Programs

Public speaking is a crtically important skill for almost every profession in today's world, yet many people harbor a fear of speaking in front of others - in fact, speaking in front of others is often ranked near the top of many people's lists of most-feared activites. It shouldn't be that way!

Public speaking doesn't have to be scary or intimidating, and like the common saying goes, practice does absolutely make perfect! Our Public Speaking programs are designed to break down the barriers to speaking in front of others through a variety of structured activities that build baseline fundamental logical and rhetorical skills in addition to practicing speaking in a public setting.

SNFI is proud to share our speech & debate education expertise, accumulated since 1990, with students looking to learn the art of public speaking! Our Public Speaking Camps are perfect for students looking to learn and practice many critical academic and professional skills, including:

logical thinking and argumentative structure - which directly mimics the academic and professional writing process
confidence when speaking in front of others - including eye contact, posture and poise
thinking quickly on your feet - be prepared for the questions at the end of your presentation or pitch
speaking extemporaneously on subjects that you have not yet thoroughly researched - take the initiative and impress someone with your ability to quickly break down and analyze a new problem or opportunity at a high level
and many more highly transferrable academic and professional skills

Our Public Speaking programs teach many of the same skills as a traditional debate program, just without the focus on direct head-to-head competition, including:

targeted research skills
logical argument development
organization of material into a methodical presentation
classic Aristotelian logic through the "claim, warrant, impact" model
how to think adversarially
analytical responsiveness
see our skills page for more information on the power of speech & debate-based education

2021 Public Speaking Programs Staff Members Include:

Check back closer to the start of camp for details on our 2021 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.

2020 Public Speaking Programs Staff Members Included:

Upcoming Camps

1-Week Advanced Public Speaking

SNFI is proud to share our 29 years of speech & debate education expertise with students looking to learn the art of public speaking! Our Public Speaking Camps are perfect for students looking to learn and practice the critical skills of logical thinking, confidence when speaking in front of others, and the ability to think quickly on your feet in a supportive, noncompetitive environment.

Our Advanced Public Speaking program is designed for students that have prior ...

1-Week Middle School Public Speaking

SNFI is proud to share our 30 years of speech & debate education expertise with students looking to learn the art of public speaking! Our Public Speaking Camps are perfect for students looking to learn and practice the critical skills of logical thinking, confidence when speaking in front of others, and the ability to think quickly on your feet in a supportive, noncompetitive environment.

Our Public Speaking Introduction program is designed to be a student's fir...

1-Week Public Speaking Introduction

Our Public Speaking Introduction program is designed to be a student's fir...

2-Week Middle School Public Speaking + Debate Basics Experience

Our 2-Week Middle School Public Speaking + Debate Basics Experience is designed to be a student's first structured experience with public speaking, debate and formal argumentation - no prior experience is necessary. 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!

This program starts from the grou...

2-Week Public Speaking + Introduction to Debate Experience

Our 2-Week Public Speaking + Introduction to Debate Experience is designed to be a student's first structured experience with public speaking, debate and formal argumentation - no prior experience is necessary. 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!

This program starts from the ground up with...

Stanford National Forensic Institute