The focus of this seven week curriculum is to educate and prepare students for the process of speech writing and performing in front of an audience. The lessons teach how to structure a speech with a logical thought process, find research to back up their statements, and refine both verbal and nonverbal communication skills. With videos of famous speeches and interactive activities taught by trained Youth for Debate volunteers, this is a fun and basic program designed for students with no past experience. Students will gain a sense of accomplishment and the ability to successfully advocate for themselves.

A more advanced continuation of our public speaking curriculum, this program is intended to transition from learning public speaking to constructing and responding to arguments in a competitive setting or dialogue. Lessons include in-depth focus on proper sources and locations for academic research, the structure of a persuasive argument and practice sessions for debate-specific skills like cross examination and impromptu rebuttals. The ideal students for this program are either a) students with a solid grasp on public speaking or b) students who have already completed Youth for Debate’s public speaking curriculum. Content of each lesson will be tailored to the students’ level and interest.

Youth for Debate also offers an afterschool debate education program. This ten week curriculum teaches students the basics of Public Forum debate and prepares them for competition. It stresses the skillset of an effective debater, teaching students how to formulate coherent arguments, quickly devise and revise rebuttals, critique the claims of their opponent, conduct in-depth research, and analyze issues from two opposing sides. While the curriculum focuses the essentials of debate, it also teaches students the skills to analyze and formulate opinions on important social issues.