Summer Institute Resources

Observations: Commentaries from debaters and coaches who have attended summer institutes in the past.


Attending a summer institute represents a major commitment, and should be well thought-out and discussed with parents, student and coaches. Students who plan to participate in the Wellington varsity debate program should strongly consider attending camp, since the intensive training that summer institures provide can only help serious debaters at the local, regional and national levels.

What follows is a listing of various summer institutes across the nation, along with the event focus they provide. Understand that summer institutes can cost from between $1,000 to $2,500 most of the time - and, in some cases, even more.

Arizona Debate Institute (Arizona State University, Tempe AZ): Policy Debate
Baylor University Debaters' and Teachers' Workshop (Baylor University, Baylor TX): Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Coaches
Long Beach Forensics Academy (California State University, Long Beach CA): Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Oral Interpretation, Student Congress
CDE (Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ): Extemporaneous Speaking, Lincoln Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate
Championship Debate Group (St. Edwards University, Austin TX): Lincoln Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Coaches
Dartmouth Debate Institute & Dartmouth Juniors Workshop (Dartmouth University, Hanover NH): Policy Debate, Coaches
Emory National Debate Institute (Emory University, Atlanta GA): Policy Debate
Florida Forensic Institute (Ft. Lauderdale FL): Student Congress, Public Forum, Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Interpretative Events, Lincoln Douglas, Coaches
George Mason Institute of Forensics (George Mason University, Fairfax VA): Extemoraneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Interpretive Events, Coaches
Gonzaga Debate Institute (Gonzaga University, Spokane WA): Policy Debate
Heart of America Summer Debate Institutes (Kansas Weslyan University, Salina KS): Policy Debate
Iowa National Summer Institute in Forensics (University of Iowa, Iowa City IA): Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Kentucky National Debate Institute (University of Kentucky, Lexington KY): Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Coaches
Lead America: Congressional Student Leadership Conference (Washington DC): Congress, Mock Trial
Marquette University Debate Institute (Marquette University, Milwaukee WI): Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Policy Debate
Miami Debate Institute (Miami University, Oxford OH): Policy Debate
Michigan National Debate Institute (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI): Policy Debate, Coaches
Midwest Debate Institute (Park University, Kansas City MO): Policy Debate, Lincoln Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate
Midwest Debate Institute (University of Missuouri - Kansas City, Kansas City MO): Policy Debate
National Debate Forum (Emerson University, Boston MA): Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking
National High School Institute (Northwestern University, Evanston IL): Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, Oral Interpretation of Literature, Original Oratory
Oregon Debate Institute (University of Oregon, Eugene OR): Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Parliamentary/Public Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, Coaches
Research Triangle Summer Forensics Institute (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC): Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Student Congress, Extemporaneous Speaking
Sacred Heart National Speech and Debate Institute (Plymouth MA): Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Student Congress, Original Oratory, Dramatic Interp, Humorous Interp, Duo Interp, Poetry & Prose, Extemporaneous Speaking, Coaches
Samford Summer Forensics Institute (Samford University, Birmingham AL): Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Coaches
Show Me Forensics Institute (Truman State University, Kirksville MO): Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, Parliamentary Debate, Student Congress, Interp Events
Spartan Debate Institute (Michigan State University, East Lansing MI): Policy Debate, Coaches
Stanford National Forensic Institute (Stanford University, Palo Alto CA): Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Original Oratory, Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu, Thematic Interpretation, Prose, Poetry, Duo Interpretation, and Expository Speaking
University of Texas National Institute in Forensics - Debate (University of Texas, Austin TX): Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Coaches
University of Texas National Institute in Forensics - Individual Events (University of Texas, Austin TX): Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Dramatic or Humorous Interp, Dramatic Duo, Prose or Poetry Interp, Student Congress, Coaches
Victory Briefs Institute (University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA): Lincoln Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, Coaches
Wake Forest Summer Workshop (Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem NC): Policy Debate
Western Kentucky University Summer Forensic Institute (Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green KY): Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Dramatic Interp, Humorous Interp, Improv Duo, Poetry, Prose and Solo Acting, Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, Original Oratory
Whitman National Debate Institute (Whitman College, Walla Walla WA): Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Policy Debate