Hundreds of thousands of students participate in speech and debate every year. The activity’s unique ability to foster critical thinking, sharpen communication skills, and boost college admission chances makes it an attractive extracurricular for many. However, most middle schools don’t offer debate as an activity and most high schools don’t have a program with expertise. 

In this post, we are going to discuss the options for participating in debate if your school does not have a developed program or simply one at all. 

Start a Debate Club 

The most straightforward answer is to start your own debate club. While time-consuming, the process of launching a new extracurricular will build your leadership skills and show dedication to an activity. 

How to Start a Debate Club 

Get School Approval: At any school, having a staff member help you will be critical. That’s why you should begin by meeting with your school administration or a supportive teacher to discuss your plan. They’ll guide you through any official requirements for starting a club. 

Gather People you Know: One of the hardest parts about starting your own club is finding other people interested in debate. We recommend connecting with your friends and asking classmates about their interests and getting them on board.

Market the Organization: To attract more members, create and distribute engaging promotional materials, like posters and social media posts. Organize a kickoff meeting to introduce your club and consider showcasing a short debate to captivate new members.

Decide Your Format: From Lincoln Douglas to Policy, to Public Forum, there are countless different debate styles. We recommend choosing whichever format is the most prevalent in your area. As a general rule, Public Forum debate is the most accessible. Lincoln Douglas and policy’s barrier to entry varies across geographies and levels. 

Schedule Club Meetings: Establish a regular meeting schedule and plan activities that keep everyone involved. Mix in practice debates, workshops, and guest speakers to make meetings dynamic and educational. A well-rounded experience will keep members motivated and learning.

Join Competitions: An important ingredient to a successful debate club is competition. Have your teaching advisor sign up for local debate tournaments. Being part of organizations like the National Speech & Debate Association can make the process easier and provide a built-in national community. 

Starting a debate club is a good option for students dedicated to the activity and wanting to focus on organizational building. We must warn you though, that founding a competitive club that requires can be challenging. You will need relatively high levels of funding and a school official dedicated enough to chaperone you to tournaments multiple times a month. 

Join Civic Debate Academy

Starting a club team is a difficult process for high schoolers and almost impossible for middle schoolers. A private debate club like Civic Debate Academy is the easiest option and the fastest path to success. 

What are the Benefits of Joining a Debate Club? 

Expert Coaching: Civic Debate Academy only employs experts in debate. Our coaches go through dozens of hours of training and have all competed at the highest levels of the activity. Their knowledge is irreplicable. 

Access to Resources: On a school team, especially a new one, access to institutional knowledge and research is inaccessible. At Civic Debate Academy we have thousands of pages of research and curriculum.

Tailored Curriculum: At Civid Debate Academy we provide an evidence-based curriculum built on active learning,  optimized for students’ competitive and academic success. 

Practice Opportunities: We organize regular practice sessions, mock debates, and workshops, providing a structured environment for continuous improvement. Unlike on a school team, we offer a rich variety of different skill levels, ensuring every student is challenged. 

Community: The debate community is a tight-knit group, which can make it hard to navigate. Joining an established debate club provides immediate insider access to the community, allowing students to connect with other like-minded people.

Competitive Success: Starting a program from scratch or competing without coaching means you have already started 7 steps behind. Joining a debate academy, you get a leg up through advanced coaching and access to volumes of research and skills. 

How do you Join Civic Debate Academy? 

Joining Civic Debate Academy is easy! You can take our quiz for parents or for students and it will match you to the best program! Or schedule a free consultation with us and we would be happy to walk you through our programs and the registration process!