Debate and speech camps for kids

On this page

• Camps that specialize in debate and speech for kids
• Camps offering debate and speech for kids as an activity

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What a debate and speech camp has to offer

In a debate and speech camp, your child will learn effective skills and techniques. While some camps focus primarily on debate or public speech, most camps teach these together, since they focus on similar sets of skills. You'll find bothsummer and winter debate and speech camps.

Nevertheless, there are some distinct skills your child will acquire from each kind of camp. In a debate camp, your child will learn and develop the following kinds of knowledge and skills:

• The structure of debate
• Different types of debate (such as parliamentary, policy, and Socratic debates)
• Debating rules and etiquette
• Researching topics
• Staking and defending a position
• Use of arguments, logic, and reasoning
• How to address an opponent’s claim or argument
• Refutation and counterpoints

In a public speaking camp or course, your child will acquire many of these same skills and much of the same knowledge. In addition, though, they’ll acquire some new knowledge and skills, including the following:

• Different types of speeches and topics
• Projecting and modulating one’s voice
• Organizing and structuring a speech
• Delivery strategies
• Use of transitions
• Playing to an audience
• Use of emotional techniques

Benefits of debate and speech camp

In a debate and public speaking camp, your child will be able to practice their techniques in front of audiences. They’ll also receive instruction from trained teachers, and feedback from teachers, fellow campers, and audiences. They may also have the opportunity to compete in competitions, in Canada, the US, or overseas.

These camps teach your child practical and theoretical skills that can allow them to excel in and outside of school. They also, though, have some less obvious benefits. For instance, they can help your child become more well-rounded and healthier, by improving their

• Confidence
• Self-esteem
• Leadership abilities
• Social skills
• Social and political consciousness
• Grasp of international issues

Above, we list debate and public speaking camps in Canada. These include camps in Toronto, Mississauga, Etobicoke, Ottawa, Windsor, Guelph, Orangeville, Victoria, and Vancouver. Click on a camp to learn more about its programs and approach.