Hear what our campers have to say about NSD!
Limited spots available
Hear what our campers have to say about NSD!
$3,395
Previously Sold Out on April 15th
Bryn Mawr College
Philadelphia, PA
June 29 - July 12
June 29 - July 12
$3,295
$3,295
NSD Philadelphia Session 1 is a two-week residential summer debate camp focused on Public Forum (PF) debate, great for all students, from beginners new to debate to experienced debaters honing their skills.
Includes Housing (if Residential) and Meals
Free Access to Skill Builder Program
Payment Due Upon Registration (Financial Aid)
Session 1 curriculum teaches foundational and advanced concepts to students without feeling rushed. Our world-class faculty offer the perfect forum for rising stars to develop their voice.
Session 1 is a great starting place for students to expedite their journey into the upper echelons of public forum debate.
Bryn Mawr College is gorgeous, self-contained, and located in a quiet suburb of Philadelphia, perfect for students new to college settings.
We pride ourselves on providing personalized attention and interactive education for each NSD camper and ensure a 5:1 student to teacher ratio.
Previously Sold Out on April 15th
Bryn Mawr College
Philadelphia, PA
July 13 - July 26
July 13 - July 26
$3,545
$3,545
NSD Philadelphia Session 2 is a two-week residential summer debate camp focused on Public Forum (PF) debate, great for all students, from beginners new to debate to experienced debaters honing their skills.
Includes Housing (if Residential) and Meals
Free Access to Skill Builder Program
Payment Due Upon Registration (Financial Aid)
Being successful in debate requires keeping up with new norms. From hiring world-class faculty with different styles, to teaching both traditional & non-traditional strategies, we provide a holistic outlook on debate.
Session 2 has an unparalleled record of success, boasting the highest number of TOC qualifiers, national rankings, and success among any camp in the country over the past several years.
Last year, over 300 Public Forum debaters, ranging from novices in middle school to top-5 ranked teams in the US, attended NSD's Flagship PF Camp.
We pride ourselves on providing personalized attention and interactive education for each NSD camper and ensure a 5:1 student to teacher ratio.
Previously Sold Out on April 15th
St. Edward's University
Austin, TX
June 29 - July 12
June 29 - July 12
$3,195
$3,195
NSD Texas PF is a regional, mid-size two-week summer debate camp for middle and high school students focused on Public Forum (PF) debate.
Includes Housing (if Residential) and Meals
Free Access to Skill Builder Program
Payment Due Upon Registration (Financial Aid)
Our directors head some of the most successful school debate programs in the country. They lead a diverse range of excellent debate instructors.
Receive a curriculum specifically targeted for success on the Texas circuit, one of the most competitive debate circuits in the country.
NSD Texas gives students the chance to meet Texas coaches and create new friendships with local debaters in a smaller, regional camp environment.
We pride ourselves on providing personalized attention and interactive education for each NSD camper and ensure a 5:1 student to teacher ratio.
Previously Sold Out on April 15th
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE
July 13 - Aug 2
July 13 - Aug 2
$4,695
$4,695
NSD Flagship is our premier, three-week flagship summer debate camp for middle and high school students focused on Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate.
Includes Housing (if Residential) and Meals
Free Access to Skill Builder Program
Payment Due Upon Registration (Financial Aid)
NSD Flagship's Lincoln-Douglas Debate faculty represents an elite group of championship coaches and former debaters from across the United States.
With curriculum tracks designed for students of all levels, NSD Flagship is where students who aspire to national championship-level success train.
NSD Flagship's LD camp is renowned for providing a training ground to both rising stars and top ranked LD debaters across the United States.
We pride ourselves on providing personalized attention and interactive education for each NSD camper and ensure a 4:1 student to teacher ratio.
Previously Sold Out on April 15th
Bryn Mawr College
Philadelphia, PA
June 29 - July 12
June 29 - July 12
$3,295
$3,295
Residential two-week summer debate camp for middle and high school students focused on Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate.
Includes Housing (if Residential) and Meals
Free Access to Skill Builder Program
Payment Due Upon Registration (Financial Aid)
Director Chetan Hertzig has led championship school debate programs for almost 20 years, and oversees a diverse faculty of elite faculty.
NSD Philadelphia's LD curriculum is a great starting place for students to begin the journey into the upper echelons of debate.
Bryn Mawr College is gorgeous, self-contained, and located in a quiet suburb of Philadelphia, perfect for students new to college settings.
We pride ourselves on providing personalized attention and interactive education for each NSD camper and ensure a 5:1 student to teacher ratio.
Previously Sold Out on April 15th
St. Edward's University
Austin, TX
June 29 - July 12
June 29 - July 12
$3,195
$3,195
Residential two-week summer debate camp in Texas for middle and high school students focused on Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate.
Includes Housing (if Residential) and Meals
Free Access to Skill Builder Program
Payment Due Upon Registration (Financial Aid)
NSD Texas Director Chris Castillo has led a historically successful Texas school over 15 years and oversees a diverse faculty of excellent instructors.
Receive a curriculum specifically targeted for success on the Texas circuit, one of the most competitive debate circuits in the country.
NSD Texas gives students the chance to meet Texas coaches and create new friendships with local debaters in a smaller, regional camp environment.
We pride ourselves on providing personalized attention and interactive education for each NSD camper and ensure a 4:1 student to teacher ratio.
Previously Sold Out on April 15th
Aug 4 - Aug 10
Lincoln-Douglas
6th-12th Grade
6th-12th Grade
$895
$895
Online, one-week session focused on the 2025-2026 September & October Lincoln-Douglas Debate topic.
Our topic sessions are led by the same championship coaches and former debaters who teach at our in-person sessions.
Prepare cases and practice speeches with structured feedback from elite instructors, so you have confidence as you enter the competitive season.
Get ahead on upcoming competitions with a week of focused, in-depth topic analysis, research, and argument generation.
For students without robust team support, we provide a structure for preparing a new debate topic just like the best institutional teams do.
Monday-Sunday (EST)
• 10am - 2:30pm: Core Curriculum
• 5pm - 9:30pm: Optional Supplemental Sessions
**All times are in EST
Previously Sold Out on April 15th
Aug 4 - Aug 10
Public Forum
6th-12th Grade
6th-12th Grade
$899
$899
Online, one-week session focused on the 2025-2026 September & October Public Forum Debate topic.
Our topic sessions are led by the same championship coaches and former debaters who teach at our in-person sessions.
Prepare cases and practice speeches with structured feedback from elite instructors, so you have confidence as you enter the competitive season.
Get ahead on upcoming competitions with a week of focused, in-depth topic analysis, research, and argument generation.
For students without robust team support, we provide a structure for preparing a new debate topic just like the best institutional teams do.
Monday-Sunday (EST)
• 10am - 2:30pm: Core Curriculum
• 5pm - 9:30pm: Optional Supplemental Sessions
**All times are in EST
Previously Sold Out on April 15th
July 21-Aug. 1
Lincoln-Douglas
6th-12th Grade
6th-12th Grade
$1,995
$1,995
NSD's two-week online summer debate camp for middle and high school students focused on Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate.
Our online LD camp is taught by the same championship coaches and former debaters who teach at our in-person sessions.
Receive live, small group instruction optimized for online learning. We prioritize keeping students active, engaged, and working collaboratively.
NSD's online camp gives campers flexibility to rigorously train debate-specific skills while still prioritizing other summer activities.
We pride ourselves on providing personalized attention and interactive education for each NSD camper and ensure a 4:1 student to teacher ratio.
Monday-Friday (EST)
• 10am - 6pm: Core Curriculum
• 7:30pm - 10pm: Optional Supplemental Sessions
**All times are in EST
Previously Sold Out on April 15th
June 30 - Jul 11
Public Forum
6th-12th Grade
6th-12th Grade
$1,695
$1,695
NSD's two-week online summer debate camp for middle and high school students focused on Public Forum (PF) debate.
Our online PF camp is taught by the same championship coaches and former debaters who teach at our in-person sessions.
Receive live, small group instruction optimized for online learning. We prioritize keeping students active, engaged, and working collaboratively.
NSD's online camp gives campers flexibility to rigorously train debate-specific skills while still prioritizing other summer activities.
We pride ourselves on providing personalized attention and interactive education for each NSD camper and ensure a 4:1 student to teacher ratio.
Monday-Friday (EST)
• 10am - 6pm: Core Curriculum
• 7:30pm - 10pm: Optional Supplemental Sessions
**All times are in EST
Previously Sold Out on April 15th
All Events
Tutoring
6th-12th Grade
6th-12th Grade
$600
$600
Tutor with our expert staff year-round and improve on your schedule.
Private tutoring let’s families maximize individualized attention and structure education to target specific needs and weaknesses.
Online tutoring provides the flexibility necessary to rigorously develop debate-specific skills while having freedom to pursue other activities.
Our year-long tutoring provides families everything they love about NSD’s summer camps: best-in-class education and curriculum.
Our tutors have unparalleled track records as championship coaches and debaters.
Individual coaching is an excellent way for students to receive a curriculum customized to fit their needs, at a pace appropriate for them. Whether a student is seeking an introductory curriculum to the fundamentals of debate, or seeking advanced work on a series of specialized debate skills, each student’s individual tutoring program is tailored to fit their needs.
Access to tutors drawn from the pool of our summer faculty, which represents a selection of the best debate coaches in the country
Coaching sessions focus on a curriculum suitable to each student
Structured drills and practice to solidify improvement
Supporting materials and assignments that students can complete between sessions
Flexible scheduling to fit into each student’s summer schedule
Students receive free access to NSD’s Skill Builder curriculum. Skill Builder features stand-alone curriculum modules intended for independent study, built by top faculty. Skill Builder helps students solidify background skills ahead of camp, so students can focus on what matters most while they are tutoring.
Purpose built by top debate coaches to help students improve their debate skills through focused, individual work
Step-by-step, easy to use modules with tools to improve their debate skills and arrive ready to maximize their improvement
Includes drill materials and rubrics for self-assessment, so students can practice on their own
Great for students with skill areas they want to improve on their own, and for true beginners who who want an introduction to debate
Helps students focus on the most valuable work during sessions, not on catching up
"If I could choose any camp to go to in order to feel prepared for a new year of debate it would be NSD — it provided the perfect balance of education and friendliness, both ideals any camp should strive for, yet not many achieve."
Lilly Broussard
Philadelphia LD Alum
"I met friends who I still stay in contact with today. Compared to other debate camps, I would say NSD has a more rigorous curriculum — it was very challenging yet rewarding. NSD prepared me well for the two most important seasons of my debate career."
Evan Li | Flagship LD Alumni
2020 LD Debate National Champion (1st Place out of 5000+ Competitors)
"NSD stood out with its camp tournament, flexibility in debate styles, and the opportunity to compete and learn with the top debaters in the US. I became more confident in my skill level and knowledge in debate and left better prepared to debate with or against any style of debate."
Zion Dixon | Flagship LD Alumni
2022 LD Debate National Champion (1st Place out of 5000+ Competitors)
"I attended NSD for four years and it played a transformative role in my debate career. NSD's faculty are unparalleled and boast a diverse skillset in argument style and content. More importantly, I made friends at NSD that I still spend time with today, even in college."
Animesh Joshi | 3x Flagship LD Alumni
2020 LD National Runner-Up (2nd Place out of 5000+ Competitors)
By Dave McGinnis
I am a debate coach, a debate camp instructor, and a parent of a successful debater. For the past three summers, I’ve chosen to send my son to NSD, and we will be sending him again this summer.
Like most parents, my first concern is always my son’s safety and well-being. NSD employs a residential life staff — adult professionals who monitor students’ experience, check them in and out so that someone always knows where each student is at, takes care of them when they are ill, enforces the rules, and helps them when they have any of a variety of problems. NSD employs several people solely for this function — these are not camp instructors pulling double-duty.
As a coach, my primary concern is always the quality of my students’ educational experiences, and as a proud dad, that concern is magnified! The two best aspects of NSD are the quality of its instructors and, vitally, the quality of the student body. My son, Conal, first attended NSD after 7th grade. He was very new to debate. Yet his lab instructors were all top-flight debaters and coaches; all three of them had attended the TOC and two of them had attended multiple times and “cleared” to TOC elims. This was a “low” lab, meaning a lab for relatively inexperienced debaters; but at NSD, every lab is coached by champion-level instructors. In addition, outside of lab time, Conal had the opportunity to interact with every instructor at the camp through lectures and individual mentoring sessions. He could choose to work with anyone from a recent TOC champion to a PhD candidate in philosophy.
Possibly even more important is the fact that NSD attracts many of the top debaters in the country. The caliber of my students’ colleagues at camp drives my students to learn more. NSD hosts students from all levels of debate — from novices to national champions. The fact that the top level of debaters at NSD are among the best in the nation is a huge benefit to the entire camp, because it raises the bar for everyone involved.
This year, after Conal’s third NSD experience, I asked him if he might want to try an alternative camp, for a change of pace. He flatly refused, telling me that his summers at NSD were among the main reasons that he qualified to the TOC as a freshman and, as a sophomore, has accumulated four TOC bids.
Many of these advantages apply to other camps you might find around the country. But over the course of a 21-year coaching career, I’ve had experience with all of them. Only NSD combines all of these characteristics.
-David McGinnis
Head Coach at West Des Moines Valley High School
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