# Speech and Debate Tournament Team Where Research Becomes Confidence and Confidence Becomes Competition **Writing / Storytelling** Organized by My Speech and Debate Coach Hosted by 2 expert guides This weekly Public Forum Debate class is designed for those who are ready to move beyond quick opinions and into real research, strong arguments, and confident debate skills. This is an ongoing club focused on steady growth over time. Students will build confidence, deepen their thinking, and strengthen their speaking skills through consistent practice and guided feedback. **How the class works:** The class meets weekly for 90 minutes and follows the Public Forum debate format in a supportive, encouraging environment. Instead of switching topics every week, we will focus on a single debate topic for at least one full month. We will work through the full debate process, including researching evidence, building a structured case, practicing speeches, and responding to opposing arguments. Because topics last several weeks, students have time to revise and improve their work based on instructor feedback. **What to expect:** - Research credible sources and evaluate evidence - Build complete Public Forum debate cases with clear claims and impacts - Practice persuasive speaking with time limits - Learn how to respond to opposing arguments in rebuttals and crossfire - Refine their cases over time with instructor feedback - Prepare for optional online debate competitions with students from around the world Over time, you will progress from foundational debate skills to more advanced strategies such as weighing impacts, extending arguments, and responding under pressure. **Benefits:** Parents often see debate skills transfer into other academic areas. This class helps kids: - Speak more clearly and confidently - Think critically and organize ideas - Support opinions with evidence - Build strong research and writing skills - Gain confidence participating in discussions and presentations This class is a great fit for those who enjoy discussing ideas, are curious about real-world topics, and want to build strong communication and critical thinking skills through ongoing practice. No prior debate experience required. [See more](/content/courses/speech-and-debate-tournament-team-42715ec7-2a7e-4bf2-8cfe-7086a5fd61ba#!/index.html) # Pick a time EDT Age ranges are just suggestions! You can register for any cohort. [Thu @ 5:30 PM\n— Speech & Debate Tournament Team 1\n\nRegistrations Open\n\n12-16 yrs\nRegister](/content/checkout?cohort=6d3292e1-0a59-4de6-9ba8-dbd1b6f12670/index.html) [None of these work?\n\nTell us what time works best for you!](/content/preregister?course=42715ec7-2a7e-4bf2-8cfe-7086a5fd61ba/index.html) ## Meet the guides Expert guides leading this course **Tia S.** Recess Guide Philosophy graduate | Debate powerhouse | Now coaching confident speakers | Loves her cat Chickpea | Former opera singer! **Elizabeth G.** Recess Guide Founder of My Speech & Debate Coach | Former TV news reporter | Passionate about inspiring confident kids ## Course updates Updates from guides of this course **Tia S. Guide** Mar 19 @ 11:04 AM Hello everyone! Today we learned how to cut cards and began learning about case construction using our UBI topic. If you weren't here, it's a good idea to watch the recording or read this article about cutting cards: [Cutting Cards Article](https://thedebateguru.weebly.com/finding-and-cutting-evidence.h) **1 like, 20 views** **Tia S. Guide** Feb 5 @ 7:05 PM Hi everyone! Great job today learning more about reasoning and impacts and in the debate on the topic "Animal Testing should be banned." The topic we'll be using for next week is: "Every country should implement a universal basic income." I'd recommend doing some research and ge... **45 views** **Tia S. Guide** Jan 29 @ 7:02 PM Everyone did a phenomenal job in our tournament debate class yesterday! We started out by playing a warm up game called the Hot Air Balloon game where students had fun arguing from the perspective of assigned roles/characters. We then moved on to learning how to properly structure arguments. **3 likes, 56 views** \n $42 per week 1x / week 90 mins