Online debate classes
Live online Lincoln-Douglas debate classes, grades 5–12.
Podium Debate runs live, instructor-led online debate classes over video call, not pre-recorded lessons and not a large passive webinar. Every class is a small cohort of real students debating each other in real time, with a coach actively drilling and correcting, the same way an in-person class would run, just online.
How is this different from a webinar or a recorded course?
A webinar or recorded course is something a student watches. An online debate class, at least the way we run it, is something a student does: every session is a live video call (over Google Meet) with a coach and a small group of classmates, capped at 6–8 students so every student debates, every session, not just watches a demonstration. Sessions run 90 minutes rather than a typical class hour specifically because a single live round segment, a constructive, a cross-examination, a rebuttal, already takes 15–20 minutes on its own; 60 minutes wouldn't leave room for real repetition.
What does a typical session involve?
- Skill warm-up10 min
- Demo & guided practice15 min
- Live round segment30 min
- Feedback & redos20 min
- Goals & live Q&A15 min
Skill warm-up
A quick drill targeting whatever the cohort needs most that week.
Demonstration & guided practice
The coach models the skill live, then walks students through it together.
Live speech or round segment
Real reps: a constructive, a cross-examination, a rebuttal, run live against another student, not simulated or watched passively.
Feedback & redos
Immediate, specific coaching, followed by a second live attempt applying it.
Goals & live Q&A
Each student leaves knowing exactly what to work on before next week.
See the full how it works breakdown, including the six-level skill ladder every student is placed on.
How large are the cohorts, and how is my kid placed?
Every family starts with a placement conversation, not an assumption based on grade or age. Cohorts are capped at 6–8 students and grouped by actual skill level, so a genuine beginner and a two-tournament veteran are never placed together just because they're the same age. Placement isn't permanent either: students move up Podium's published six-level skill ladder as they're actually ready, not on a fixed calendar.
What feedback does my kid actually get?
A written note after every single session, not just at the end of a term: a full, personal note after any 1:1 session, and a shorter templated note after every cohort session, so cohort format doesn't mean losing visibility into what your kid is actually working on. Between sessions, students and parents have direct messaging access to the coaching staff for quick questions, so a stuck rebuttal on a Tuesday doesn't have to wait until the next class.
How do online tournaments work?
Internal practice tournaments are part of the standard program from day one, the kind of real competitive repetition a solo tutor can't replicate. Beyond that, Podium Debate is explicitly non-exclusive: a student can debate for us while staying on a school team or in another program, and can pursue external circuit tournaments with our coordination and guidance, families cover those external tournament costs directly, we're specific about that distinction rather than blurring it.
What does it cost, and what do I need to get started?
Core runs $150/month at the full-season prepay rate ($165/month billed month-to-month), published plainly with no joining fee and no hidden add-ons. All you need to join a session is a computer or tablet with a camera and a stable internet connection, we use Google Meet, nothing to install ahead of time. See the full pricing breakdown including 1:1 hourly rates and the cancellation policy.
See a class for yourself before deciding anything.
Talk to our coaching staff directly, no pressure, no obligation.
Still have questions?
Pricing, scheduling, safety, and more, answered plainly, no call required.