Free session for parents · August
Your kid is about to learn something school doesn't teach.
Most parents have never seen a debate round, and nobody explains what the activity actually involves before asking you to sign up for it. So: 45 minutes, no cost, no student attendance needed. What it is, what the research shows, and how a family gets started in grades 5 through 12.
Run by a coach who has personally coached a Tournament of Champions finalist and a two-time Middle School Tournament of Champions winner. Not a sales pitch with a webinar attached, you'll leave able to decide either way.
Pick a date
Sunday evening
7:00–7:45pm Eastern
Tuesday evening
8:00–8:45pm Eastern
Already registered? Join at the time above:
https://meet.google.com/zcj-erax-yyv ↗Or dial (US) +1 470-228-6284, PIN 995 859 518# · more phone numbers ↗
Opens our registration form. Online, parents only, your child doesn't need to be there.
Can't make either? Register anyway and we'll send the next date.
68%
of a full year of additional ELA learning that debate produced, measured in a rigorous Boston Public Schools study.
Schueler & Larned (2025), Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. A 0.13 SD gain in English Language Arts scores.
Analytical
subskills, not rote ones, are where the gains concentrated, and the largest gains went to students who started out furthest behind.
Same study. No measured harm to math scores, attendance, or discipline records.
Grade 8
reading scores rose for middle-school debaters in a decade-long Baltimore study, alongside a higher likelihood of attending a selective-entrance high school.
Shackelford (2019), Educational Researcher. A 0.21 SD gain in 8th-grade reading.
Three things parents usually want to know first
These come up in almost every conversation, so we start there rather than saving them for the end.
“My kid is quiet.”
That's the most common reason parents come, and it's the wrong reason to stay away. Debate is a structured format with a script and a clock, which is far easier for a reserved kid than open-ended public speaking. Quiet kids often do unusually well.
“Is this just for high schoolers?”
No, and starting in middle school is the advantage. The research on academic gains is strongest for that age group, and a student who begins in 6th grade arrives at high school already fluent in a format their peers are still learning.
“How much time is this really?”
One 90-minute session a week, plus optional tournaments. It's less than a competitive sport and less than a music program with recitals. We'll walk through what a normal month actually looks like.
What the 45 minutes covers
No slides about our program until the very end, and only if you want them.
What a debate round actually is
We'll walk through one, start to finish, in plain language. What the student does, what the judge does, how long it takes.
What the research says, and what it doesn't
The studies below, what they measured, and where the honest limits of the evidence are.
The on-ramp for grades 5 through 12
Month by month. What a first tournament looks like, what it costs, and what's realistic in year one.
Where it can lead
Including the named debate scholarships that exist at schools like Northwestern and Emory. Mentioned, not promised.
Your questions
Genuinely the most useful part. Ask anything, including whether this is a fit for your particular kid.
Practical questions
Does my child need to come?
No. This one is designed for parents. Bring them if you like, but nothing is aimed at them.
Is this a sales pitch?
The last few minutes describe our program. The rest is about the activity itself, and useful whether or not you ever work with us.
What if I can't make either date?
Register anyway. We run these regularly and you'll get the next one automatically.
Do we need any background?
None. It's built for families who have never encountered competitive debate before.
Is it recorded?
The talk portion is. The Q&A isn't, so people can ask real questions about their own kids.
Where is this held?
Online, via Google Meet. You'll get the link by email before the session.
Forty-five minutes, and you'll know.
Whether debate is right for your kid is a real question with a real answer. Come find out, and then decide.