We provide students of varying levels of experience with the opportunity to explore aspects of Public Forum Debate in a guided setting. From learning basics to advanced strategies, the workshop meets students at their current level and propels them to the next level. Individualized instruction focusing on skill development is provided to each student within a small group laboratory setting (6:1 student to instructor ratio). Students debate an average of 14 rounds (within lab, between labs, and tournament rounds). A workshop practice tournament is held the final two days to provide each student with competition experience.
We recognize PF is one of the most popular forms of debate and we welcome students from across the US and from abroad. Harvard Debate Council believes in the ability of debate to help engage and change the world and is a leader in international debate experiences, providing students from around the world the opportunity to study different forms of debate on the Harvard campus each summer.
Knowledgeable faculty lecture on topic areas relevant to resolutions debated throughout the year as well as on key public forum strategies and techniques.
After the first week, the workshop focuses on preparation for the tournament practicum. Two days are dedicated to intensive practice including interlab stop/start and redo debates as well as debates within lab. The final two days are devoted to the practice tournament. Throughout the practice tournament, the staff continues to find teachable moments – from modeling tournament practices, to encouraging students to refine arguments and techniques, to strategizing with students, helping them to improve their debating in each successive round. All students not competing in elimination rounds of the practice tournament will judge.
Location(s)
- Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Schedule
- Session 1: June 28 - July 10, 2026
- Session 2: July 12 - July 24, 2026
Cost/Compensation
- Residential tuition: $4,149
- Commuter tuition: $3,049
Eligibility Requirements
- Only students who are currently enrolled in high school, or who will enter the ninth grade in the fall, are eligible to attend the physical workshop.
- Rising 9th graders can only attend as commuter students.
Deadline
- Rolling until the program is full
Application or Entry Requirements
- Complete an online registration form
- For in-person programs, proof of Covid-19 vaccination must be provided at the time of registration
- Additional forms will be provided, based on program
Notifications of Decisions
- Admission is automatic once the application is complete. Admission is first-come, first-serve until we run out of space.
Financial Aid Details
- Financial aid is available; the application can be found here
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
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Harvard Debate Council was founded in 1892 and is one of the oldest intercollegiate policy debate programs in the nation. Generations of debaters have honed their intellectual and rhetorical skills at Harvard, and have gone on to careers of success, service, and national and international prominence. The Harvard debate team is a perennial national champion, participating in local events like the annual Beanpot Debates in Boston and recently in a series of debates hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency on the efficacy of federal and state environmental regulations. In addition to regular tournament competition, Harvard Debate is committed to the promotion of debate as an important part of civic and political discourse. Debate demands thorough research, investigative acuity, and a broad base of understanding to make invaluable contributions to personal and professional successes.
