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AGE GROUPS and EXPERIENCE LEVEL: Campers with debate experience, or who have excelled in related activity are welcome to register for this program stream.  Most camps allow for an A and B group within the Level Up range, to ensure grade-level / experience-appropriate groupings.  A typical Level Up registrant has completed grade 8 and or above, has 1 year of debate related experience, may have some competitive experience and is eager for further skills development.

 

DEBATE STYLES:  All Level Up debaters receive advanced-level training in British Parliamentary Debate, Canadian or American Parliamentary Debate,  Public Forum Debate and World Schools Style.  Campers can select styles they wish to focus on each week - and increase the number of done in that style. accordingly.

 

MENTORSHIP: All Level Up debaters receive a staff mentor for the week.  Mentors are available for goal-setting and individual feedback for each Level-Up camper.  From experience, we find that campers do well in developing their debate strenghts, both through practice and regular feedback, but also through a watch-learn-and-do approach, adopting style and technique from more experienced debaters.  Our mentorship program is designed to ensure this happens for all Level Up debaters.

 

LEARNING MODULES: All Level Up debaters have an opportunity to choose from a selection of Global Issues or debate skills workshops on offer each day at camp.  Campers may self-select areas they are interested in and / or wish to develop further.  Debate Camp maintains a 1 to 8 teaching ratio for more advanced workshops, ensuring instructor-access, feedback, questions and dialogue are part of all sessions.

 

TECHNIQUE WORKSHOPS: Level Up debaters receive specialized instruction, often geared at enhancing their competitive abilities with debate, bettering their analysis of how cases are commonly designed, connecting arguments to philosophical norms and learning  how to more effectively refute an opponent’s points.  All of these are then made key feedback areas in the 3 to 4 practice rounds daily.

 

FEEDBACK:  Debaters who compete throughout the year often lament at the lack of effective feedback after some of their debate rounds.  At Debate Camp - we ensure that all campers receive open feedback, both after rounds and during open hours (before and after mealtimes) where campers can receive 1 on 1 on follow-up feedback, ask more questions - ensure they are clear on how to progress.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  All of our camps see registrants who are experienced and competitive with debate and public speaking.  Each year we ensure a compliment of campers and staff at all of our locations are capable of training at a competitive level.  Debate Camp reserves the right to ensure campers are receiving ability-appropriate instruction and that all campers learn and thrive each week.  As such, we may advance campers into different groups throughout the week and / or confirm experience levels of Level Up registrants on camp's opening day.