PUBLIC DEBATE PROGRAM

Worldwide Public Speaking and Argumentation Training

The Public Debate Program (PDP) is a national and international educational outreach initiative offering class and contest opportunities primarily directed to young adolescents, students from 10 to 18 years (5th grade to 12th grade, US). The PDP is centered at the Claremont Colleges Debate Union, a co-curricular program of Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California.

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Partner schools participate in tournament competitions, teacher workshops, judge certification training, and other sponsored academic and professional events. MS/HSPDP schools have access to online debate curricular materials and additional resources. Students may participate in additional activities, including international competition, educational exchanges, essay conferences, and leadership seminars. 

Contact john.meany@cmc.edu and mkurkhill23@cmc.edu to start or join a debate league!

Why PDP?

  • The Public Debate Program (PDP) is based on age-appropriate, educational and professional communication standards; designed to maximize student public speaking, research, argumentation, critical listening and thinking; and debate skill development.

  • Students may learn and apply PDP skills in across-the-curriculum programming. Teachers use PDP public speaking, argumentation, research, note taking, and refutation educational materials to integrate oral and written communication skills in class and homework exercises.

  • The PDP includes class and contest programming in 38 countries, with new and expanded Summer 2023 initiatives for more than 35,000 teachers and students in South Africa, Uganda, and Ethiopia.

  • The PDP also sponsors national and international debate championships, hosting middle school and high school national championships each spring and has also hosted a university championship tournament; and has twice sponsored the Pan American Debating Championship, the premiere international high school debate competition for countries throughout the Americas.

Why Debate?

Training in debate contributes to the intellectual and ethical development of students by challenging them to investigate complex issues, question given assumptions, evaluate the reliability of data, and consider alternative perspectives to arrive at defensible judgments. These skills, in combination with the sophisticated research and analysis skills generated by debating, develop leadership, self-reliance, and teamwork. Students who debate learn to organize ideas and manage complexity. This training is vital for effective leadership and success in secondary and post-secondary education, as well as in the professional world.

The Public Debate Program is designed to accelerate standards based learning and critical thinking. MS/HSPDP schools employ debating across the curriculum and in extra-curricular competitions; students become actively involved in their own  education. Flexible topics (pre-announced for middle school and pre-announced/impromptu for high school programming) and intensive practice mean that participation is challenging, relevant, and research-intensive. National data suggest that students struggle with writing, critical analysis, and interpretation questions during standardized assessments. These skills are learned, developed, and applied in debating.