Elementary Student Courses

Speech and Debate Comprehensive

This class is a foundational class that any student with no experience in speech and debate can take! Students will learn skills in four fundamental categories- limited preparation speaking, research based speaking, acting, and debate. This class is great for students who are just starting out, are trying to build their confidence, or refine their speaking skills. This class can be taken multiple times for students to develop proficiency. Our students love this class because it is a fun way to help them develop their writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills.

When taking this class, students get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions.

Intermediate Speech and Debate Comprehensive

This is the class for returning speech and debate comprehensive students. Students will learn more advanced skills in all four fundamental categories- limited preparation speaking, research based speaking, acting, and debate. Our students love this class because it is a fun way to help them develop their writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills.

When taking this class, students get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions.

Interp and Impromptu

In this class students will learn how to interpret literature and speak with limited preparation. If you like acting, this is the class for you! This class will help teach students to understand and connect with their audience through emotion, how to create a scene using blocking, and how to use storytelling as a tool for persuasion. Additionally this class teaches impromptu speaking, which helps the students learn structure, think on their feet, and use examples as evidence. This is a fun class that teaches students skills they will use throughout their academic career.

When taking this class, students get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions.

Intermediate Congress/Extemp

This class will extend what students have learned in the Congress/Extemp class. In congress, students simulate being senators and will advocate for and against bills. They will learn about working together with others, analyze real public policy, researching, speaking, and professionalism. In extemporaneous speaking, students will have a limited amount of time to prepare a speech answering a question about national or international current events, politics, or relations. This helps students to learn critical thinking, quick research, and how to answer questions using evidence and logic.

When taking this class, students will get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions. This level strongly encourages public performance and competition.

MUN For KIDZ

This class is Model United Nations for elementary students. In MUN, students collaborate to solve real-world problems like global hunger, climate change, pandemic preparedness and many more. Students get the opportunity to represent different countries and develop an understanding of international relations. Doing this helps students to learn how to work with other people and collaborate to achieve their desired goals. In this class, students will learn about international history and politics, as well as public speaking, writing, and leadership skills.

When taking this class, students will get the opportunity to participate in in-class competitions.

Elementary Debate

If you are in elementary school and are interested in debate, this class is for you! In this class, students will learn public forum debate and SPAR (spontaneous argumentation). This class will lay a solid foundation of debate skills, teaching the students to debate in pairs as well as on their own. In this class students will enhance their critical thinking, speaking, note taking, logical problem solving, listening, and research skills. Above all, this class is fun! Debate can sound intimidating, but this class provides the opportunity for new debaters to develop their skills with others at their own level.

When taking this class, students will get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions.

Creative Writing

In this class, students deepen their written and oral communication capabilities through creative writing. By learning and practicing writing devices and exploring different techniques and approaches to written work, students will expand their knowledge of authorship, voice, tone, and communication. Students will accomplish this through poetry, prose, essay, and story writing. When taking this class, students will develop their writing, creativity, speaking, logic, and storytelling skills, as well as their ability to analyze literature. Students who successfully accomplish this class will have a collection of work that will be turned into a PDF book.

When taking this class, students will get the opportunity to participate in writing and poetry competitions.

Congress/Extemp

This class will go in depth with both congress debate and extemporaneous speaking. In congress, students pretend to be senators and will advocate for and against bills. They will learn about working together with others, analyze real public policy, researching, speaking, and professionalism. In extemporaneous speaking, students will have a limited amount of time to prepare a speech answering a question about national or international current events, politics, or relations. This helps students to learn critical thinking, quick research, and how to answer questions using evidence and logic.

When taking this class, students will get the opportunity to participate in in-class and external competitions.

Littles Speech Class

This is the speech and debate comprehensive class for 1st-2nd graders. These online sessions will be a fun, interactive experience for our youngest speech students. Class activities will include storytelling, confidence building, basic debate, presentation skills, and online speech games and activities. This class aims to get kids comfortable with public speaking, logical thinking, telling and understanding stories. Looking for the FUNdamentals of public speaking and debate for your young ones? Look no further!