Chicago Debates through the Heat

Chicago comes alive in the summer with festivals, cookouts, traveling and the beautiful sun. For Chicago youth, summer is a great opportunity to relax and get involved with various programs aimed at enhancing their skills outside of the school year. This summer, over 180 students chose to take advantage of their time off by attending Chicago Debates’ Summer Institute (CDSI). 

Ranging from sixth to twelfth grade, and spanning all skill levels, the camp was split up into labs based on age and experience. Fifteen instructors, many former Chicago Debaters, led the students through a 10 day crash course on all things debate. Students got a chance to get a head start on this year’s immigration topic, as well as sharpen their debate skills, ranging from the fundamentals to competing in a debate every day.

CDSI Instructors

Most importantly, CDSI gives our students the chance to connect with other youth throughout the city. The connections are vital to our program, as debaters not only learn, but share what they learn with one another. Our camp provides a place for students to build on the debate community they are a part of, and meet others that are just as passionate about this sport. 

We look forward to seeing our campers take the experiences they learned this summer into the school year.