Summer Institute for Debate & Advocacy

At SIDA, debaters will be immersed in advocacy education built on CoLab Debate’s core advocacy curriculum:

1. Arguing for Better Futures

2. Building Consensus & Cooperation

3. Collaborating for Community Impact

Debaters will learn from lead faculty (CoLab’s executive staff), skilled instructors, and guest instructors drawn from our broad network of former debaters currently making a difference.

Skills sessions will include a diverse array of transferrable advocacy skills you won’t learn at any other debate camp: 

• Debating community solutions 

• Active listening

• Power analysis

• Strategic planning & adaptability

• Communication & narrative framing

• Conflict navigation & resolution

• Mobilization & turnout

• Coalition building

• Media & communication technology 

• Law & public policy

Here is a sample daily schedule.

• 9:00–9:20 AM — Morning Assembly

  • Daily welcome, announcements, and community grounding activity.

• 9:20–10:00 AM — Morning Impact Speaker

  • A practitioner in advocacy, law, journalism, or community organizing shares insights and takes student questions.

• 10:10–11:20 AM — Subject‑Matter Lab Rotation #1

  • Students rotate through specialized labs (argumentation, research, public narrative, policy literacy, etc.) based on their track.

• 11:30 AM–12:30 PM — Practical Skills Session #1

  • Hands‑on workshops such as evidence evaluation, persuasion drills, cross‑examination practice, or collaborative problem‑solving.

• 12:30–1:30 PM — Lunch & Informal Networking

  • Students eat together, meet faculty, and connect with peers across tracks.

• 1:30–2:40 PM — Subject‑Matter Lab Rotation #2

  • A second deep‑dive session with new instructors and new content focus.

• 2:50–3:50 PM — Community Networking Meetings

  • Discussions with community leaders, scholars, and public advocates.

• 4:00–5:00 PM — Practical Skills Session #2

  • Applied practice: advocacy simulations, case‑building, collaborative exercises, or community‑engagement scenarios.

• 5:00–6:00 PM — Dinner Break

  • Residential students dine on campus; commuters may stay or depart and return for evening programming.

• 6:00–7:00 PM — Optional Office Hours & Study Hall

  • Coaches and staff available for feedback, research help, and one‑on‑one support.

• Evening Activities (7:00–9:00 PM)

  • A rotating schedule of community‑building and enrichment options, such as:

    • Advocacy Film Night & Discussion

    • Student‑Led Debate Showcase

    • Game Night / Outdoor Recreation

    • Open Mic & Storytelling

    • Self-Care Strategies for Sustainable Advocacy

    • Quiet Study & Reflection Space

• Students wind down and return to housing by 9:00 PM (residential) or depart campus (commuters).

CoLab provides all-inclusive SIDA scholarships to systems-impacted youth who want to use their debate skills to change their communities for good.

CoLab Debate defines Systems-Impacted Youth (SIY) as students who have been failed or actively harmed by social and governmental systems. SIY often experience trauma (physical, emotional, relational, and/or financial), which causes or is compounded by disability, poverty, and other forms of systemic violence or marginalization. Examples of SIY include a student who has an incarcerated parent, has an immigrant family, lives in foster care, or has experienced homelessness, domestic violence, or bullying. SIY have the experience and motivation to use the collaborative tools we teach to build change in their communities.

If you think you may qualify and are interested in a fully funded spot in our camp, reach out using the form below.