Debate Programs and Teams

Click here to see Debate workshops on the schedule!

Writopia’s Debate Team workshop provides our middle schoolers with information and skills needed to join the competitive debate circuit, while also fostering the cooperative and creative environment that characterizes Writopia. Debaters work with a set team over the course of the workshop and explore a variety of topics and stances through the use of sparring and gameplay. In addition to providing your writer with crucial debate skills, this workshop strengthens our kids’ and teens’ critical thinking abilities, creativity, confidence and teamwork.

Writopia Lab debaters have the opportunity to participate in regional, national, and international tournaments. Writopia runs one of the only international middle school novice debate tournaments in the world! We compete and socialize over Zoom with middle school debaters from places including Rwanda, Tanzania, Taiwan, Ireland, Canada, and of course, New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and more.

Near the conclusion of this workshop, Writopia will provide a Parliamentary Debate tournament for the debaters. During this tournament, writers will gain direct experience with parliamentary competitive debate as they spend a full day sparring on various topics selected from a list provided to them in advance.

Following tournaments, we switch gears as a workshop from competition to cooperation, and focus on solution building for a pre-selected issue together. Through this, debaters tackle the issue in a deep and nuanced way while gaining a greater understanding of the value of collaboration.

Rhetoric Rookie: Fundamentals of Debate

This new program is for young debaters ages 7 to 9 to learn the fundamentals of public speaking, researching an argument, and working in teams through improv games and strategy-building challenges. This workshop will prepare them for our more advanced debate workshops when they are old enough to join.

"We can not express enough gratitude for having the opportunity to engage with such a diverse and fun group of debaters across the globe. You gave us a magical night, and our kids now already exhibit a transformational attitude towards debate. We just want to say a big thank you for everything you have done! Many thanks."

Tiffany Lee, Founder of Wit and Wisdom Academy, Taiwan

The hallmark of a productive debate is not persuasion, but insight. In a good argument, you're as motivated to learn as to convince. You can declare victory when everyone involved has deepened their understanding, broadened their knowledge, or evolved their thinking.

Adam Grant, Author

Thank you so much for the kind feedback about Jeeya. This was her first experience with debate and she had no clue how an actual debate is conducted until the first debate on electoral college and she definitely has a better understanding of it. This class is the highlight of her week and she has taken immense interest in the actual elections because of the debate Classes. We will definitely be signing up for the winter sessions.

Vidhi B., Parent