<p>My child did not participate in HS debate. while academically good, the confidence in public speaking is lacking. She is in her senior year. She has expressed an interest in joining college debate. Are there any summer programs that she could go to which would help her develop public speaking skills? </p>
<p>Really would appreciate your help on this? Most programs that I see are all about current topic research etc. However, what I am interested is in hardcore speaking skills.</p>
<p>There are some debat camps like Capitol Debate camp in Washington D.C. that would certainly help. There are also many indirectly related camps like international relations camps that would also be beneficial.</p>
<p>If it’s not too late with the program, you could try having her taking a summer speaking class at a community college. That would also introduce her to the college scene, and summer classes are usually more laid back which would make her feel more at ease. </p>
<p>Also, why not have her email the president of the debate team? They might know of some programs or can assure her that they would help train her or something. It’s worth a try! </p>
<p>I am exploring all options. I will be going to a local toastmasters to see what help they can provide and if it is an appropriate venue for a teenager.</p>
<p>She did go to school debate for a year or so but did not like the experience much. She does not like confrontations. Also, she did not like researching or talking about topics she did not feel strongly about. She dropped out due to these reasons. However, it wasn’t a good decision as she lost out on a great opportunity to learn to speak with confidence. She recognizes this as well after 3 years and would like to practice it in college. She will find out from her HS coach if he could give her the names of some summer camps. I don’t think that a summer camp is appropriate for her in her senior year. A community college is a good idea, I am going to see if anything is available there.</p>
<p>There are different kinds of debate in college.Some take up enormous amounts of time, which can affect participants’ GPA. There is travel involved; it’s VERY hard to travel as much as required if you are taking lab science courses. Location affects the amount of travel required as well.</p>
<p>Some colleges offer courses in debate which do offer an entry into competition. Some college teams require try-outs and limit the number of participants; others are open to all comers. </p>
<p>I don’t care what class she takes this summer; there are colleges where without prior debate experience she hasn’t a prayer of being able to debate in college. I’m not trying to defend that; I’m just letting you know that’s how it is. </p>
<p>Bottom line: If this is something your D wants to do, she should take it into account in choosing a college. In fact, I think she should have taken it into account in deciding where to apply. (For all I know, she did. )</p>
<p>She might want to email the team officers or the team rep to debate leagues at colleges she’s considering to see if they think she could debate there and perhaps get some idea of how much of a time commitment is involved.</p>
<p>I just checked the college website of her college of interest. They let new-comers come in. I do see your point about GPA. In school, she was in way too many clubs. This required too much time. So, she dropped it as this was also outside her comfort zone. </p>
<p>From our perspective, it would be enough if she developed strong public speaking skills which are so important for getting to the next rung.</p>
<p>Some of the schools that have try-outs let newcomers try out. However, it may be rare for someone without experience to make the team. In this situation, it really could be helpful if your D took a course this summer. </p>
<p>She should understand, though, that at some try-out schools, fewer than half of those who try out make the team and it is rare for anyone without experience to make the team. Of the few who do, many will have other public speaking experience, e.g., acting.</p>
<p>I say this, not to discourage you or her, but just to let you know that if this is important to her she needs to check out her odds.( They are usually better for females than males at try-out schools–so that’s in her favor.) I’ve known kids who did have experience and spent 4 years debating in high school who were absolutely devastated when they didn’t make their college teams.</p>
<p>Again, your D may well make the team at the college of her choice. However, there are college teams that are open to newcomers in the sense that anyone enrolled who shows up at meetings can debate at tournaments and there are college teams open to newcomers where newcomers can try out, but if they aren’t chosen for the team can’t continue.</p>
<p>Successful debate is not only about public speaking but about researching your topic and knowing both sides cold. The camps focus a lot on debate research. I would recommend a course like Dale Carnegie. Many cities offer a teen program at a lower cost. That way you are focusing more on the public speaking aspect.</p>
<p>My daughter never did debate or JSA or mock trial in HS but in college she is taking an introductory public speaking class and enjoying it and getting lots out of it -it is an elective for her (does not fulfill any requirement.) They also offer classes in rhetoric. This is a nice way to learn the skill and get college credit for it and their is no trying out.</p>
<p>I took a speech class in community college.
It focused on writing and delivering the different types of speeches.
We were filmed so we could see the progress we made through the qtr.
It was really a great class, and Im sure most English depts would offer it.</p>