About Camp

Speech Program

The speech curriculum is focused on teaching students valuable public speaking skills. Every student will learn how to:

Speak with confidence to an audience
Persuasively develop and present a point with concision and clarity
Write a public speech or cut an interpretive script
Develop stronger interpersonal connections
Learn and practice qualities of a good speech (i.e., argumentation, concision and clarity, persuasive elements, etc.) and speaker (i.e., eye contact, posture, pace, volume, etc.)

During lab sessions, students will:

Deliver speeches on a variety of topics
Prepare either an interpretive or oratorical speech and present them to the other students in their lab
Learn how to think creatively
Learn how to analyze a given speech and speaker and pick out the qualities of a good speech and speaker
Learn to speak with confidence and persuasion about any topic
Learn how to connect with an audience
Improve their clarity, tone and posture
Have fun!

At the end of the week, each student will showcase a well-developed and clear interpretive or oratorical speech to an audience of students and parents.

Debate Program

The debate curriculum is focused on teaching students to present arguments effectively. Every student will learn how to:

Create structured arguments
Listen to opposing sides and refute arguments with poise
See both sides of an issue
Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of positions
Express thoughts clearly
Adapt to a variety of audiences

During lab sessions, students will:

Engage in various debates about different societal issues
Debate both sides of a topic
Practice structured argumentation
Analyze demo debates by nationally ranked high school students and understand how to apply those techniques to their own debates
Find and use evidence to back up their arguments
Have fun!

At the end of the week, each student will participate in a debate for parents to watch. Only two students will be in each debate, one on each side of the issue. Our counselors will adjudicate the round and provide each student with detailed feedback.

Advanced Program

Advanced Speech and Debate programs are designed for campers who have previous experience with high school style Speech and Debate.

If your child has done at least one of the following below, sign him/her up for the advanced program:

Has attended PASDC in the past
Has attended either a speech or debate tournament
Is involved in their school's speech and/or debate club

If you are unsure of your child's track placement, please email [email protected]. Furthermore, if your child is uncomfortable with the program that they are placed in after camp starts, don't worry! There is flexibility in track changes over the course of the week of camp, and we can always switch lab placements around.

Go to our activity hero page and select your session and program (Debate, Speech, Advanced Debate or Advanced Speech). Campers may sign up for multiple sessions and programs. For information on which program is right for your child, click here.
Complete online registration. If all spots are filled, your student/s will be placed on our waitlist.
Print and complete the 2023 Medical Waivers (this must be signed and brought to camp at check-in on the first day).
Need-based scholarships are available. Please contact us at [email protected] if you need a scholarship in order for your student to attend.

Palo Alto Speech and Debate Camp is at Palo Alto High School. Student drop-off and pick-up is in front of the Haymarket Theatre and can be reached by driving straight upon entering at the Embarcadero entrance to the high school. Counselors will be waiting there to check in students and take them to their rooms. Students participating in full day of camp (both programs) will eat lunch on the quad from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and experience Paly's beautiful mission-style campus.

Speech programs run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Debate programs run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.