Extracurriculars

Speech & Debate

Honor Academy is one of the most reputable speech and debate academies in the country with its unique small group settings for classes. Every profession needs leaders who can tackle complex issues and effectively communicate solutions. Speech and debate helps you hone these skills. Let our experts guide you on the path to mastery!

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About

Honor Academy is the premier speech and debate academy because of our expert faculty, curriculum design, and track record of success.

Our program offers a unique environment to prepare individuals and teams to compete at the nation’s most prestigious tournaments. At the same time, we offer individualized coaching for students who are members of their school team but want to get an advantage over their competition.

We have programs for elementary school, middle school and high school students that are perfect for all levels of experience and goals. If you want to find out which program is best for your student, contact us! After we learn a little more about the age of your student, their grade level, interests, and experience level, we will be able to recommend a specific program that will be the best fit. Each of our programs are tailored to specific events, ages, and levels of experience and our goal is to find the exact ones to meet your student’s unique needs. It's never typical memorizations and presentation. Honor Academy's speech and debate programs are designed to help its students mentally grow.

Besides, each of our coaches are experts in their events, with years of competitive success at the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels. Our rigorous speech and debate training is perfect for students brand new to these activities or for competitors who want to reach the upper echelon of competitive success.

Our online and in-person coaching stresses preparation and participation over lecturing. Each debate class has a strict teacher-to-student ratio to ensure that each debater/team can have live debate rounds in class. This gives our students an opportunity to learn from our expert faculty, as well as from interacting and competing against their high-performance peers.

Our debate coaches are familiar with all forms and styles of argumentation and will help you excel in any competitive environment. Whether you are focused on “National Circuit”, “Lay Debate”, or “Traditional Debate”, our coaches will tailor their approach to help you achieve your competitive goals.

Our track record of success speaks for itself. Our students of all age ranges consistently earn top honors at the most prestigious competitions at the local, regional, and national levels. Join us to find out why our students don’t just participate in speech and debate, but excel at it!

The Benefits of Speech & Debate.

Valuable Skills

Speech and debate teaches valuable leadership skills, such as researching, writing, argumentation, and persuasion.

Complex Social Issues

Regardless of age, learners deal with complex social issues, helping students broaden their knowledge outside what is taught in your school’s regular curriculum. Our expert instructors help students digest and discuss the most relevant topics to the world of today.

National Speech & Debate Association

All of our students debate at topics and at competitions governed by the National Speech and Debate Association, which is the leading speech and debate organization in the world.

Research & Knowledge

By conducting reseearch into their chosen/given topic, our students build real life knowledge and critical thinking skills in fields that most students aren’t exposed to until graduate school. Subjects include: philosophy, political science, current events, and science.

Academic Success

We provide our students with skills (critical thinking, larger vocabularies, research, analysis, reading and writing skills) that will lead to increased academic success. These are dynamic skills that will help your student succeed no matter what program or profession they pursue.

Self Confidence

Speech and debate competitors continuously improve their self confidence in public speaking through hundreds of speeches over years of participation.

Time Management & Multitasking Skills

The time constraints and fluid argumentation of debate rounds teach students valuable time management and multitasking skills that translate into every academic and professional environment.

Preparation for the Future

Universities and employers value the rigor of speech and debate. Studies have conclusively shown that speech and debate competitors perform better on standardized tests and have higher acceptance rates by top colleges. Most colleges have their own clubs and teams, where students can continue their speech and debate careers along with the opportunity to earn scholarships.

Life-long Benefits

Success in speech and debate is not exclusively for those who are naturally gifted and comfortable with public speaking. Anyone can master and learn the tools and techniques to become a successful debater/speaker. Our expert coaches will help your student prepare for and participate in tournaments against the top competitors in the nation. Success requires preparation and dedication, but the life-long benefits will far exceed the time and cost.

Types of Events

Our Students Participate in a Variety of Speech & Debate Events, and the following are some of the most popular styles.

Public Forum Debate

Public Forum Debate is one of the fastest growing debate events in middle school, high school, and college. Two-person teams research and prepare to debate hot button current event topics that change every month. Students learn the intricacies of complex social issues and how to adapt their research to fit any audience.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Lincoln-Douglas Debate is one of the most respected debate events in middle school, high school, and college. Students engage in one-on-one debates over a variety of philosophical and policy topics that change every two months. Lincoln-Douglas Debate is respected for its rigor and the breadth of topics discussed.

Impromptu Speaking

Impromptu Speaking teaches students to give well-organized and captivating speeches on an infinite number of topics with limited preparation. This event is open to competitors from elementary school through high school. It teaches students to think on their feet and command an audience no matter the topic.

Original Oratory

Original Oratory teaches students to master the art of persuasive speaking based on techniques developed over thousands of years by expert rhetoricians. Students research, write, and deliver original persuasive speeches about topics they are most passionate about.

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