The Claremont Difference

CLAREMONT SUMMER is an innovative and superior option to other summer debate and leadership communication programs. The difference is evident in the following ways:

1. STAFF/JUDGE CERTIFICATION 

All instructors and event judges or evaluators must complete a certification program. The Claremont Summer programs are the only extant summer debate and communication enrichment programs requiring staff instructor certification. Certification ensures a knowledgeable staff, diligent lesson planning, and implementation of best practices.

2. LOWEST STUDENT – FACULTY RATIO 

It is 4-1. Other programs boast of ratios that are 10-1 or 16-1. Personal attention is assured.

3. EXTRAORDINARILY TALENTED, EXPERIENCED STAFF

Not simply a group of individuals who have learned debate formats and communication skills but the FOUNDERS of debate formats – MSPDP, HSPDP, and CHSSA parliamentary debate and the CREATORS of  professional communication training methods, including the PROPS system; the debaters and COACHES earning 20 national championships; the AUTHORS of more than 15 debate textbooks; the LEADERS in national and international debate promotion with more than 80,000 students and teachers involved in class and contest debate programs each year; the DIRECTORS AND FACULTY of more than 250 summer institute sessions; the PROGRAM MANAGERS of international debating opportunities for students in more than 20 countries; and the CONSULTANTS on professional communication for educational institutions, businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations in a half dozen countries.

In addition to the core staff, Leadership Communication students will have the opportunity to work with field professionals from law, investment banking, national security policy, politics, education, technology, and consulting in project-based instructional sessions to develop sophisticated leadership, management, and presentation techniques.

4. INNOVATIVE DESIGN

The Claremont staff has led curricular innovation in summer debate and professional communication workshops for three decades. This includes exclusive small group instruction in seminar settings, research clinics, individualized creative learning in open forum sessions, and elective options (theory, practice, public policy, and subject-field/disciplinary) for student self-directed, customizable learning. There are scores of instructional and practice settings during a single workshop session.

The Claremont staff sponsors debate and leadership communication workshops for   educational administrators and faculty, graduate students, community service organizations, non-profit groups, and businesses throughout the world each year. Students attending Claremont Summer programs benefit from the staff’s diverse training experiences learned from year-round programming.

5. INTEGRATION OF BEST TECHNIQUES FROM NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DEBATE PROGRAMMING 

The Claremont staff has championship experience in multiple secondary school debate formats, including US models – MSPDP, HSPDP, policy, parliamentary, Lincoln-Douglas, public forum – and international debating designs – WSDC, BP, Karl Popper, All-Asians, East African Public Debate Program, as well as additional college/university formats. The staff has substantial experience developing specialized communication training programs for education, business, civic, social, and political groups.

Members of the staff have researched debate educational and advanced communication practices, authored argumentation and debate textbooks, and conducted learning outcomes assessment of debate and communication instruction. The result – summer debate and professional communication instructional methods introduce dynamic approaches drawing on the best public speaking, critical reasoning, and argumentation practices of the world’s debate formats and effective standards-based learning.

6. ANCILLARY COLLEGE PROGRAMS

Claremont Summer is one of the initiatives of the Debate Union’s educational outreach programming. The Debate Union supplements its summer programs with opportunities for exchange and learning from college staff from admissions, writing, and leadership programs. For example, students have the opportunity to learn about the college admission process and discover and develop additional skills for future academic and career success from representatives of some of the nation’s most well regarded and selective liberal arts colleges.

7. UPDATED PROGRAM AND FORMAT INFORMATION

The Claremont Summer programs are the only authorized instructional programs for Public Debate Program formats. Other summer debate institutes offering instruction in the HSPDP, MSPDP, and USWSDC formats have not been authorized by the Public Debate Program and are unlikely to offer the instructional advantages of Claremont Summer programming, including training in new format rules and conventions and consideration of program surveys, administrative reviews, and educational outcomes assessment.

The 2013 Claremont Summer workshops include cutting-edge presentation and argumentation instruction based on the new John Meany and Kate Shuster textbook, How to Debate – Public Speaking and Critical Thinking Skills for Secondary School Students (forthcoming, Fall 2013) and John Meany’s two new texts on student leadership communication and effective professional presentations (forthcoming, Winter 2014).

8. DESIGNED AS A MODEL FOR COLLEGE LIFE

Claremont Summer is a college bridge program. The program schedule is a mirror of student life at a highly selective college or university, appropriately developed for secondary school students. The instructional program is rigorous and challenging but students have extraordinary support networks – exclusive small group instruction, the ability to work with any and all faculty, optional time of several hours daily for review and Q & A, organized peer group mentoring, multiple practice sessions, etc. Instruction is skills-based; students should develop a portable set of organization, listening, critical thinking, note taking, public speaking, argumentation, and other skills that they can carry to other academic and career settings.

The institute programs are also fun, with dormitory space converted for social gathering spaces – board games, cards, conversation, and music. There is outdoor recreation at adjacent playing fields, visits to the pool, ice cream socials in Claremont Village, barbecues and special meals, and more…All recreation is optional and varied – several activities happen at the same time. In addition, there is always an opportunity for more private debate practice. Open forum questions and answer sessions and personalized speech and debate practice are available during any scheduled recreational time.

Students work hard, play hard, and have time for plenty of rest each day. The schedule is busy, challenging, enjoyable, and manageable – an outstanding foundation for future independent living as an elite and ambitious college student.