1. K-State home
  2. »Debate
  3. »Debate Camps and Clinics

Debate

Kansas State Debate
219 Nichols Hall
Manhattan, KS, 66502

785-532-6875 Phone
785-532-3714 Fax

K-State Debate Summer Camp

Who:For high school competitors in debate who want to hone their skills and get a taste of what college-level competition looks like.
When:Sunday July 28 - Sunday August 4, 2024
Where:In person, K-State Manhattan Campus
Costs:
Commuter (no meals) - $600
Commuter (with meals) - $800
Residential (with meals) - $1100
Early Bird Discount - $100 off registration if you register before March 1st, 2024.
Benefits:
Camp proceeds first go towards covering camp expenses. Any remaining proceeds go towards supporting K-State Debate operational funds.
Registration Policy:
To fully register for camp, please complete the registration form, pay the full deposit, and e-mail a signed copy of the parental consent form to Dr. McVey. We also accept checks - please reach out to Dr. McVey if you need to pay by check. Registration will close June 28th, 2024.
Troubleshooting:
If you are having problems with the registration page, please try the following:
  1. Use a different browser
  2. Clear Cookies and Refresh your page
  3. Email Dr. McVey if none of the above works.

Campers anderson hall

Parental Consent Form

You can download a copy of our parental consent form here. 

All students must have a parental consent form to participate in any K-State Debate Camp or Clinic.

All participants at K-State Debate Camps and clinics are expected to follow campus guidelines, camp/clinic rules, and directives from camp/clinic staff. Our number one priority is creating a safe and undisruptive environment for students to learn debate. Participants may be asked to leave for disrupting the camp/clinic and/or violating camp/clinic policies or guidelines, no refund provided.

FAQ's

Who is this debate camp for?

This debate camp is for debate students of all experience levels interested in expanding their skills in policy debate and preparing for the upcoming season. This camp is designed to be useful for both students who compete in local high school circuits in places like Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, as well as students with national circuit debate aspirations. This camp is built on a belief that training in core argumentation and debate fundamentals, skills such as flowing, refutation, warrant analysis, evidence comparison, impact calculus, and judge adaptation, are useful for students regardless of whether they will be debating in front of lay judges or in front of college debaters and national circuit coaches. This is a skills-intensive camp rather than a research-intensive camp. Students will receive a starter core of evidence. Students will spend time refining their cases, engaging in practice speeches and speaking drills, learning more from topic experts, and getting hands-on, one-on-one feedback from K-State College Professors, Debaters, and Debate Coaches.

What does the lab structure look like?

We will be following a basic structure of morning lectures and afternoon lab times. Both labs will attend the same lecture in the morning. In the afternoon, the camp will divide into lab groups for tailored instruction.  

We reserve the right to make changes to fit the needs of the students we have enrolled.

Why should students chose the K-State Debate Camp?

Experienced Educators: The K-State Debate camp will focus on providing students with high quality debate instruction from experienced debate educators. Our entire staff is required to go through background checks and Minor Protection training through K-State University. Our lab leaders are not just debate coaches; they are trained classroom teachers with years of experience in the classroom setting. We will focus on bringing our unique pedagogical experience into the debate classroom. We will provide engaged, experiential learning environments where students learn by doing.

Tailored Instruction: Our instructors understand the unique situation that students face in local debate circuits in places like Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Our instructors began our careers as high school debaters in Kansas and Missouri, debating in front of lay judges, high school coaches, and college debaters. We understand both debaters’ desires to learn about advanced debate techniques like line-by-line and Kritik debate, as well as debaters’ need to adapt those skills to different audiences throughout the season. We understand the unique needs that Midwestern local debate students have, and are ready to provide them with a camp experience that matches those needs.

Affordability: Our cost of attendance makes this camp an accessible experience for debate students who may not otherwise be able to afford a multi-week debate camp experience. Additionally, this would be a great camp for students who are looking for a top-off experience after attending other camps.

Track Record of Success: In the past three years, the K-State Debate camp has more than doubled in size, bringing in debaters from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Our camp students have gone on to be national qualifiers, state finalists, and state champions.

What technology do I need?

Students will need a laptop computer with Microsoft Word. More information about what to bring to camp will be provided as we get closer to the start date.

Happy Learning - KSU Olathe

We are once again partnering with Happy Learning to host a commuter debate camp on the K-State Olathe Campus. The Happy Learning Camp will happen June 24-28, 2024.

The Olathe Campus of KSU provides students with state of the art facilities to receive the best instruction, coaching, lectures, and learning opportunities for a range of academic courses. Every student will be guaranteed quality lectures, drills, and practice. You will also be provided some of the best instructors, including access to college faculty from Kansas State University.

This summer, we will offer our high school policy debate camp for students entering grades 9-12. Additionally, we will offer speech and debate classes for students entering grades 5-8.

Visit the Happy Learning Debate Camp website to learn more about this camp opportunity.

Olathe Campus of Kansas State University - 22201 W Innovation Dr, Olathe KS, 66061

Camp Staff

McVey Headshot
Dr. Alex McVey
BIO

 

william taylor headshot

 

Wm. James Taylor
BIO

Trevor Turner Headshot

Trevor Turner
BIO

Kate Thomas Headshot

Kate Thomas
BIO

Guest Lectures

The K-State Debate Camp offers students guest lectures from topic experts at K-State. We do our best to bring in leading experts, professors and practitioners from Kansas State to speak to students about the upcoming season's topic. Click here to find more information about the Guest Lectures for the 2022 K-State Debate Camp.

Debate Wildcat

Register and Pay Here

For More Information

Dr. Alex McVey, Ph.D.
c/o Communication Studies Dept
234 Nichols Hall
702 Mid Campus Drive South
Manhattan, KS 66506
Email:  jalexandermcvey@ksu.edu
Dept Phone:  785-532-6875