The 2-week Summer Debate Camp, like all Boston Debate League programming, rests on a theory of action that students learn by doing, reflecting, and being agents of their own learning in a supportive, powerful, inclusive learning community. Our intent is for the Summer Debate Camp to feel joyful, challenging, meaningful, inspiring, connective, and inclusive for all members of the camp learning community. We aspire to offer students a 2-week experience that is genuinely transformative, and that they will look back on as a touchstone of their BPS education.
AT THIS PROGRAM, STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO:
– Be part of a joyful, inclusive, engaging, and intellectually challenging learning community.
– Engage in hands-on activities that center their voices and invite their agency (The Debate Camp learning community will be designed using principles and activities of BDL’s Debate-Inspired Classrooms (formerly called EBA), which fosters student argumentation, discourse, and collaboration.
– Engage in differentiated small group learning led by a BPS educator coach and near-peer debate alumni
– Compete in a culminating weekly mini tournament in which students will have the opportunity to showcase their learning, give and receive feedback, and celebrate their growth.
– Access information and build knowledge through multiple modalities: access this information through multiple modalities: video, image, text (fiction and non-fiction), and guest speakers who have expertise.
– Visit people, places and spaces around the city to enhance their learning and make connections to their lives beyond debate.
– Try things out, refine, collaborate, and reflect on own learning.
– Lead and learn from each other.
– Have FUN! Participate in community builders, games, and camp activities like the Community Block Party (which includes tie-dying a Debate Camp t-shirt).