Key Takeaways
- These 14 programs cover a wide range of public speaking formats, from competitive debate at Emory’s ENDI and Northwestern’s NHSI to legal advocacy at Furman’s Top Mock and civic simulation through American Legion Boys State and Girls State.
- Costs vary considerably, from free programs like Toastmasters Youth Leadership and American Legion’s Boys State/Girls State to premium residential experiences like Brown Leadership Institute and Harvard’s Debate Council Summer Workshops, which run into the thousands.
- Several programs, including the Institute for Speech and Debate and Capitol Debate, group students by experience level, so beginners and national-circuit veterans train separately rather than in the same instructional track.
- Most programs conclude with a performance component, whether that’s a practice tournament, mock trial, showcase speech, or debate on a resolution developed during the program, giving you a concrete opportunity to apply what you’ve learned.
- Program formats range from purely competitive debate camps to broader communication and leadership programs like Columbia’s Communication Courses and Brown Leadership Institute, so choose based on whether you want tournament preparation or general speaking-skill development.
A public speaking program is a training experience, usually running one to several weeks, where you will attend classes, workshops, or labs focused entirely on developing your communication skills. Universities, nonprofit organizations, and independent institutes host these programs. They range from competitive speech and debate camps to pre-college courses in persuasion, advocacy, and rhetoric.
Generally speaking, you can expect to research a topic, build an argument, deliver it to an audience, receive feedback, and revise. Along the way, you will learn to control the mechanical side of speaking (vocal projection, pacing, intonation, eye contact, and gesture) through repeated practice exercises and coached delivery sessions.
What do Public Speaking programs for high schoolers include?
Many programs teach formal argumentation, including how to evaluate evidence, cite peer-reviewed sources, build a logical case, and respond to opposing arguments under time pressure. Debate-focused programs train you in specific competitive formats like Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, or Policy, each with its own rules for cross-examination, rebuttal, and evidence presentation. Programs with a legal or civic focus add courtroom advocacy, witness examination, legislative drafting, and parliamentary procedure. On the persuasion and communication side, you might tailor a message to different audiences, manage speaking anxiety, or deliver a talk from minimal notes.
Most programs end with a performance component, whether that is a practice tournament, a mock trial in a real courtroom, a showcase speech, or a policy debate on a resolution you helped draft. The common thread is that every program on this list gives you repeated, deliberate opportunities to speak in front of others and learn what worked and what didn’t.
14 Public Speaking Programs for High School Students
1. Harvard Debate Council Summer Workshops (HDCSW)
Location: Cambridge, MA / Online
Cost: $4,149 for residential, $3,049 commuter, $1,599 online
Acceptance rate: Open enrollment, first-come, first-served
Dates: June 28 – July 10 or July 12 – July 24 (in-person only)
Deadline: Registration opens December 1 and closes when full
Eligibility: Current high school students or students entering 9th grade in the fall
In this workshop, multiple tracks let you select a focus within the same session. The public speaking track covers persuasive speech development on a contemporary topic of your choice, audience engagement strategy, and cross-examination technique at a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio. You will learn to interpret topics, prepare under time pressure, and become comfortable with platform speaking. The instruction focuses on the foundations of public speaking, such as argumentation, advanced topic research, organization of ideas, as well as the performative aspect, including vocal control, intentional movement, expressive clarity, and confident stage presence. Each session closes with a practice tournament.
2. University of Notre Dame Summer Scholars: Public Speaking and Debate
Location: Notre Dame, IN
Cost: $5,200
Acceptance rate: Moderately selective
Dates: June 6 – 20 or June 27 – July 11
Deadline: February 18
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors who are at least 16 years old by August 1
This course moves through two phases, opening with short informative and persuasive speeches that develop your delivery and argument construction, then shifting into team-based policy debate, where groups of three or four students research and argue both sides of contemporary issues. You will use Notre Dame’s university library holdings and electronic databases to build evidence for your arguments, a research process that mirrors how undergraduates approach source-based writing. Film and television clips illustrate speaking techniques discussed in class, connecting theory to recognizable examples of delivery, timing, and audience engagement. On the final day, each team argues for or against a resolution the class has collectively drafted, putting the full arc of research, writing, and speaking to work in a single exercise.
3. Institute for Speech and Debate (ISD)
Location: UNC Chapel Hill, NC
Cost: $3,899 for residential, $2,799 for commuter
Acceptance rate: Moderately selective
Dates: June 26 – July 9 or July 11 – 24
Deadline: May 31
Eligibility: Middle and high school students
ISD has a wide selection of tracks available in the realm of public speaking, allowing you to pursue whichever interests you the most, whether that is Congressional Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, Interpretation of Literature, Lincoln-Douglas, Original Oratory and Informative Speaking, or Public Forum. A Foundations of Public Speaking and Debate track serves students with no prior competitive experience who want an introduction to the field before committing to a particular event. Extemporaneous Speaking labs build fluency in analyzing current events and delivering coherent arguments with limited preparation time, while Interpretation of Literature labs develop the performance and cutting skills needed to bring published texts to life on stage. In Original Oratory, you will draft and refine a persuasive speech on a topic of personal significance that could serve as competition material for the following season. Congressional Debate training covers legislative speechwriting, parliamentary procedure, and the ability to deliver and rebut policy arguments in a chamber setting. All programs are taught by championship-level coaches and former competitors.
4. Education Unlimited Public Speaking Institute
Location: Stanford, CA or Online
Cost: $2,985 for residential, $2,550 commuter, $1,095 online
Acceptance rate: Open enrolment, but extremely limited spots
Dates: Online: July 27 – 31 / Stanford: August 2 – 8
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th graders
The core curriculum pairs debate training with preparation in persuasive and informative speaking, and past debate topics have included climate change, U.S. military involvement, and the legal drinking age. Speech delivery training moves through exercises in timing, intonation, and eye contact, with the goal of speaking from few or no notes in a natural voice. Classes are capped at 12 students for in-person sessions and six for online, which keeps feedback individualized throughout the program. Faculty research backgrounds span rhetorical theory and criticism, performance studies and intercultural communication, and media effects related to preventive health behaviors. Evening electives let you rotate through applied formats like Model Congress, Mock Trial, Negotiations, Reader’s Theater, and Improvisational Speaking, each reinforcing a different dimension of oral communication.
5. Capitol Debate
Location: Washington, DC / Boston, MA / New Haven, CT / Berkeley, CA / Los Angeles, CA / Chapel Hill, NC / other locations / Online
Cost: Varies by location and format
Acceptance rate: Open enrolment
Dates: Varies by location and format, but generally held over a two-week period between May and August
Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Ages 10-17
Capitol Debate’s registration features an initial assessment that identifies each participant’s current speaking level and growth areas, and class placement follows that evaluation, so instruction stays matched to ability throughout the program. Core sessions cover public speaking fundamentals and debate, and an elective system branches into applied tracks including STEM Communication, Business Communication, Legal Communications, Interpersonal Communication, the Art of Persuasion, Critical Thinking, Improv, and Conflict Resolution. Competitive debate formats like Public Forum, Parliamentary, and Lincoln-Douglas are also available as elective tracks for students preparing for tournament seasons. AI-powered speech analysis tools and video coaching provide feedback on delivery patterns that a live instructor might catch differently, adding a technical layer to the review process. You will work with classroom-experienced teachers who use proprietary skill-development checklists and progress-tracking to measure improvement across the program.
6. Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program
Location: Multiple locations nationwide
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Selective, limited to 25 students per session
Dates: Year-round (scheduled by sponsoring club)
Deadline: None (ongoing, club-initiated)
Eligibility: Ages 14-18
Each session follows the format of an adult Toastmasters club meeting, with an announced agenda, parliamentary procedure, and the rotation of presiding officer roles among participants. Over eight sessions, you will prepare and deliver speeches, give impromptu talks on assigned topics, and practice controlling voice, vocabulary, and gestures under the guidance of an experienced Toastmasters coordinator. Constructive feedback is a core activity, and participants learn to evaluate one another’s speaking, which builds critical listening alongside delivery skills. A companion Interpersonal Communication program covers listening skills and communication style awareness through a separate set of modules for the same age range. Because enrollment depends on a sponsoring club or cooperating school initiating the program, availability varies by location.
7. Northwestern Debate Institute (NHSI)
Location: Online
Cost: $3,500
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: 4-week: June 28 – July 25 / 6-week: June 28 – August 8
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Current 8th-11th graders interested in policy debate, must be entering high school the following fall
The Debate Division at NHSI covers debate fundamentals, argument construction, and in-depth research on the annual national topic, which for the upcoming season is U.S. national health insurance. Lab-based instruction keeps the student-to-staff ratio low, and each participant works through practice speeches that are delivered, critiqued, and reworked with instructor feedback before being delivered again. Guest lectures from faculty across the institute expose students to a range of perspectives on argumentation and topic strategy beyond what their own lab leader provides. The program is run by the Northwestern Debate Society, which has won 15 National Debate Tournament championships and is the oldest collegiate debate society in the country, dating to 1855. You will conduct staff-directed topic research and participate in practice debates throughout the session, leaving with both sharpened technique and prepared case material for the coming competition year.
8. Emory National Debate Institute (ENDI)
Location: Atlanta, GA
Cost: $2,200 for residential, $1,850 for commuter
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: May 31 – June 13
Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th graders
ENDI is designed for students ranging from complete beginners to those with one or two years of competitive policy debate experience, making it one of the stronger entry points for debaters who have not yet reached the national circuit level. You will learn about and begin debating the annual high school policy resolution alongside Emory’s full-time debate coaches and nationally competitive college debaters, who serve as lab instructors and mentors throughout the session. The Barkley Forum administers the institute and has been one of the most consistently competitive intercollegiate debate programs in the country for over fifty years, providing the same tier of coaching that runs the university’s varsity program. Lab-based instruction groups students by experience level so that beginners work at a different pace and depth from those with prior tournament exposure.
9. National Symposium for Debate (NSD)
Location: Multiple locations and online
Cost: Varies by location and format
Acceptance rate: Open enrolment
Dates: August 3 – 9 for the one-week online program, other dates vary
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Grades 6-12, all experience levels
NSD offers both Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum debate, with students placed into cohorts by age, grade, and experience level so that true beginners and national-circuit veterans learn in separate tracks with appropriately calibrated instruction. Each student is assigned to a lab group and a mentor group of four, paired with one faculty mentor, maintaining a 4:1 ratio in LD and 5:1 in PF throughout the session. The curriculum trains you to conduct academic research with integrity, including how to survey peer-reviewed sources and accurately represent journalistic and scholarly material in their arguments. Demonstration debates by top competitors model high-level strategy and execution, with expert commentary that breaks down each speech for students working at different levels. You will prepare a camp topic selected from the upcoming season’s slate, participate in practice rounds throughout the session, and compete in a camp tournament. A pre-camp Skill Builder program of independent study modules is included with registration, so participants arrive with foundational skills already in place.
10. Minnesota Urban Debate League Summer Camps
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Cost: Varies by track and format, from $600 to $1,900
Acceptance rate: Open enrolment
Dates: One-, two-, and three-week camps available across different tracks and formats, stretching from June 21 to July 10
Deadline: Data insufficient
Eligibility: Rising 8th-12th graders (advanced policy requires one year of HS policy experience)
These summer camps cover five competitive formats, including policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas, Congressional Debate, Public Forum, and speech events like oratory, extemporaneous, and informative speaking, with learning labs grouped by experience level. Topic lectures are delivered by licensed teachers and university instructors, with college students serving as mentors in research groups and daily speaking exercises. During the two-week policy sessions, each student participates in at least 10 practice debates, completes a camp tournament, and leaves with a set of practice files and lecture notes ready for the school year. A standalone Advocacy Workshop has participants identify a community issue, research it collaboratively, develop a proposed solution, and present their findings to families and peers at the end of the week. You will also find a Speech camp focused on public address events that culminates in a student showcase, and a Debate and Argumentation track for students who want public speaking and refutation skills without committing to a competitive format.
11. Columbia University Pre-College: Communication Courses
Location: New York, NY or online
Cost: Ranging from $4,018 to $12,838, depending on format
Acceptance rate: Open enrollment
Dates: Communicating for Effect: June 29 – July 17 / Persuasive and Effective Communication: June 22 – 26
Deadline: Usually in the spring, keep an eye on the program website for details
Eligibility: Students enrolled in grades 8-12
Columbia’s pre-college catalog includes two communication courses with different orientations, centered on persuasion as a trainable skill. Communicating for Effect teaches the techniques used by marketers and salespeople, covering written and oral communication in contexts such as phone calls, meetings, and formal speeches, with guest speakers from various industries providing real-world case examples. Persuasive and Effective Communication for the Real World focuses on public speaking delivery, covering how to craft persuasive arguments, refine vocal and physical presentation, manage speaking anxiety, and tailor a message to different audiences and contexts, from classroom presentations to interviews to impromptu talks. You will close that course by designing and delivering a short persuasive talk of your own in a culminating in-class showcase. Both courses sit within Columbia’s broader pre-college program, which offers over a hundred courses across a dozen subject areas, so communication students share campus life and programming with peers studying everything from neuroscience to entrepreneurship.
12. Brown Leadership Institute
Location: Providence, RI / Online
Cost: $6,052 residential, $4,748 commuter, $5,778 online
Acceptance rate: Selective
Dates: June 21 – July 2 or July 12 – 24 for in-person, June 22 – July 17 for online
Deadline: May 15
Eligibility: Students completing grades 9-12, ages 14-18
Brown Leadership Institute teaches leadership as a collaborative practice, and public speaking, active listening, problem-solving, and teamwork are the core skills it develops through that lens. You will choose a course focused on a topic such as civic engagement, gender equity, educational access, or intercultural communication, and spend the program grappling with complex problems in that area alongside peers from around the world. Class discussions and group work lead toward the development of an Action Plan, a concrete proposal you design for implementation in your own school or community after the program ends. You will practice a collaborative leadership model throughout, and the program rewards consensus-building and perspective-taking over individual performance.
13. American Legion Boys State / American Legion Auxiliary Girls State
Location: Nationwide (one program per state, held on university campuses)
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: Nomination-based (by schools, teachers, counselors, or local American Legion posts)
Dates: Typically one week in May or June (varies by state)
Deadline: Varies by state
Eligibility: High school juniors
Participants in the American Legion programs create and operate a complete mock government at the city, county, and state levels, running for elected offices from mayor to governor and drafting, debating, and passing legislation in a simulated legislative session. Campaign speeches and whistle-stop appearances are part of the election process, and committee debates require you to argue policy positions under parliamentary procedure before your peers vote. Mock trial proceedings give you courtroom speaking experience, and public hearings test your ability to present testimony and respond to questioning from fellow delegates. Guest speakers from the legal and policy professions, along with military veterans, provide context on how governance and advocacy operate outside the simulation. Top delegates from each state program advance to Boys Nation or Girls Nation in Washington, D.C., where the process repeats at a national scale.
14. Furman University Top Mock
Location: Greenville, SC
Cost: $2,300
Acceptance rate: Highly selective (~36 students per cohort)
Dates: June 20 – 27
Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students with prior mock trial competition experience
Top Mock provides a full case packet on arrival, and you will spend the week preparing it for trial, studying evidentiary rules, crafting direct and cross-examinations, developing witness portrayals, and writing opening statements and closing arguments. Seasoned litigators teach courtroom advocacy techniques while acting professionals work on the performance dimensions of witness portrayal and delivery, a combination that treats trial work as both legal reasoning and controlled communication. The week culminates in a trial held at the Carroll A. Campbell Jr. U.S. Courthouse, a working federal courtroom in Greenville, where teams present their prepared cases before practicing attorneys and judges. Best Attorney and Red Envelope awards recognize standout individual and team performances at the closing trial.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This selective virtual research program lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of public speaking programs are available to high school students?
You’ll find a mix of formats, including competitive debate camps like Emory’s ENDI and Northwestern’s NHSI, broader communication and rhetoric programs like Columbia’s Communication Courses and Education Unlimited’s Public Speaking Institute, and specialized legal or civic advocacy programs like Furman’s Top Mock and American Legion Boys State/Girls State. Programs like Capitol Debate and the Institute for Speech and Debate offer multiple tracks within a single program, letting you sample different formats like Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, or persuasive speaking.
Do you need prior debate or speaking experience to apply?
It depends on the program. Furman’s Top Mock and Minnesota Urban Debate League’s advanced policy track require prior competition experience, while others, like the Institute for Speech and Debate’s Foundations track and Emory’s ENDI, are specifically designed to accommodate complete beginners alongside more experienced students. Programs like Capitol Debate use an initial skill assessment to place you at the right level regardless of your starting experience.
Are there free options available?
Yes, a couple of programs on this list don’t charge a fee. Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program and American Legion Boys State/Girls State are both free to participate in, though Boys State and Girls State require nomination through your school or a local American Legion post rather than direct application.
Which programs focus specifically on competitive debate formats?
If competitive debate is your priority, Northwestern’s NHSI and Emory’s ENDI both center on policy debate specifically, while the Institute for Speech and Debate and Minnesota Urban Debate League’s camps offer multiple formats, including Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, and Congressional Debate. The National Symposium for Debate also groups students into separate tracks by experience level within Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum specifically.
Which programs focus on legal or courtroom advocacy rather than debate?
Furman University’s Top Mock is the most specialized option for courtroom advocacy, requiring prior mock trial experience and culminating in a trial held at a real federal courthouse. American Legion Boys State/Girls State also includes mock trial proceedings as part of its broader civic simulation, alongside legislative debate and campaign speeches.
Which programs combine public speaking with broader leadership or civic skills?
Brown Leadership Institute frames public speaking as one component of a broader leadership practice, having you develop an Action Plan for your own school or community alongside skills like active listening and consensus-building. American Legion Boys State/Girls State similarly combines public speaking with legislative and civic simulation, giving you experience with campaign speeches, committee debates, and public hearings.
When should you apply?
Deadlines for these programs are spread throughout the spring, so it helps to plan ahead. Notre Dame’s Summer Scholars program has an early deadline of February 18, while several others, including Emory’s ENDI, Brown Leadership Institute, and Capitol Debate, close around May 15. The Institute for Speech and Debate closes May 31, and several programs, including Harvard’s Debate Council Workshops and Northwestern’s NHSI, use rolling admissions instead of a fixed date, so applying early is generally your best strategy for those.
Image source: University of Notre Dame