Minnesota Debate Initiative

The Minnesota Debate Initiative (June 28th-July 10th, 2026)

For more than a century, Macalester students have earned national titles across speech and debate, including back-to-back policy debate national championships and recent top finishes on the NDT/CEDA circuit. As a highly ranked liberal arts college known for academic excellence, internationalism, and public service, Macalester provides the ideal home for a two-track summer program designed for middle and high school students (incoming 7-12th graders).

In collaboration with Debate Matters, we are offering a Competitive Debate Workshop (Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum to prepare debaters for their competitive debate careers) and a Argument & Impact Workshop (non-competitive critical thinking, research & media literacy, and presentation & public speaking with students building a real world campaign for an issue they care about).

Our inaugural summer workshop will be held June 28th-July 10th, 2026, with both residential and commuter options available (for students local to the Twin Cities).

Choose Your Track:

Competitive Track: For middle/high school debaters planning to compete, focused on Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum strategies, case writing, and tournament preparation.

Academic Track: For students seeking skills without competition, emphasizing critical thinking & argumentation, research & media literacy, and presentation & public speaking. Built on Macalester’s tradition of national debate success and liberal arts excellence. Elite coaching from Debate Matters’ experienced instructors, accessible to Minnesota students.

Register for the 2026 MDI here!

For questions about registration, please email: [email protected]