About the Institute

Foundations of SDI

The UMKC Summer Debate Institute is founded on the winning tradition of the UMKC Debate Program. SDI hires the finest staff and utilizes high-quality instruction facilities. SDI instruction can help you to succeed wherever you debate. We will provide quality instruction in all forms of debate, from lay judge adaptation skills to national circuit debate. SDI will focus on teaching performance and theory, as well as research techniques. You will receive hundreds of pages of completed research before the Institute even begins. This allows SDI to spend more time improving your debate skills.

Curriculum

SDI offers a thorough curriculum of theory, style, research and topic instruction. The High School Institutes all are geared towards NFL Policy Debate. The Middle School Institute teaches general debate and argument. We will have lectures on general debate theories, such as topicality, that cover the foundations of topicality and then apply it to the topic. Specific seminar topics will include:
Affirmatives on the Topic
Negatives on the Topic
Topicality
Kritiks
Disadvantages
Counterplans

SDI Student-Focused:

Hands-On Instruction, in Smaller Labs (at most 1 instructor per 8 students)
Intensive Argument Discussions, Including Exceptional Lectures From Some of the Country’s Finest Coaches and Debaters.
Extensive Practice Debates with Practical and Experienced Judges
A Personalized Research Practicum, Where Our Instructors Teach You How to Research Efficiently and Effectively

The SDI Experience

SDI is hosted on the beautiful campus of the University of Missouri-Kansas City . UMKC has highly advanced instruction facilities that will enhance the camp experience. The dormitory is situated close to the cafeteria and to instruction rooms for SDI.

Instruction will occur from 9am to 9pm, and will include sufficient breaks for meals and recreation.
Team-taught laboratories allow each student to receive intensive individualized instruction.
Labs divided by experience level will allow each student to get the proper instruction for her/his level.