Camp Info
The AVHS debate team would like to invite you to our 2022 Summer Debate Camp!
This one week session will be in-person at Apple Valley High School. This session will take place from August 22 to August 26. Each day camp starts at 10am and ends at 4pm. Our schedule from camp in 2021 is available at the bottom of this page if you'd like to get a general sense of what a day at debate camp looks like!
The week will be filled with fun activities, team building, and skill development. It is open to any current or future AVHS student, you don't need to be a member of the team to join! Lunch will be provided at no cost Monday & Tuesday. The camp cost is $70, but financial assistance is available.
Questions? Are you interested in joining the team, but are unable to attend the debate camp? Email smitnich91@gmail.com
Why Debate?
Highlights include:
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Improved academic performance & outcomes (debaters earn higher grades, have higher graduation rates, have higher attendance rates, and are more likely to be college ready in a variety of subjects)
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Preparing students for college and 21st century careers (by teaching critical thinking, problem solving, research, communication, collaboration, and creativity)
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Debate is also one of the top (if not THE top) extracurriculars that colleges & universities look for in applicants.
Instructors
Nick Smith (Instructor)
This will be Nick's sixth year as Head Coach for the AVHS debate team. Before coming to Apple Valley he was the Director of Debate at Hopkins and coached for St. Thomas Academy & The Convent of Visitation. His students have won multiple state championships in Minnesota & New York, advanced to late elimination rounds at Nationals, and have won numerous top speaker awards. He is also the Director of Curriculum & Instructional Design at the Victory Briefs Institute, one of the nation's longest running and most successful debate camps. Nick graduated from the University of Minnesota with degrees in Political Science & Philosophy.
Harith Dameh (Instructor)
Harith is an assistant debate coach and alum of the AVHS debate team. His accomplishments include placing 8th at NSDA Nationals in debate and 7th at NIETOC Nationals in speech! He currently attends the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
John Schwartz (Instructor) Former captain of the AVHS debate team and two time section champion. John will be attending the University of Wisconsin, Madison in the fall.
Dr. Marshall Bierson (Guest Lecturer) Associate Professor of Philosophy at CUA.
Lawrence Zhou (Guest Lecturer) 2014 NSDA National Champion. M.A. in Communications from Wyoming UniversityB.A. in MIS from Oklahoma University. Lawrence will be teaching debate in Taiwan under the Fulbright Scholarship this fall!
Jacob Nails (Guest Lecturer) Former Georgia state champion, has coached the top seed at the Tournament of Champions, as well as Top Speaker awards at the Harvard and Yale debate tournaments.