Spend summer becoming an unstoppable debater in Minneapolis!
Beginner speakers finding their voice and experienced debaters sharpening their skills are welcome at MNUDL’s Summer Speech & Debate Camp!
Your middle or high school student can attend a budget-conscious summer camp that builds confidence and leadership skills.
Give your kid a chance to walk into their first day of school with the ability to construct an airtight argument, think on their feet, and speak in front of a room without breaking a sweat!
That’s what they’ll learn at MNUDL’s Speech and Debate Camp on Augsburg University’s campus in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
You might think a camp teaching these priceless skills sound expensive. Hold on! We have $5 down for registration, payment plans available, and scholarships for motivated students. Read on to learn more about a camp that will give your student an edge in the fall semester without feeling like homework.
Who we are
The Minnesota Urban Debate League, a program of Augsburg University, has hosted this summer camp for more than a decade. It started from the desire to increase local opportunities for excellent debate instruction at an affordable price. Maintaining that same vision, the camp has expanded to include a range of engaging forms of speech and debate academic enrichment taught by talented and caring instructors.
Our experienced faculty work with students on a day-to-day basis, helping campers focus on skills and strategies they’ll use throughout the year. We attract talented speech and debate educators to our workshop to prepare campers for a successful season. Their training in education and youth development help them connect with aspiring debaters at every entry point.
With an array of speech and debate activities available at our camp workshops, there’s something available for everyone.
Programs to spark any student’s interest
- Beginner and advanced training for policy debaters (1-3 week options)
- Lincoln Douglas intensive programs for philosophical thinkers
- Public Forum camps focused on current events and real-world issues
- Congressional Debate for students interested in politics and leadership
- Spanish Debate program (for fluent Spanish speakers!)
- Mock Trial for future lawyers (or character actors!)
- Model UN for globally-minded students (NEW for 2026!)
- East African Policy Debate (NEW for 2026!)
- Speech Camps for performers and storytellers
- Advocacy Workshops for student activists
- Middle School Sampler Camp – a 3-day crash course in speech and debate
Learn more about the full lineup of camp sessions.
A day in the life of our campers
Our age-appropriate instruction meets kids where they are. While students who attend our camp build the skills to excel during competition season, our qualified coaches focus on developing confidence, team-building, and the elements that build a great debater beyond academic skills.
One camper noted last year, “Even though I get nervous sometimes, it made me feel included, because other people were nervous, too.”
We build this learning environment through:
- Daily Practice Rounds — Not lecture after lecture, but real debates where students apply what they learn immediately. Middle schoolers get full tournament-style debates by week’s end. High schoolers participate in multiple rounds throughout their session with instant coaching feedback.
- Re-dos and Real Growth — Coaches help students replay mistakes, identify what went wrong, and try again. It’s a low-pressure and low-stakes place to grow.
- Personalized Improvement — Every student leaves with advice tailored to their goals, whether that’s competing at nationals or simply feeling more confident during class presentations.
- Community Building — Residential campers (available for most high school programs) form friendships with other intellectually curious students from across Minnesota and beyond. Commuter options work perfectly for Twin Cities families wanting the academic intensity without the overnight component.
All students eat lunch in the Augsburg University cafeteria (included in the price of tuition), where they get a break to enjoy adapted traditional summer camp activities like arts and crafts, outdoor games, and optional quiet spaces (for kids who need space to decompress.)
Residential attendees get extra time to bond with fellow campers through evening social time.
After-care is available for middle school students for an additional $75 per week, where they have the chance to catch up on their work, play games, go outdoors, or chill out with adult supervision.
Quality instruction for an affordable price
Accessibility is a driving value for MNUDL’s Summer Speech & Debate Camp. We provide expert instruction at a fraction of typical debate camp costs because we’re committed to connecting students with debate skills, regardless of their income. Our model is different because tuition and room/board expenses are pegged to cost of running the workshops and providing fair salaries for staff, not maximizing profit. Notes to know:
- The priority scholarship deadline is March 1, 2026, but you can get an early start by registering with just $5 down at registration. The application for financial aid is simply the last six questions on the registration form. Scholarship decisions come by May 15, 2026, giving families time to plan. We are committed to making sure no student is prevented from attending due to challenging economic circumstances, to the extend possible.
- Our scholarships are made possible by partner funders like the Bentson Foundation (which supported scholarships for applicants in Summer 2025) and the Office of Higher Education, which recognizes this camp as a Summer Academic Enrichment Program. Another generous group that makes our financial aid possible are families who can afford full tuition through the Fund-A-Friend program. Many contribute extra during registration to sponsor spots for students who need financial help. That’s Minnesota nice in action, ensuring kids from all economic backgrounds can access this summer academic enrichment opportunity.
- Register by March 29, 2026 for early bird discounts.
Frequently asked questions
“Does my kid have to be an extravert to enjoy camp?” Nope! The structure is designed to gradually build confidence. Many of the most successful debaters started as quiet kids who needed a safe space to find their voice.
“What if they’ve never done debate before?” Perfect! Beginner sessions exist specifically for first-timers, and middle school sampler camps let students explore different formats before specializing.
“Is this just for kids who want to compete?” Not at all. Plenty of students attend to improve public speaking, prepare for Mock Trial, build college application credentials, or simply challenge themselves academically. The skills transfer everywhere, like class presentations, scholarship interviews, and future job interviews.
“How can I tell which camp is right for me?” Find dates and descriptions of the camps on this page. We recommend checking out the NSDA’s website for longer descriptions of what the different speech and debate events entail. For further information, reach out to mnudlcamp@augsburg.edu with questions.
“What if my kid isn’t interested in politics?” Debate teaches critical thinking and communication, which are skills valuable in science, business, arts, medicine, engineering, and any field imaginable. While many of the debate events are grounded in policy issues, students will have the chance to explore their own ideas in games, exercises and workshops. For example, most of our warm-ups get kids up and on their feet ready to express their opinions on icebreaker topics. Check out the activity binder link on this page for some examples. Speech events include self-directed storytelling, interpretation, and advocacy on issues students care about personally.
Summer 2026 registration is open!
Spots fill fast, especially in residential programs and specialized tracks like Debate En Español (Spanish Debate) and Model UN.
Next steps:
- Mark your calendar: March 1, 2026 (priority scholarship deadline) and March 29, 2026 (early bird discount)
- Browse specific program options for your student’s age and interests
- Email questions to mnudlcamp@augsburg.edu.
- Register now and apply for financial aid in the process.
Summer’s coming. Give your student an experience that will sharpen their mind, build their skills, and amplify their voice!
