Locations/Dates
ISD: Carolina Session 1  (June 28 - July 11, 2025)
ISD: Carolina Session 2  (July 13 - July 26, 2025)
ISD: Online  (July 14 - July 25, 2025)
Tuition

Residential Program

Get the full ISD experience on-campus! Includes room and board (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
2 Weeks
$3,799
1 Week
$2,699

Commuter Program

Commute to and from camp each day! Includes lunch and dinner only.
2 Weeks
$2,499
1 Week
$1,899

ISD: Online

Experience the #ISDDifference from home!
2 Weeks
$1,800
1 Week
$1,200

Public Forum Debate students participate in opposing teams of two. They debate topics on the current issues of the day. Each team presents their case and then has the opportunity to engage in rebuttals, refutation, and crossfire. A wide range of judges can be seen at these events – from experienced debate coaches to informed community members known as “citizen judges.”

How we teach | How students grow

During workshops, we help students improve their research techniques and build their cases with evidence. We work daily on improving critical thinking and delivery skills which strengthen our students’ verbal and nonverbal communication. In addition, we develop cross-examination and refutation skills so students learn to defend their positions. Our comprehensive approach develops life-skills that help students to advance round-winning arguments to a broad spectrum of critics.

Public Forum Debate at ISD: Online

The online Public Forum program at ISD embraces this new medium in exciting and adaptive ways. ISD prides itself on its unique and bespoke instructive experience that allows for students to learn from both senior educators and former champion debaters alike in an inclusive environment. We believe the online format is more personable, tailored, and flexible to student needs than ever before.

From Our Curriculum Director

"I appreciate the community that ISD creates so that students have a network of friends from all over the nation. I have taught, visited, and sent students to a variety of national summer institutes but ISD is the only one that is truly student-centered, bringing experienced classroom speech and debate teachers and competitive education-focused former debaters together to create a student experience that is second to none.”

– Gabe Rusk

Typical Daily Schedule

8:00 - 8:50am
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00am
Topic Lecture on Possible Topics
10:00am - 12:30pm
Lab/Practicum/Hands-On-Experience
12:30 - 1:30pm
Lunch/Break
1:30 - 5:00pm
Skills Lecture/Practicum and Lab
5:15 - 6:30pm
Dinner
6:30 - 8:00pm
Evening Session/Office Hours
8:00pm
Commuters must depart campus
10:00pm
Resident students must be inside the residence hall
11:00pm - 7:00 am
Room Check (resident students must be in their rooms at this time)
11:00pm - 7:00am
Quiet Hours