ESU New York Debate League
New York Debate League Summer Camp
At the ESU-NYDL Summer Institute, middle schoolers discover the fun of debate through an exciting, intellectually rich program. Designed for students in grades 6–8, this camp helps students build public speaking, critical thinking, and teamwork skills in a supportive, high-energy environment.
From dissecting current events to debating the ethics of Taylor Swift’s latest tour, students become quick thinkers and sharp researchers, exploring everything from law journal abstracts to pop culture articles.
Each day blends fast-paced debate training with engaging games, creative activities, and classic camp fun. Students learn how to construct impromptu arguments, respond to opposing views, and speak with clarity and confidence—skills that will serve them for the long haul. Throughout the week, students prepare for our end-of-camp tournament, where they put their new skills to the test in a friendly, spirited competition.
2025-2026 Academic Year
Middle School Debate Registration Coming Soon!
ESU New York Debate League 2024-2025
TOURNAMENT Schedule
Due to popular demand, most of the ESU NY Debate League tournaments will be hosted by 2 schools:
- Saturday, October 19 2024 at Dalton School: Novice Debaters Workshop & Scrimmage
- Saturday, November 9, 2024 at Nightingale-Bamford School/Packer Collegiate School
- Saturday, December 14, 2024 at Blind Brook School/Packer Collegiate School
- Saturday, January 25, 2025 at Dalton School
- Saturday, March 1, 2025 at Speyer Legacy School
- Saturday, March 8, 2025 at Ethical Culture Fieldston School
- Saturday, April 26, 2025 at Tuckahoe School: Championship Tournament
REMINDER: EACH SCHOOL MUST PROVIDE ONE JUDGE FOR EVERY TWO TEAMS
Only two, 2-person teams allowed per tournament. The rest of the teams must be 3-person teams.
Can you host a Saturday Debate Tournament at your school during the 2024-25 season? Email us at debate@esuus.org.
2023-2024 School Year
TOURNAMENT schedule
- Novice Debaters Workshop & Scrimmage Oct 14, 2023 at City & Country School
- November 4 at Nightingale-Bamford School
- December 2, 2023 at Dalton School
- January 20, 2024 at Tuckahoe School
- March 2, 2024 at Ethical Culture Fieldston School
- April 27, 2024 Championship Tournament at Speyer School
REMINDER: EACH SCHOOL MUST PROVIDE ONE JUDGE FOR EVERY TWO TEAMS.
Can you host a debate at your school during the 2023-24 season? Email us at debate@esuus.org.
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS:
- City and Country School
- Dwight School
- East New York Middle School of Excellence
- Ethical Culture Fieldston
- Grace School
- Hackley School
- Hoboken Charter School
- Nightingale-Bamford School
- Speyer Legacy School
- The Dalton School
- Tuckahoe Middle School
- United Nations International School
- West End Secondary School
Program Contact
Alice Uhl, ESU Education Programs Director
(212) 818-1200, ext. 212
LOCAL CONTACT
Nick Smart
President
ESU New York Debate League
nickdavidsmart@gmail.com
“Debating in the ESU NYDL was one of the highlights of my students’ year. The ESU NY Debate League has been exceptionally welcoming and kind to us, and we are so appreciative of the high quality tournaments we were part of this year . . . they chose great topics, and created an environment where even in the most difficult situation imaginable, the kids were able to have high quality, spirited debates.”
– Mark Schiller Debate Coach for Blessed Sacrament School in Washington DC
Debate Team from the Hackley School wins 2016 English-Speaking Union Middle School Debate Championship Tournament
NATIONAL NEWS – posted May 1, 2016
The Hackley School, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Kiri Fitzpatrick, Hannah Ostfield, Alex Goldman
The English-Speaking Union Middle School Debate Program capped off a successful fifth year with its annual Championship Tournament, which took place at Stone Bridge Middle School in Allentown, NJ, on April 16, 2016. All six ESU Middle School Debate Program leagues participated bringing together 250 debaters from 29 schools from New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.
The English-Speaking Union Middle School Debate Program teaches the fundamentals of argumentation and debate to students in grades 5-8. Established in 2011, the program now includes three ESU-sponsored leagues in New York, two in New Jersey and one in Washington, DC. Some 50 public, private, parochial and charter schools participate in the program, engaging more than 1,000 teenagers annually in weekly after-school debate activities designed to develop and hone student’s public speaking, critical thinking, listening and debating skills.
The New York Times features ESU Middle School Debate
The ESU is pleased to share today’s The New York Times article, “A Diverse Mix of Pupils, Learning Civilized Dissent,” featuring the ESU Middle School Debate program’s New York Debate League. Now in its fourth year, the program, designed to help young adolescents develop critical thinking and language arts skills through public speaking, has reached more than 2,300 students in grades 5 to 8 in New York and New Jersey. There are nearly 900 individual debates through this program annually.
The article underscores one of the Middle School Debate program’s strengths—bringing together students from various backgrounds that, as Brianna Scott (a seventh grader at Success Academy Harlem West) says, “prepare[s] you to go out into the world.”