NSD Online Concierge Coaching  

Concierge Coaching students can participate in up to 10 practice debates over the summer, judged by our expert instructors, who provide extensive round feedback on what students should do to improve. 

• Rounds are paired based on skill level, so that students debate rounds with peer competitors 
• Great opportunity for students to implement their new skills and receive feedback from experts on the arguments they have written
• Each round is paired with structured, expert feedback on the details of each speech
• Practice rounds provide excellent material for tutors to lead students through structured “redo” speeches, so that students make steady progress on debate skills

In elective seminars, students learn about niche topics–from debate strategy to philosophy to political theory–from specialist instructors. Students choose from a wide range of elective seminar options, so they can attend the seminars that most interest them. 

• Seminar offerings provide options for students of every skill level, from novice to advanced varsity
• Opportunity for students to chart their own course, and select topics in areas of debate and academia that spark their interest
• Learn from faculty who are the most specialized in and passionate about the seminar topic area
• With the introduction of concepts, example materials, and research tips, seminars are a great way for students to jump start their own work on a seminar topic

Students watch demonstration debates from our younger faculty, many of whom were recently nationally top ranked debate competitors. Demonstration rounds are moderated by senior faculty, who break down the round with students in-between speeches, answer student questions, and provide a post-round analysis.

• Demonstration debates featuring recent top competitors help familiarize students with the camp topic, as well as high-level debate strategy and execution
• Debates are divided by skill level, so that students receive demonstrations that are attuned to their level of background knowledge and their curricular needs
• Expert moderation assists students in understanding demonstrations in-depth, speech-by-speech
• Materials for demonstration debates (cases, rebuttal speech documents, etc.) are distributed to students, so that they can be used for student drills

To supplement their individual coaching sessions and practice rounds, Concierge Coaching students receive access to asynchronous resources that they can use to hone their skills, as their schedule permits:

• Access to a private slack channel where students can ask our instructors questions throughout the summer
• Access to our library of recorded lectures on specialized topics
• Access to backfiles and topic research

With any camp registration, students receive free access to NSD’s Skill Builder pre-camp curriculum. Skill Builder features stand-alone curriculum modules intended for independent study, built by top faculty. At camp, we want our students focused on the most valuable aspects of our sessions: intensive, interactive instruction that amplifies and deepens students’ existing skill sets and builds new ones, learning deep skills in specialty areas from top faculty, and participating in a supportive learning community with peers. Skill Builder helps students solidify background skills ahead of camp, so students can focus on what matters most while they are at camp.

• Purpose built by top debate coaches to help students improve their debate skills through focused, individual work
• Step-by-step, easy to use modules with tools to improve their debate skills and arrive at camp ready to maximize their improvement
• Includes drill materials and rubrics for self-assessment, so students can practice on their own
• Great for students with skill areas they want to improve before camp, and for true beginners who who want an introduction to debate before camp
• Helps students focus on the most valuable work at camp, not on catching up