Georgetown-Dartmouth Debate Institute Fellows

The Georgetown-Dartmouth Debate Institute (GDDI) Fellows is our premier seven-week camp, run in partnership with Dartmouth. Attendance is highly competitive. The experience is research-intensive and focused on developing deep mastery of strategy and substance and guiding debaters toward building self-sufficiency for the regular season. The program is taught by some of the best college debate minds in the country, all of whom will be in lab with the debaters every day as well as actively involved in guiding them through the research and strategy process.

Dates

June 15th – August 2nd, 2025.

Tuition

TBD.

Financial Aid applications for the 2025 GDDI require completing the form above. Each program director will make their own financial aid determinations for their respective half of the camp.

Program Overview & Details

The seven week Georgetown-Dartmouth Debate Institute (GDDI) Fellows program will occur in two phases:

First, three weeks at Georgetown: a phase of intensive, personalized skills development. Students will use a high-quality starting evidence set designed to facilitate advanced speeches and debates on a near-daily basis, interspersed with lab instruction and exposure to guest experts from D.C.’s unbeatable field of public policy professionals. In addition to fostering extensive personal improvement, this phase will instill a deep, first-hand understanding of what constitutes good research and good strategy, why they matter, and how to do them effectively. Students will also, with extensive direct guidance from staff, conduct initial waves of research in response to needs and opportunities identified over those three weeks. Debates and speeches will be judged primarily by our top-notch teaching staff, guaranteeing that students get the highest quality feedback and maximal time with instructors.

Second, four weeks at Dartmouth: this phase adopts a “team” model with a rigorous research curriculum. Each lab produces a distinct evidence set, and progressively strategizes and innovates against the other labs’ arguments, culminating in a full-length tournament at the end of the summer (8 prelim rounds, clearing at least to octafinals). Students will, with extensive guidance and feedback from lab leaders and additional teaching staff dedicated solely to providing real-time feedback and guidance to students throughout the research process, produce all evidence used during this stage. This model will teach students not only how to debate and research at an advanced level, but how to establish, contribute to, and lead a sustainable and successful squad, regardless of size. It also ensures that all debates are of the highest possible caliber and utility, and that students leave with a comprehensive grasp of the topic literature, as well as the capacity to do innovative new work on their own throughout the season.

Confirmed Faculty

Brandon Kelley – Director of Debate at Georgetown University

John Turner – Director of Debate at Dartmouth College

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