Minnesota Debate Initiative
at Macalester College
Two tracks. One mission: making elite debate training accessible to Minnesota students.
For more than a century, Macalester students have earned national titles across speech and debate, including back-to-back policy debate national championships and recent top finishes on the NDT/CEDA circuit. As a highly ranked liberal arts college known for academic excellence, global perspective, and public service, Macalester provides the ideal home for our two-track program designed for middle and high school students. In collaboration with Debate Matters, we offer Competitive Debate Workshop (Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum to prepare debaters for their competitive debate careers) and Argument & Impact Workshop (non-competitive critical thinking, research & media literacy, and presentation & public speaking with students building a real world campaign for an issue they care about).
Choose Your Track:
- Competitive Track: For middle/high school debaters planning to compete, focused on Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum strategies, case writing, and tournament preparation.
- Academic Track: For students seeking skills without competition, emphasizing critical thinking & argumentation, research & media literacy, and presentation & public speaking.
- Built on Macalester's tradition of national debate success and liberal arts excellence.
- Elite coaching from Debate Matters' experienced instructors, accessible to Minnesota students.
Our camp director, Mike Bietz
"With over two decades coaching 14 national champions, including NSDA, TOC, and NDCA winners, and two Minnesota State Champions, Mike Bietz has built powerhouse programs at Edina High School as their first LD coach, and Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, where he was the program director for 17 years. Inducted into the Tournament of Champions Coach Hall of Fame as the first Southern Californian and first Asian-American honoree, he blends competitive excellence with deep mentorship to develop critical thinkers and communicators. As co-founder of Debate Matters, Mike returns to teaching in Minnesota, making elite debate instruction accessible to all students."
Camp Details
Duration
Two intensive weeks
June 28 - July 10, 2026
Location
Macalester College
St. Paul, Minnesota
Skill Level
All levels welcome
Novice to Advanced
Housing Options
Residential or
Commuter Options
Why Choose Our Camp?
The Minnesota Debate Initiative at Macalester offers high school students an unparalleled opportunity to develop their argumentative skills in a supportive, collegiate environment. With expert instructors, small lab groups, and daily practice rounds, students receive personalized attention and rapid skill development.
Whether you're preparing for your first tournament or looking to compete at the national level, our comprehensive curriculum covers everything from research methodology to advanced rebuttal strategies. Join us for an unforgettable summer of learning, growth, and competition.