Top-Tier Debate Training at Macalester College
The Minnesota Debate Initiative at Macalester offers high school and middle 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. Hone your debate skills with instructors who are former state champions, former national champions, coaches of state champions, and coaches of national champions.
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.
Hear from MDI 2026 Students:
100% Student Satisfaction
"MDI gave me a very useful toolbox for debate strategies and advice that I can use both in-round and in my life. I especially liked how it focused on the Minnesotan style of debate, allowing me to dive deeper into my current knowledge and effectively apply it to my debate goals."
"The coaches are super supportive and kind and funny, and the community that's built there is unlike anything I've ever seen before."
"I think this was a really great experience for all levels of debaters. The small groups were nice because I could work with people at my skill level and improve from there. There were also lectures that everyone did, which was nice and really helped me learn stuff (I love my notes)"
Camp Details
Two focused weeks on the Macalester campus in St. Paul.
Duration
Two intensive weeks
July 11 – July 22, 2027
Location
Macalester College
St. Paul, Minnesota
Skill Level
All levels welcome
Novice to Advanced
Housing Options
Residential or
Commuter Options
Why Choose MDI?
National-caliber training, built for Minnesota debaters.
Summer camp should make you a better debater during your season, in front of your judges. The Minnesota Debate Initiative, held at Macalester College, gives students the rigor of a camp. The difference is that every lecture, drill, and practice round is aimed at what wins rounds in Minnesota.
"I especially liked how it focused on the Minnesotan style of debate, allowing me to dive deeper into my current knowledge and effectively apply it to my debate goals."
MDI 2026 Student
Tailored for Success in Minnesota
Individualized Curriculum
Frequent Feedback
Regular Practice Debates
Emphasis on Universal Skills
Complete debaters, not just technicians
Technical skill matters, and we teach it. But many programs value speed and jargon over real understanding. At MDI, students learn why arguments work, how to explain ideas clearly, and how to persuade the person in the back of the room. The result is a debater who can adapt to any judge, not only one type.
"I never actually understood what people said by envision what would your 2NR look like. Now I have a better understanding of it."
MDI 2026 Student
Learn what helps you win this season
Many students come home from big national camps with habits that hurt them in Minnesota. They speak too fast for local panels, lean on arguments that local judges won't vote for, and chase strategies built for a different kind of circuit. MDI flips that. We teach the skills, arguments, and adjustments that carry straight into your fall and winter tournaments, so the summer builds toward your season instead of pulling against it.
"MDI gave me a very useful toolbox for debate strategies and advice that I can use both in-round and in my life."
MDI 2026 Student
National camp experience, Minnesota know-how
MDI's directors have run national debate camps. They know how elite programs are built, how to structure an intense summer, and what top-level instruction looks like. They pair that with years of coaching, judging, and competing in Minnesota. They know the judging pools, the local norms, and the trends in the state.
Students get the best of both: the structure and rigor of a national program, taught by people who know exactly how that training has to be adapted to win in Minnesota. When our staff tells you how a round will be judged, they've seen it from both sides.
"MDI is great because it gives you an opportunity to learn debate skills with people from different schools and debate backgrounds so you don't just learn from instructors but also your peers."
MDI 2026 Student
Serious rigor, honest price
You shouldn't have to pay national-camp prices to get national-camp training. MDI students get intensive instruction, many practice rounds, and one-on-one feedback for much less than a typical out-of-state program. You also skip the flights. Our pricing is simple and posted up front, with no surprise fees.
"Though MDI might seem a little bit scary at first, the coaches are super supportive and kind and funny, and the community that's built there is unlike anything I've ever seen before."
MDI 2026 Student
The bottom line
MDI gives you top-level training at a fair, clear price. It's taught by people who know your circuit and designed to make you better when it counts. Register by October 15 for Super Early Bird pricing.
Register for MDIAbout Macalester
A collegiate environment built for rapid competitive growth.
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. Our Competitive Debate Workshop is a Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum program designed to prepare middle and high school debaters for their competitive careers, offered in collaboration with Debate Matters.
Macalester is recognized as a global leader among liberal arts colleges, with the highest standards for scholarship and a continuing commitment to academic rigor, internationalism, diversity, and service to society — the ideal home for a debate camp built for rapid competitive growth.