The Toronto Debating Academy offers a variety of classes for students of diverse skill levels. Our in-person classes are run in exclusive partnership with Olympiads School in North York [*currently Olympiads runs both in-person and online], and our online classes are run in partnership with Debate Go.
Weekly classes involve speaking drills, practice debates and seminars designed to develop students’ knowledge of crucial subject areas and strategic skills. Free trial classes are available at Olympiads. We welcome students with a wide range of experience; our skilled instructors will help you determine which class is the best match for you.
To enrol in classes, please visit the DebateGo or Olympiads website depending on your preference. These sites offer details on course levels, schedules, and pricing.
Beginner classes (including Levels 1 and 2) are appropriate for middle school students and students who are brand new to debating. Older students can use Beginner classes to learn the format, and can be streamed into more challenging classes when they feel ready.
Intermediate classes (including Level 3 & 4 at Olympiads and Levels 4 to 6 at DebateGo) are appropriate for high school students who have a firm grasp on British Parliamentary debating formats, and have some experience either attending tournaments or receiving coaching from their school.
Advanced classes (including Levels 5 & 6 at Olympiads and Levels 7 and 8 at DebateGo) are targeted to students who have already demonstrated their ability as speakers, usually by breaking, or advancing to elimination rounds, at major tournaments. Admission to Advanced classes is at the instructor’s discretion.
The Junior and Senior designation for some classes mainly reflects an attempt to group similarly aged students together. Senior classes tend to be slightly more advanced but a senior class at one level is never ahead of a junior class at a higher level.