About

The Emory National Debate Institute (ENDI), run through Emory University's Barkley Forum for Debate, Deliberation, and Dialogue, is a two-week residential policy debate summer program for high school students, held May 31–June 13, 2026 on Emory's Atlanta campus. Founded in 1966, the ENDI is one of the oldest continuously operating high school debate institutes in the country, built on the institutional foundation of the Barkley Forum — one of the most accomplished intercollegiate debate programs in the United States, with roots extending to 1837.

The signature offering is the two-week Policy Debate Institute, designed for students new to policy debate or those with one to two years of experience looking to sharpen fundamentals and prepare for competitive high school circuits. Instruction covers flowing, speech organization and delivery, argument construction, tournament preparation, and substantive work on the 2026–2027 national policy resolution. A separate Fundamentals of Debate, Deliberation, and Dialogue track is available for students with no competitive debate background at all, focusing on argumentation, critical inquiry, and public speaking without tournament preparation as the primary goal. Tuition is $2,200 residential or $1,850 commuter; all expenses are covered. The program is open nationally to rising 9th–12th graders. Students who are already highly competitive at national policy tournaments are encouraged to seek more advanced institute options.

For a student interested in policy debate who wants structured immersion in the fundamentals — on a top-25 university campus, taught by coaches and collegiate debaters from one of the country's most decorated programs — the ENDI is a well-established and credible summer option, particularly for those in the beginning-to-intermediate range of competitive development.