About

The Harvard Debate Council Summer Workshops is a two-week residential speech and debate program held on Harvard University's Cambridge campus each summer, with two sessions in 2026 (June 28–July 10 and July 12–24). Students live in Harvard residence halls, eat in Harvard dining facilities, and use campus resources for research. The program has operated for over 35 years and offers tracks in Public Forum, Congressional Debate, Policy Debate, World Schools Debate, and Public Speaking across beginner through advanced levels. Tuition runs approximately $4,149 for residential students; online options are available at $1,599.

Families should understand what this program is and is not. The Harvard Debate Council is an independent undergraduate student organization at Harvard College — the summer workshops are not owned, controlled, or supervised by Harvard University or any of its schools or departments. Harvard provides the campus facilities but has no institutional involvement in the program's administration or curriculum. The coaching staff is not Harvard faculty; instructors are experienced high school and collegiate debate coaches, several of whom hold genuine credentials — including NSDA Hall of Famers and coaches connected to the USA national debate team, which trains at the workshops for the World Schools Debate Championships. Admission is open enrollment on a first-come, first-served basis.

Although the use of the Harvard name should not be taken as institutional affiliation, the program is solid and the coaches are experienced.