Summer 2026 · Ages 10–17 · Online
Flagship Camp
Seven weeks of debate, writing, and the biggest questions in the world.
About this program
The flagship summer experience. Each week, students study a major topic in world affairs — from AI to global politics to ethics — produce a written research piece, and use that work in a live in-class debate. The module structure means full-summer students continuously meet fresh material, while week-by-week students can join at any point in the season.
Is this the right fit?
- Who it's for
- Students ages 10–17 · Flagship Program
- Format & location
Online · 6 hrs of coaching per week
- Cohorts & times (Dubai time)
- Online — Ages 10–13: Monday 4 PM–6 PM · Wednesday 4 PM–6 PM · Friday 4 PM–6 PM
- Online — Ages 13–17: Tuesday 4 PM–6 PM · Thursday 4 PM–6 PM · Friday 4 PM–6 PM
A sample week
Sample week — AI, Data & Algorithms
Day 1
- 1 hr
Lecture
Where AI actually stands today, and what it promises to disrupt in education, healthcare, and hiring.
- 30 min
Impromptu Debate
Students receive topic areas (AI in classrooms, AI in medicine) and debate the case for and against.
- 30 min
Debate Workshop
Speech review, argument structure, and the week's research and writing assignment.
Day 2
- 20 min
Research Review
Submit research and receive personalized feedback on sources and reasoning.
- 30 min
Writing Workshop
How to translate complex technical systems into clear, defensible written arguments.
- 1 hr
Debate Skill: Speculative Impacts
A specialized skill — how to argue about technologies that don't fully exist yet. Drilled live on AI, biotech, and emerging tech.
Day 3
- 1 hr
Case Workshop
Turn the week's writing into a debate case. Peer review and instructor feedback.
- 1 hr
Full Round
In-class debate on a motion drawn from the week. Returning students receive next week's reading.
Week by week
Seven weeks. Each week is a self-contained module. Full-summer students continuously meet fresh material; week-by-week students can join at any point.
01AI, Data & Algorithms
July 6 – July 10
Students confront the technology already reshaping their lives. We unpack how algorithms make decisions, what training data captures and obscures, and how to separate AI hype from genuine disruption. Through structured debate, students argue motions on AI in education, hiring, and healthcare — learning to prove speculative impacts and respond to technical objections. Writing assignments push students to translate complex systems into clear, defensible arguments.
Readings
- AI Superpowers — Kai-Fu LeeSelected chapters on the US–China AI race and where the technology is heading.
- Weapons of Math Destruction — Cathy O'NeilIntro chapter on how opaque algorithms can entrench harm at scale.
- The Coming Wave — Mustafa SuleymanOn how AI and biotech will reshape institutions in the coming decade.
02Global Politics & International Relations
July 13 – July 17
From great-power competition to regional flashpoints, students learn the frameworks diplomats and analysts actually use to read the world. We study power, alliances, sovereignty, and the costs of intervention. Weekly debates ask students to defend foreign-policy choices under cross-examination — does aid help or harm? Should small states pick sides? Students leave with the vocabulary and historical anchors to argue international affairs with seriousness.
Readings
- Prisoners of Geography — Tim MarshallAccessible introduction to how geography constrains every state.
- Selected Essays (Foreign Affairs)Two instructor-curated essays tied to that week's motion.
- The World This Week (The Economist)Briefings across the week so students argue current, not stale, conflicts.
03Economics, Financial Systems & Markets
July 20 – July 24
Money is the substrate of nearly every policy debate. Students learn how markets allocate, where they fail, and how governments intervene — taxation, regulation, monetary policy. We trace recent shocks (inflation, banking crises) and the trade-offs behind them. Debate motions cover universal basic income, market regulation, and global trade. Students practice making economic arguments rigorous — with mechanisms and evidence rather than slogans.
Readings
- The Undercover Economist — Tim HarfordOpening chapters on prices, markets, and incentives.
- Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel KahnemanSelected sections on behavioral economics and decision-making.
- Selected Episodes (Planet Money (NPR))Curated for the week — usually inflation, central banks, or a recent crisis.
04Art, History & the Humanities
July 27 – July 31
Why does any of this matter? This week steps back from policy to the humanities — what art reveals about a society, how history shapes the present, and why narrative and meaning matter. Students debate cultural restitution, the canon, and how societies remember. Writing emphasizes interpretive argument: using primary sources, weighing competing accounts, and acknowledging what the historical record leaves out.
Readings
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind — Yuval Noah HarariChapter on the cognitive revolution and the role of shared myth.
- A Little History of the World — E. H. GombrichSelected chapter — narrative history made readable for younger students.
- Selected Essay (The Atlantic)A current piece on cultural memory, restitution, or the museum debate.
05Education, Meritocracy & Talent
August 3 – August 7
Who deserves what — and on what basis? Students examine education systems, admissions, standardized testing, and the assumptions baked into "merit." We unpack the difference between talent, opportunity, and outcome, and what equality means in a world of unequal starts. Debate motions cover affirmative action, tracking, and elite university admissions. The week pushes students to argue from values explicitly, not just from data.
Readings
- The Tyranny of Merit — Michael SandelThe opening chapters — the case against merit as Sandel frames it.
- Outliers — Malcolm GladwellChapters on opportunity, practice, and the limits of "innate talent."
- Selected Essay (The Atlantic)A recent piece on college admissions, testing, or social mobility.
06Philosophy: Ethics & Epistemology
August 10 – August 14
What makes an action right? What counts as knowing something? Students engage two pillars of philosophy through the lens of competitive debate. We work through utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics — and how each yields different answers on real cases. On the epistemology side, students sharpen what counts as evidence, what "expertise" justifies, and how to argue from disputed claims with intellectual honesty.
Readings
- Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? — Michael SandelOpening chapter; pairs with the free Harvard "Justice" lecture series.
- Famine, Affluence, and Morality — Peter SingerThe 1972 essay introducing the drowning-child thought experiment.
- The Allegory of the Cave — Plato (The Republic, Book VII)Short, foundational text on epistemology — accessible to younger students.
07Science & the Future
August 17 – August 21
What should we expect from the decades ahead — and what should we worry about? Students debate climate policy, biotech, space, and existential risk. We focus on the difference between science as a body of knowledge and science as a process, and what that distinction means for public arguments about contested topics. Final debates put students in the position of arguing across generations: what we owe people not yet born.
Readings
- The Sixth Extinction — Elizabeth KolbertOpening chapter on climate, biodiversity, and the human footprint.
- Being Mortal — Atul GawandeSelected sections on science, medicine, and the limits of intervention.
- The Fermi Paradox — Tim Urban (Wait But Why)Long-form, free online — a student favorite for arguing about the long-term future.
What students take away
Everything included with full summer (7 weeks) enrollment.
- ✓All seven weeks of modules
- ✓21 sessions · 42 hours total
- ✓Continuous topic progression
- ✓End-of-camp portfolio review
- ✓Priority placement into term courses
Frequently asked
Do you handle inquiries about pricing privately?
Yes. We share program fees, sibling discounts, and any early-enrollment offers directly with families once we understand the right fit. Get in touch and we will send everything within one business day.
What does my child need to attend?
For online sessions: reliable internet, a computer with webcam and microphone, and a quiet workspace. For in-person sessions at our Dubai campus: just themselves and a notebook. All materials are provided.
What if we miss a session?
Online sessions are recorded and shared with enrolled students within 24 hours. Research and writing assignments can be completed asynchronously. We recommend attending live whenever possible for the peer interaction.
What happens after summer ends?
Students can continue with our regular term courses starting in September. Summer students often advance one to two levels and are well prepared for fall tournaments.
Enroll
Configure your enrollment
Pick a schedule, choose Full Summer or Per Week, then add to your cart. Checkout in one place alongside any other programs you're enrolling in.
Total
$1,372
7 weeks · $196 per week
Early-bird pricing through July 1, 2026. Sibling discounts available — message us before booking.
Outcomes
What summer changes for our students
87%
Increase in Analytical Thinking Skills
7x
More Likely to Attend a Top-10 University
20%
Increase in Grade Point Average
15%
Increase in Social Confidence
Recent Tournament Results
- •2025 Stanford Invitational — Novice Open Quarterfinalists (Top 8)
- •2025 Oxford Schools Finals — Novice Finals & 5th Best Novice Speaker
- •2025 Harvard Invitational — Middle School Quarterfinalists, Octofinalists & Top International Speaker
- •2025 Harvard Debate Council International — Middle School Semifinalists
- •2025 Cambridge Union International Young Debaters — Open Finalists & 6th Best Open Speaker
Coaches
Taught by debate champions and Oxford Union coaches
Our instructors include former head coaches of the Oxford Union, world champions, and international finalists.
Meet the teamExplore
Other summer programs
Intro to Debate and Public Speaking Camp
Four weeks in Dubai to go from nervous to confident on your feet.
Learn moreElite TrackAdvanced WSDC Summer Training
Elite training for competitive debaters targeting major tournaments.
Learn moreSpecialist FormatIntroduction to Public Forum
The American 2v2 team format — evidence-driven and tournament-ready.
Learn moreBeginnerIntroduction to Debate
A gentle on-ramp into competitive speech and debate.
Learn moreInquire about Flagship Camp
Tell us about your child and we'll recommend the right track, share dates, and answer your questions within one business day.