What We Do:
We help you use your voice to express what is important to you.
Teens practice speech and debate, express ideas for change, and get jobs to teach young speakers.
Summer at The Practice Space:
Spend your summer becoming a better speaker, actor, and debater! Our Teen Speech & Debate Camp is open to students ages 12 to 18 of all levels, including middle schoolers and experienced debaters. Receive personalized coaching in small lab groups with campers of similar interests and experience. This program is open to anyone and is taught by award-winning coaches Joel Jacobs & AnnMarie Baines. Scholarships available.
In-Person and Online Events:
Sign up for a free Teen Speaker scrimmage! Scrimmages are low-key practice events where you can practice speech or debate. Bring a speech you are already working on (or create a new one!) and get feedback! Or, do practice debates in front of practice judges to get better at debate. We encourage you to bring friends: some scrimmages are small and others are bigger “showcases” for a public audience.
Dates: (all 1pm-3pm, in person at our Richmond office, 317 11th Street. Stay tuned for online options!)
- Sunday, September 17, 2023
- Sunday, October 15, 2023
- Saturday, November 18, 2023 (all-day, in-person tournament at Leadership Public Schools)
- Saturday, December 2, 2023 (showcase)
- Sunday, January 21, 2024
- Sunday, February 4, 2024
- Sunday, March 17, 2024 (all-day, in-person tournament at El Cerrito High)
Coaching Jobs for Teens
Are you a teen who cares about giving back? We offer paid jobs to high school students to learn how to coach elementary students. Our in-depth training covers small and large group facilitation, lesson planning, high-quality feedback, and mentorship. This option is open to teens in the SF Bay Area. Contact us if you live outside the Bay Area and are interested in helping us expand to your area.
Speech and Debate Teams:
Join an award-winning speech and debate team! We currently offer programs at many Bay Area high schools and our students have received local and national recognition. We are also looking for new schools who want a speech and debate team at their school!