RFD HOURS
Online debate classes + coaching, free of charge.
Join us on Zoom Sundays, 2-3 PM PST for our free online debate classes, starting January 16th, 2022.
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DETAILS
RFD Hours is a weekly 60-minute workshop program designed for middle school students interested in speech and debate. Each meeting consists of two parts:
Part One: Lecture
A lecturer or guest speaker will deliver a lesson on the week's topic. Teaching Assistants (TA's) will be available to answer student questions.
Part Two: Drills
Students will be able to practice the skills they learned in Part One of the lesson by participating in Drills designed to improve their performance and deepen their understanding on the given week's topic. They will have the chance to receive live feedback from the lecturer or guest speaker present.
Part Three (optional): Practice Network
Reason for Debate's previous "Practice Network" program will be offered exclusively to RFD Hours students this year in order to facilitate a more focused and individualized experience. Students can sign up for practice debate rounds outside of the weekly meetings (time slots are completely customizable to the student's schedule) and receive feedback from experienced judges.
Curriculum Schedule.
This year, our curriculum will be sent out to students following registration; If you have a question about curriculum, feel free to email reasonfordebate@gmail.com for additional information.
Volunteers
In addition to participants, RfD is looking for experienced debaters to lecture/instruct or be TAs. Time commitment is based on each volunteer's availability and service hours will be rewarded.
Volunteer judge positions are also available for the Practice Network; these positions are of a more unique nature and interested volunteers should sign up ASAP.
FAQ
Q: How old do I have to be to register?
While our program is designed for middle school students (6-8th grade), we welcome students of all grade levels. However, we cannot guarantee that younger students will receive the help and support necessary for them to catch up with older students, as we will cover more advanced topics and current events.
Q: I'm pretty busy and can't make all the meetings. Is weekly attendance required?
Weekly attendance is not required, as RFD Hours essentially functions as a workshop series. However, we strongly recommend attending all the sessions, as this helps us ensure that all students are on the same page.
Q: I'm completely new to debate. Can I still participate?
Yes! We welcome all new debaters.