Two Decades Academy offers a series of activities, that supplement our weekly classes in our Year-Round Program.

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CONFERENCES & PRACTICE DEBATES

Our recommended conferences and practice debates guide students and parents through the overwhelming world of debate competition and preparation. Most organizations can sign students up for a conference and chaperone a trip, but we've seen in our twelve years of this work that not all conferences are created equal, and a conference is only beneficial to your student if they're attentively prepared for and coached through the experience. This is especially true for Middle School students and those new to debate. Each year we carefully select, review, and recommend conferences to our students and parents, and provide our own conference and training to cover the gaps we see in the ecosystem. 

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Debate Conferences

We host debate conferences for Middle School students, which simulate real- world political bodies tasked with deciding on crucial issues. For example, past conferences have simulated the United Nations Security Council, the Greek or British Parliament, or the United States Senate. These conferences generally last between two and three days.

 

These conferences are staffed by Simon, our Education Director and CEO, our administrative  staff, and are supported by our own High School students. This offers our Middle Schoolers first-hand accounts and guidance on the realities and best strategies of competitive debate from our most advanced students, who compete at the highest level in the country. For our High School Students, TDA's Debate Conferences offer select High School students opportunities to develop their leadership and cultivate their organizational abilities,  where they learn skills in project management, discussion and debate facilitation, teaching, mentorship, and giving actionable feedback.

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Travel Away Conferences

For High School students, we attend the most prestigious and well-run Model UN, Model Congress and Model Parliament conferences. For this purpose, we hold special preparatory classes, aside from our regular ones. We generally attend between 2 and 4 conferences per year, but adjust based on demand and availability. ​

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One Day Practice Debates

These practice debates allow Middle and High School students to hone their debating skills with less time commitment for preparation and execution. Much like our Debate Conferences, they also simulate real- world bodies and decisions.​

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