Information for Parents

Two Decades Academy (TDA) is a selective education institution for high-impact students, with interest or skill in politics, international relations, diplomacy, debate, or any other related field.

We offer After School Classes, with supplemental activities including conferences and practice debates, Camps, Mentored Projects, and local, national, and international field studies called Explorations.

All of our programs are academically rigorous and require, at a minimum, an application and an interview. Entry into one program does not guarantee entry into another, and students are invited back each year based on their performance and motivation.

9 signs your student will thrive at

Two Decades Academy

Not all high-impact students display an outward interest in public issues and debate upon entry; in our experience, many will see their motivation grow alongside their knowledge. Throughout the years we have gathered common behaviors or traits of students who do well in and after our program.

Interested in news stories about community issues, politics, economics, business, or foreign cultures, or any public issue

Interested in debates, public speaking, mock trial, or business simulators

Has an academic interest in history, diplomacy, economics, politics, or different cultures

Involved in Student Government, or runs for Class or School President (successfully or not)

Interested in theater, storytelling, or artistic performance

Has an international background, or who has parents who have lived in different countries

Thrives in participatory classes and immersive learning

Academically proficient but are characterized as rebellious or outspoken by teachers

Often finds themselves debating with siblings, friends, teachers, and parents, sometimes to everyone's chagrin

Grade Levels

For our After School Program we accept applicants from 7th through 12th graders, who have the time, motivation, and merit to attend one weekly class and half of the supplemental activities.

For our Summer Camps we accept incoming 7th-12th grade students who are or aspire to be high-impact, at any level of debate experience, and who may or may not have an existing interest in politics, international relations, diplomacy, or any other related field. We have countless former students whose passions were born at our camps!

Tuition Information

TDA is possible through tuition provided by the parents and guardians of our students.

The Tuition for our Year-Round Program is $3850.
Interested students can try the first four weeks to see if they like it.
Payment options are available.
Summer camps are $790/week, early bird pricing is available until Mar 01

If you are able to furnish the full tuition amount, a portion of those funds will be dedicated to Financial Aid for students who cannot meet the full amount. If you wish to fund, anonymously or not, another student to TDA, we will welcome and value your generosity. We are a for-profit organization, and therefore we cannot issue any form of tax credit for donations.

Locations and Schedule

We offer in-person classes in the California Bay Area according to the following schedule, locations and grade level:

- Tuesday: Middle School in San Francisco, 4:30-6:15 pm.

- Wednesday: Middle School in Palo Alto, 4:30-6:15 pm.

- Thursday: High School in San Francisco 4:30-6:15 pm.

- Friday: High School in Palo Alto, 4:30-6:15 pm.

Classes are held from mid-September to early May.

Online classes for our Year-Round program happen on Fridays from 9-11 am PST.

Supplemental Activities for our After School Program

In-depth overviews of our adjunct offerings can be found here.

We provide opportunities for students enrolled in our After School Program to prepare for and attend vetted conferences and TDA practice debates to apply the skills mastered in our classes. Learn more about our Debates and Conferences here.

We offer local, national, and international Explorations, which are field studies that immerse students in ground zero of social issues through the study and practice of qualitative research and analysis methods, and policy design.

For students enrolled in the Middle School Year-Round Program, we offer the following adjunct debates and conferences:

One-Day Practice Debates four times per year
Local and National Issue Exploration programs, by invitation

For students enrolled in the High School Year-Round Program, we offer the following adjunct debates and conferences:

Two High School Debate Conferences per year hosted by a third party (MUN, Model Congress, Model Parliament)
One-Day Practice Debates four times per year
Local, National, and International Issue Exploration programs, by invitation

Our Explorations programs are offered generally twice per year. These activities carry additional costs. There are local, national, and international Exploration opportunities. Exploration curriculum design is led by Simon and co-created with Design & Innovation firm Staircase Strategy.