Public Forum

Public Forum Debate is a two-on-two format where students debate current events and policy issues in a way that’s designed to be understood by a general audience. With monthly changing topics, students learn how to research, build arguments, and speak persuasively under pressure.

Unlike more technical debate formats, Public Forum focuses on clarity and accessibility over jargon or deep policy depth. It’s a great entry point for students new to debate, offering opportunities to build public speaking skills, practice teamwork, and engage with real-world topics.

While it may not always require the same level of complexity as other debate events, Public Forum helps students grow into confident communicators and critical thinkers — valuable skills for any future path.

Free Group Coaching

Key Features

  • ~2 weekly group coaching sessions with different members of our elite coaching team

  • One-hour group coaching sessions will generally occur between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM PT on weekdays

  • Sessions rotate in format among mock rounds, topic lectures, skill lectures, office hours, and more

  • The best part comes next….

Cost: It’s Free! To promote access to high quality coaching, we’ve made Ascend Academy Group Coaching totally free!

Ascend Academy Overview

If you’d like to learn more about Ascend Academy Group Coaching (it’s free!), please access the below document.

Ascend Academy Best Practices

Please review the below for guidance on how to best leverage Ascend Academy to grow as a debater!

Community Guidelines

All participants must abide by our community guidelines that seek to ensure a safe learning experience.