Overview
Designed to help students build confidence in their public speaking skills, our Public Speaking Institute trains students in public speaking, logic, and rhetoric through an interactive and dynamic curriculum that encourages growth through ongoing practice. Students develop communication, critical thinking, and negotiation skills in a supportive, non-competitive environment.
Over the course of the program, students participate in two core components: Debate and Persuasive or Informative Speaking. In-person campers also enjoy an evening elective course. Elective options vary by session and include topics such as Model Congress, Mock Trial, Negotiations, Reader’s Theater, and Improvisational Speaking.
Program at a Glance
- Grade Level: Rising 9-12 (Grade after summer)
- Available Options: Commuter, Residential, or Online camps
- Duration: 5 days Online or 7 days in person
- Topics: Debate and Public Speaking
- Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Rising 4-6 graders can do our Elementary Public Speaking Institute
Rising 6-8 graders can do our Middle School Public Speaking Institute
Rising 9-12 graders interested in a two week intensive competitive camp preparation experience should consider the following two camps:
* Competitive Debate: July 19-August 1 at Stanford: Policy, LD, Public Forum or Parli
* Competitive Speech: July 19- August 1 at Stanford: Interp, Limited Prep or Platform Speaking
Learning Outcomes
Students will:- Discover how to construct persuasive positions and effectively cross-examine arguments.
- Develop and present a compelling speech in front of a group.
- Build confidence, poise, eye contact, articulation, and comfort speaking without relying heavily on notes.
- Engage in hands-on public speaking activities such as debate, negotiations, improvisation, and performance-based speaking.
- Experience student campus life while living in dormitories and eating in dining halls during the residential program.
Debate
Students learn how to construct persuasive positions, defend against and attack arguments, and cross-examine effectively. They debate a variety of age- and experience-appropriate topics, form teams, and practice presenting their ideas clearly and confidently. Past debate topics have included climate change, U.S. military involvement, and the legal drinking age.
Persuasive Speaking
This course teaches students to craft and deliver convincing speeches. Students begin with structured speaking exercises to develop delivery, timing, and intonation. As they gain confidence, they choose topics, establish captivating introductions, organize speech content, and deliver compelling conclusions. The focus is on speaking in a natural voice with few or no notes, rather than simply reading an essay aloud. All students end the week by presenting a speech in front of a large group of fellow campers.
Electives
In the evenings, students choose from elective speaking activities such as:- Model Congress: Students role-play as members of Congress while practicing persuasive speaking, negotiation, compromise, and legislative debate.
- Negotiations: Students role-play real-world scenarios that develop their ability to compromise, persuade, and communicate effectively in personal and professional settings.
- Reader’s Theater: Students write and perform a short play, creating characters, dialogue, and plot twists while building performance and delivery skills.
- Improvisational Speaking: Students practice thinking on their feet and delivering speeches with little or no preparation time. Topics are fun, challenging, and often lead to hilarious results.
Campus Experience
Whether attending as a Resident or Extended Day (Commuter) student, participants become part of a vibrant summer community. Students spend their days immersed in classes, activities, and time with peers who share their interests in communication, leadership, and public speaking.
Resident students live together in university dormitories, enjoy campus dining, and experience college life firsthand throughout the week. Extended Day students participate in the full academic and activity schedule each day and have lunch and dinner included in the campus dining hall.
All students take part in recreational activities and a mid-week excursion to a local attraction.. One of the most common comments we hear after camp is, "I never knew I would have so much fun!"
FAQs
Does my student need prior speech or debate experience?
No. The Public Speaking Institute is designed for beginning to intermediate speakers. Some students are just beginning their public speaking journey, while others have prior experience and are looking to further develop their communication skills.
Students seeking intensive preparation for competitive speech and debate should consider our two-week Competitive Speech and Competitive Debate Institutes at Stanford University. Those programs focus specifically on preparing students for competition, while the Public Speaking Institute focuses on practical communication, confidence, persuasion, and leadership skills that benefit students in school and beyond.
My student is shy. Is this program a good fit?
Absolutely. Students do not need to arrive already polished or outgoing to benefit from the program. Many of our students arrive feeling nervous about speaking in front of a group, introducing themselves to new people, or sharing their ideas publicly.
Public Speaking Institute is intentionally designed to be a supportive environment where students can build confidence through practice, encouragement, and personalized feedback. Our goal is not to turn every student into the loudest person in the room. Instead, we help students find their voice and learn how to use it effectively.
Through small classes and incremental challenges, students develop confidence at their own pace and often leave surprised by how much they have grown in just one week.
My student is already a confident speaker. Will they still benefit?
Yes. Confidence is only one part of effective communication.
Many students enter the program comfortable speaking in front of others but are looking to become more precise, persuasive, organized, and intentional communicators. These students learn how to strengthen arguments, adapt to different audiences, think critically, organize their ideas, and deliver messages with greater impact.
Much like writing, public speaking is a lifelong skill. Even experienced speakers continue to refine their style and technique. Whether a student is developing confidence or learning to better shape and control an already strong voice, the program provides opportunities for meaningful growth.
What makes this program different from other speech camps?
Many speech camps take one of two approaches. Some focus almost exclusively on preparing students for competitive speech and debate events. Others define public speaking as writing a speech, memorizing it, and delivering it from the front of the room.
We believe most students need something different.
The Public Speaking Institute focuses on the real-world communication skills students use every day: class presentations, interviews, leadership opportunities, group discussions, negotiations, and meeting new people with confidence. Students learn how to develop their own voice and communicate with purpose. As they become stronger speakers, they also become stronger writers because they learn how to construct, organize, and support effective arguments.
Public Speaking is Education Unlimited's founding program and has remained one of our most popular offerings for more than three decades. The program was founded by Matthew Fraser, who directed the Debate Program at Stanford University for nearly 25 years. Members of our leadership team have coached, competed, and directed speech and debate programs at the state and national level, allowing us to recruit exceptional instructors who are passionate about helping students become more effective communicators.
We also prioritize small-group instruction. Classes are capped at 12 students, allowing instructors to provide individualized coaching and feedback. Rather than spending hours listening to lectures, students spend their time speaking, practicing, receiving feedback, and steadily improving throughout the week.
What does a typical day look like?
In-person students participate in three core experiences throughout the week: Public Speaking, Debate, and an elective.
In Public Speaking, students learn how to gather information, organize ideas, internalize content, and deliver both informative and persuasive speeches in a natural and audience-appropriate way.
In Debate, students learn to examine issues from multiple perspectives, evaluate evidence, respond thoughtfully to questions, and communicate persuasively in a structured and respectful environment. No prior debate experience is required.
In the evenings, students participate in an experiential elective such as Mock Congress, Negotiations, Reader's Theater, or Improvisation. These activities provide additional opportunities to practice communication skills in engaging and highly interactive settings.
For online campers, they do a half day of debate and a half day of public speaking, but will not have time for electives.
Both in-person and online campers conclude the week with final presentations that allow students to showcase what they have learned and celebrate their growth as communicators.
How will online students access the course?
- Education Unlimited's online classes are fully synchronous and highly interactive. Classes are capped at just six students per instructor, allowing for individualized feedback and meaningful participation.
- Students are expected to keep their cameras on and actively engage with their classmates and instructor throughout the program. Rather than watching recorded lectures, students participate in live discussions, activities, presentations, and exercises designed to build communication skills through practice.
- The Wednesday before the program begins, students will receive an email containing their Google Classroom login credentials, Zoom access information, and any additional instructions needed to prepare for the first day of class.
When is check-in and checkout for in-person campers?
For Residential and Extended Day (Commuter) programs, check-in takes place on Sunday from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., followed by a family orientation from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Parents are welcome, but not required, to attend the orientation.
Checkout takes place on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. Prior to checkout, students participate in final presentations and showcases that families are warmly invited, but not required, to attend.
Education Unlimited also offers optional airport transportation service for residential students attending programs at Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Georgetown.
For students using our airport transportation service, we recommend:
- Arrival flights between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. on check-in day
- Departure flights after 2:00 p.m. on checkout day
If your travel plans fall outside these windows, please contact us. We are often able to accommodate special circumstances and are happy to help families find the best travel arrangements for their student.
Testimonials
Hear what students are saying about our summer public speaking courses!
"The administration was phenomenal. I would absolutely recommend this camp to others! Everyone was so kind and I learned so much! [The debate instructor] was incredibly helpful, he always answered my questions and helped me with confidence as I debated. [The delivery instructor] pushed me very hard and due to this I can speak in front of others now! She pushed me out of my comfort zone and now I am not afraid. The electives were effective because of the hands-on learning - actually doing the negotiations. I am 100% satisfied."
—Elizabeth B., Public Speaking Institute participant
"My debate instructor, Jeff, was GREAT. The best debate instructor ever. He was supportive, friendly, caring, understanding and nice. I don't think there will ever be another debate instructor as good as him. I found the mini-debates to be the most helpful part of the class."
—Grace L., Public Speaking participant
"I spent two summers at Stanford University with Education Unlimited. I was at their debate camps, and I always left prepared and energized for the upcoming school year. The instruction was intensive and in depth, and the instructors were all well connected at universities I was interested in attending. There is no doubt that my college prospects were enhanced by my attendance at camp."
—Phil H., Public Speaking Institute participant
| Program | Grades | Location | Start Date | End Date | Price Options | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Speaking Institute - High School | 9 - 12 | Online | Jun 15, 2026 | Jun 19, 2026 | Enroll | |
| Public Speaking Institute - High School | 9 - 12 | UC Berkeley | Jun 21, 2026 | Jun 27, 2026 | Enroll | |
| Public Speaking Institute - High School | 9 - 12 | Stanford University | Jul 5, 2026 | Jul 11, 2026 | Enroll | |
| Public Speaking Institute - High School | 9 - 12 | Online | Jul 6, 2026 | Jul 10, 2026 | Enroll | |
| Public Speaking Institute - High School | 9 - 12 | Georgetown University | Jul 12, 2026 | Jul 18, 2026 | Enroll | |
| Public Speaking Institute - High School | 9 - 12 | UCLA | Jul 12, 2026 | Jul 18, 2026 | Enroll | |
| Public Speaking Institute - High School | 9 - 12 | Stanford University | Jul 19, 2026 | Jul 25, 2026 | Enroll | |
| Public Speaking Institute - High School | 9 - 12 | Online | Jul 27, 2026 | Jul 31, 2026 | Enroll | |
| Public Speaking Institute - High School | 9 - 12 | Stanford University | Aug 2, 2026 | Aug 8, 2026 | Enroll |
Price Options for Public Speaking Institute - High School
| Day Camp | $1,095 |
Price Options for Public Speaking Institute - High School
| Extended Day Camp | $2,550 |
| Overnight Camp | $2,985 |
Price Options for Public Speaking Institute - High School
| Extended Day Camp | $2,550 |
| Overnight Camp | $2,985 |
Price Options for Public Speaking Institute - High School
| Day Camp | $1,095 |
Price Options for Public Speaking Institute - High School
| Extended Day Camp | $2,550 |
| Overnight Camp | $2,985 |
Price Options for Public Speaking Institute - High School
| Extended Day Camp | $2,550 |
| Overnight Camp | $2,985 |
Price Options for Public Speaking Institute - High School
| Extended Day Camp | $2,550 |
| Overnight Camp | $2,985 |
Price Options for Public Speaking Institute - High School
| Day Camp | $1,095 |
Price Options for Public Speaking Institute - High School
| Extended Day Camp | $2,550 |
| Overnight Camp | $2,985 |
Our public speaking camps are led by subject matter experts and experienced teachers who guide students in an engaging, small-group setting.
Brianna Broady, MA - Camp Director and Instructor
Brianna Broady is a lecturer with a Master of Arts in Communication Studies from California State University, Northridge in Southern California. Brianna teaches classes at several Southern California colleges in Communication Studies in her primary areas of interest: performance studies and intercultural communication studies. A seasoned debater and coach, Brianna has brought extensive experience to her roles as both a public speaking instructor and camp director for Education Unlimited since 2012.
As Director of Individual Events for Santa Monica College, Brianna coaches students in competitive public speaking in a variety of disciplines. During her undergraduate years at California State University, Northridge, she competed in events ranging from informative speaking to programmed oral interpretation. Brianna was the first person in the history of the school to qualify for the prestigious National Individual Event Tournament of Champions all four years that she competed.
John Kephart, PhD - Camp Director and Instructor
Dr. John Kephart III is an associate professor at California State University, Northridge. Dr. Kephart has a PhD in Rhetorical Theory and Criticism from the University of Southern California. A member of the Education Unlimited team since 2008, Dr. Kephart has served as instructor, director, and curriculum designer. He helped to develop the curriculum for both the A+ Pre-College and A+ High School summer camp programs. Dr. Kephart has a teaching philosophy that values students’ active engagement in their own learning; he focuses on encouraging students to find their own voice and perspective on contemporary issues, helping them to be more avid learners and more engaged citizens.
In addition to his faculty position, Dr. Kephart is also the director of the speech and debate program at CSU Northridge; he has over 16 years of experience coaching debate competitors of all ages. A Los Angeles native and avid Dodgers fan, Dr. Kephart received his Master's of Arts and Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies from The University of Southern California.
Cameron (Cam) Martin, MA - Instructor
Cameron is highly regarded in speech and debate circles not only as a successful former high school and collegiate competitor himself, but also as an accomplished coach. As a collegiate competitor, Cam received two gold medals at collegiate Nationals.
As a coach, Cam has served on the California High School Speech Association's Board of Directors, where he is the Director of the Middle School State Championships and assists with the direction of the High School State Championships. In addition, Cameron directs one of the largest high school invitational tournaments in the state of California.
Cam's top priority is to help students build confidence in themselves by developing their voices around their sincerest passions. He believes that every student should have their own agency and be able to witness the impact they can have on their communities. Cam is deeply committed to helping students succeed and is always looking for new ways to promote speech and debate education in the community.
Jessica Kwack, MA - Instructor
Jessica Kwack is a teacher at California State University, Northridge, where she also received both her Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Communication Studies. Since 2014, Jessica has taught the Fundamentals of Public Speaking as well as Argumentation. In addition to her position at CSU Northridge, she also teaches as an adjunct faculty member at several colleges across Southern California. Jessica also serves as the Assistant Coach of the Matador Speech and Debate Team at CSU Northridge, focusing on individual events such as informative and persuasive speaking.
Jessica has been with Education Unlimited since 2015. A native of the Los Angeles area, Jessica loves the sun, the movies, and her home basketball team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Emily Galper, MA - Instructor
Emily Galper is a Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying media effects and the promotion of preventative health behaviors. She received her Master's of Arts and Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Northridge, where she taught both public speaking and argumentation in addition to coaching on the speech and debate team. During her time at CSUN, Emily received the Elizabeth Berry Outstanding TA Award, the Kent Joel Snyder Award, and the Richard Aronstam Forensics Award. More recently, Emily presented her master’s thesis at the International Communication Association Conference in Paris, France (May 2022). In her free time, Emily enjoys hiking, people-watching, and traveling.
Robert Loy, MA - Instructor
Robert Loy is an assistant professor of Communication Studies at Los Angeles Pierce College. He holds a Master of Arts Degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Northridge. Since 2014, he has been a lecturer at CSU Northridge in the areas of public speaking and argumentation. A director with Education Unlimited since 2013, Robert has dedicated time throughout his career to ensuring youth gain access to knowledge and skills to prepare them for college and career success.
Robert has received recognition throughout his academic career, most notably the Outstanding Teaching Associate Award and the Outstanding Graduate Student Award of 2014 during his time at CSUN. He has tutored for Project GRAD Los Angeles and worked with students in the Los Angeles Unified School District AVID Program. In his free time, Robert enjoys going to various baseball stadiums (Dodger Stadium is so far the best), visiting Disneyland/California Adventure, and eating at new food truck venues.
Wiliam Russel - Instructor
Bill Russell has spent his entire adult life learning how to craft arguments and present them most effectively. After a successful career as a college debater, where he finished among the top ten teams at the National Debate Tournament three times, Bill spent nine years as the assistant director of Debate at Dartmouth College. During that time, his teams won a national championship, and qualified twenty-one teams for the elimination rounds (Sweet 16) of the national tournament. Bill has over twenty years of experience teaching argumentation, debate, and public speaking to high school students at summer educational camps. Bill has spent the past twelve years practicing law, bringing his skill for argument development and presentation to a different audience. During that time, he has helped in briefing a successful Supreme Court appeal in the most important securities fraud decision in the last thirty-five years.
Robert Labeda - Instructor
Bobby Lebeda has been a speech and debate coach for over 10 years. He got his Master's in Communication Studies from California State University in 2017. He's taught every age group from elementary to university. He is a full-time speech and debate teacher and adjunct professor. He's the co-president of the Tri-County Speech and Debate League, on the West Los Angeles National District board, and on the Board of Directors for the California High School Speech Association. In his free time, he likes to write, cook, sing, and perform improvisational comedy.
Marina Shew - Instructor
Marina Shew is a law student at Columbia Law School in New York City. She has dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Philosophy and Political Science from Clemson University in South Carolina. In both high school and college, Marina was the president of her respective debate teams, taking on leadership, teaching, and mentoring roles for younger students. She's also taught both debate and public speaking in Beijing, China. She has experience in several styles of public speaking, from debate to mock trial to ethics bowl.
Marina is looking forward to getting to know students on a personal level and working with them individually to find their voice and refine their public speaking skills. In her teaching, she aims to create a friendly, comfortable, and approachable environment where everyone can work collaboratively to achieve personal improvement. In addition to her love of the law, Marina enjoys international travel to experience different countries and cultures. She also enjoys swing dancing, which she teaches in her spare time.
Stephen Buettler - Camp Director
Stephen Buettler is an instructor and public speaking expert with dual degrees in literature and philosophy from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition to roles as lecturer and curriculum director at the university level, Stephen has over 15 years of experience teaching and consulting for high school speech and debate programs. Stephen has been Camp Director of the Education Unlimited Summer Camp Program at Georgetown since 2014.
Stephen has additional experience in logistics coordination; he has consulted for numerous production and event planning companies throughout the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. His work in this field allows him to combine his passion for communication with a desire to make large-scale events more sustainable and community-focused.
Hershini Gopal - Instructor
Hershini is a graduate of UCLA Law School. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Maryland. During her undergraduate years, Hershini worked for the United Nations Environmental Programme in Washington, D.C., where she helped prepare for the 2015 Paris Climate Summit. She also spent two years working as a paralegal for the Department of Justice. In addition to her work in D.C., Hershini was also a Mock Trial competitor for the University of Maryland for three years, and upon graduation, she returned to her hometown of Denver, Colorado, where she coached her former high school mock trial team to the state finals.
As a Colorado native, Hershini enjoys skiing and warming up afterward with vast quantities of chai.