Program Descriptions

5 Week Zag Scholars. June 22 - July 27

The Scholars Program represents our top labs at the GDI. The Scholars launched in 2001 and since then a large number of our alumni have gone on to success at the highest levels of college success. They include Nate Cohn, Jessica Yeats, Sarah Weiner, Sean Kennedy, Sam Allen and many others. The Scholars is a 5 week lab experience for students entering their junior or senior season, who have demonstrated success on both the national and regional circuits, and who posessess a strong commitment to improving their craft. We will accept 32 students into the program. If you are not accepted into Scholars we hope you'll consider attending our Four Week Varsity Program. Due to the popularity of the Scholars labs we can't accept more than 4 students from a single school into ths program, and no more than 2 students from the same school in the same lab.  This years Scholars faculty features Adrienne Brovero, Sarah Lundeen, Geoff Lundeen, and Steve Pointer.  You'll have the opporunity to work with all of these faculty as either primary lab leaders, in negative argument labs, or as judges during your practice and tournament debates.

5 Week Sophomores. June 22 - July 27

The 5 week Sophomores lab at the GDI will once again offer an intensive 5 week program designed for rising sophomores preparing  to make a jump to the next level.  This is basically a Scholars Lab for some of the best, brightest and most dedicated sophomores from across the nation. This lab will be taught by Leah Moczulski (Wake Forest) and Jim Schultz (Idaho State). Leah was a two time first round debater at Gonzaga and a semi finalist at both the NDT and TOC.  Jim is considered once of the finest coaches and lab leaders in the country and was a stand out debater for the University of West Georgia where he earned consecutive first round bids to the NDT.

4 Week Varsity Program. June 29 - July 27

The 4 Week Programs traditionally attracts a wide range of students iwho are looking for a challenging lab environment that combines a heavy focus and emphasis on research along with plenty of opportunities for practice and skill work.  Upon arrival you, will have the opportunity to begin debating immediately with files produced by faculty and Scholars. You will primarily spend the first 1-2 weeks focusing extensively on original research and argument development in your labs while also attending lectures in a wide range of subjects. Practice debates, speech redos, and lectures will intensify during the last 2 weeks of your program culminating in the GDI tournament, a 6 round tournament clearing to a double octa finals. The four week faculty is amazing and this year will feature Damiyr Davis from West Georgia, Joe LeDuc and Richard Min from Wake Forest, Izak Dunn from Arizona State University, Danielle Verney from the United States Naval Academy and Eric Lanning from the University of Houston. In addition you will have the chance to work in negative argument labs with many of the Scholars faculty and attend lectures and seminars given by an even larger pool of faculty.

2 Week Programs. July 13 -  July 27

The 2 week programs were the first programs offered at the GDI and they continue to be among our most popular.  All these programs are truly "immersion" programs in the sense that they pack the best of all our programs into a 2 week experience.  These programs will all feature a research component, daily lectures, skills work, and practice debates/speeches.  Students will begin their first week receiving lectures from our "core curriculum", working on research and argument development,  as well as participating in skill work, practice debate, and individualized and small group instruction in lab. The lab leaders in our two week program are some of the best in the nation at teaching debate.  This years faculty is highlighted by Judd Kimball from Mary Washington, Kevin Hamrick from Montgomery Bell Academy, Lincoln Garret from Liberty University and Berkeley Prep, Paul Montrieul from Centennial HS, and Jordon Newton from Gonzaga University. The last week of institute will focus almost exclusively on practice debating and lab work culminating in the GDI Tournament, a 6 rounds tournament clearing to double octafinals. If you want to get the most out of 2 weeks of debate camp this is the program for you. You will not find a better 2 week institute experience anywhere in the nation.                                                                   

                                                                                                                                               
Beginners (Novice) Program. July 13 - 27. The Beginners Program is designed for students with little to no policy debate experience.  Students will focus on skills building and learning the fundamentals of speaking and advocacy in the context of policy debate.   The primary focus for this lab is skills development through intensive practice regiment and skills development course.  Throughout the institute students will receive lectures on a wide variety of topics designed for this skill level.  Please visit the Novice Program site for a more detailed description of everything this program can offer.