limited spots available - we recommend you apply by April 15

Think debate camp sounds boring?

Think again.

WHO

Rising 6-12th
Graders

WHERE

St Francis College

179 Livingston Street, Brooklyn

Near A, C, B, D, F, G, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4, 5 trains

WHEN

MS: July 6-17

HS: July 20 - Aug 7

Monday—Friday
9am—4pm

THIS YEAR’S THEME: THE FUTURE OF NEW YORK CITY

We’ll be debating topics that matter to the city we love including:

  • Does rent control reduce or increase housing supply?

  • Are short term rentals worsening NYC's housing shortage?

  • Should NYC make public transportation free?

  • Is congestion pricing an effective public policy?

  • Do increased police budgets decrease crime?

Can’t make it in person? We’re camping online in August!

See here for more details

limited spots available - we recommend you apply by April 15

What We Offer

  • Academic and socio-emotional instruction

  • Camp tournament including individualized feedback

  • End-of-camp showcase where families and guests are invited to watch student performances

  • Snacks and lunch daily

  • BDL t-shirt

Watch highlights from our high school camp showcase last summer!

limited spots available - we recommend you apply by April 15

Testimonials

  • "The BDL camp had set a high standard for what a summer camp should be, a place to learn, a place to make friends, but most importantly, a place where my voice is heard."

    -BDL Camper

  • "Our family could not be more grateful that our son attended summer camp. Not only did he learn about debate while building critical thinking skills with expert coaches, he did so in an environment that challenged, supported, stretched, and encouraged him in all the best ways."

    -BDL Parent

  • "I thought the camp was going to be strictly about Speech & Debate, but it wasn’t. It was about being a community. This camp allowed me to become friends with people I would’ve never met if I hadn’t joined. Everything at this camp was perfect."

    - BDL Camper

  • "I have been involved in Speech & Debate for half of my life, and there is no organization that does more for the activity than the Brooklyn Debate League. Our summer camp is transformative: at the end of camp, students that have never done debate before are speaking of the level of State Champions."

    -BDL Coach

  • "Everyone is included, everyone is respectful, and everyone wants to be here. This has been a two weeks I will never forget. I would recommend BDL to everyone and anyone."

    - BDL Camper

  • "I have been attending summer camps in general for my entire life (15 years!) and the Brooklyn Debate League is so wonderful I find it hard to articulate."

    - BDL Camper

  • "Going to the BDL camp was an amazing experience. This program has inspired me to start a debate team at my own high school! "

    -BDL Camper

  • "It’s honestly the best academic summer program I’ve ever been to. I’ve learned and improved so much and have been having so much fun."

    -BDL Camper

  • "The BDL is the only organization that gives me hope. The folks that work here all share the common goal of truly facilitating change, both in the lives of our students, and the world they’re fated to inherit. The BDL has developed a radically compassionate pedagogy that brings the best out of us all."

    - BDL Coach

  • "This camp has transformed me in ways I could never imagine. Coming into camp, I felt lost, demotivated, I lost sight of why I even had an appreciation for debate in the first place. But by the end of my two weeks at BDL, not only have I found my voice and sense of confidence, I have a newfound, genuine love and passion for Speech & Debate."

    - BDL Camper

  • "This was the best camp I’ve ever attended. It would warm my heart if everyone else could have the opportunity to share my experience. The memories, friends, and learnings from this fantastic camp cannot be matched."

    - BDL Camper

  • "Before this I knew nothing about debate, but after these 2 weeks of camp I have learned so much!"

    - BDL Camper

  • "When I first came, I wanted to quit. I wasn’t used to doing something during the summer but time and time again this camp proves to me that every day here is worth it."

    -BDL Camper

  • "I have gone to BDL camp for 2 years now and it has been one of my most influential and favorite experiences ever. "

    -BDL Camper

  • "This was my second summer at BDL camp because the first summer was so amazing that I had to come back! BDL camp, while fun, is also a very educational experience that helps better many debaters! They helped me have a pathway to compete at States last year, even though my school didn’t have a team."

    - BDL Camper

  • "At this camp, I was able to conquer my stage fright and social anxiety. I gave speeches to full rooms and made new friends. "

    -BDL Camper

Meet Our Coaches

  • Joey DiColandrea

    HIGH SCHOOL CAMP DIRECTOR

    Joey competed at Stuyvesant High School from 2002-06, on a team that won national recognition and with whom he won the NSDA national championship in prose reading. He’s been coaching ever since, and began teaching in 2017.

    Joey has a B.A. in Economics from Clark University and an M.A. in Education from Relay GSE. In a previous life with the 10th Mountain Infantry Division, he was commended for his work as a civil-military liaison, training officer, and WMD-detection platoon leader. If you count his year running an embassy-sponsored Pashtun radio station in Afghanistan, this is his second nonprofit aimed at improving civic discourse.

  • K.M. DiColandrea

    CAMP ADMIN

    From 1999-2003, DiCo competed on the Stuyvesant HS Speech & Debate Team, where they were a state finalist in Extemporaneous Speaking and a national finalist in Congressional Debate. After graduating with a B.A. in Philosophy from Yale, they joined Teach for America and started debate teams at the Frederick Douglass Academy and Achievement First Brooklyn High School.

    DiCo is a recipient of several teaching prizes including the Teach for America Alumni Award for Excellence. They have been named a Master Teacher by the Achievement First charter school network and a First Diamond Coach. In 2022, they were honored to receive the Brother Sterner Lifetime Service Award by the National Speech and Debate Association.

  • Jonathan Conyers

    COACH

    From 2009-2011, Jonathan competed on the Frederick Douglass Academy Debate Team, where he competed at national tournaments such as the Yale, Columbia and Harvard Invitationals. After graduating with a B.S. in Respiratory Therapy from Stony Brook University in 2017, he started working for NYU Langone Medical Center as a Neonatal Pediatric Specialist.

    Jonathan is the author of I Wasn’t Supposed To Be Here, a memoir about his remarkable journey and the unique and diverse cast of characters who Jonathan met along his journey who helped transform his life from mere survival to unimaginable success.

    Jonathan is also a successful entrepreneur who has founded Conyers Real Estate, Agbara Health Services, and Conyers Production Company.

  • Want to join our team?

    If you’re a Speech & Debate alum or coach interested in joining our team, shoot us an email and we'll be in touch.

    joey@brooklyndebateleague.org

  • Brendan Gorman

    MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP DIRECTOR

    Brendan brings 17 years of experience teaching middle and high school students. He has coached middle and high school debate for 18 years and is a one diamond NSDA coach. A former Lincoln-Douglas debater, Brendan was one of the first coaches to send students to Brooklyn Debate League tournaments. With a deep belief in the transformative power of debate and organizations like the BDL, Brendan is committed to empowering students through critical thinking and advocacy.

How much does it cost?

We are proud to announce that Brooklyn Debate League’s camp is FREE this summer. We are committed to not letting costs prohibit students from accessing Speech & Debate, and so we are making camp free.

Students do have to complete an application so we know that they genuinely want to be at camp, but once they get accepted, it’s free.

If your family is able to make a donation to help us keep camp free, the suggested donation is $1000 for middle school camp and $1500 for high school camp.

donate to help keep camp free