Debating Hummingbirds

Our Debating Hummingbirds workshop is an introductory-level program.

There are two alternating focuses, so it’s generally recommended that students give it two attempts before moving onto a more experienced program.

It is designed for two types of students:

• those who are in late primary or early high school who have little (or even no) public speaking or debating experience; and
• those who have completed programs designed for younger students (such as Speaking Camp Koalas, Speaking Camp Kangaroos, Public Speaking Wombats and Debating Wallabies) who want to learn fun new skills such as policy debating in a fun and welcoming environment.

Importantly, our Debating Hummingbirds program is perfect for shy and confident students alike!

If your child has some public speaking experience and you’re not sure whether the introductory Debating Hummingbirds or the more experienced Public Speaking Polar Bears, Debating Hawks or Practice Debates programs would be more appropriate, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we can talk through your circumstances!

Check out our video on what to expect at our in-person holiday workshops below!

At the end of the Debating Hummingbirds program, students should:

• understand the essential rules and speaking roles involved in debating;
• have developed an understanding of how to brainstorm arguments and develop a case as a team for ‘policy’ debates;
• know the best strategies to use when delivering arguments and giving rebuttal; and
• have engaged in various activities and practice debates using topics derived from actual interschool debating competitions.

A Nurturing Class Environment

During the first sessions of the program, the coach will spend a substantial amount of time helping students feel comfortable within the class environment and ensuring that all students understand the rules of debating. These early sessions will also involve students presenting multiple times, to help them develop their practical debating skills early on.

Understanding Speaker Roles

As students progress, the focus will shift towards the three core speaker roles within a debate and how the interact with one another. By looking at debating through the lens of speaker roles, students are also exposed to essential concepts like case structure, argumentation and strong debating manner.

Applying Rebuttal

As students become more comfortable with debating generally, they will be exposed to more complex ideas around rebuttal, often considered one of the more complex ideas in debating. By giving students the necessary theory and lots of practical exercises, the aim is to help them develop their rebuttal skills at an accelerated pace that can be easily integrated into debates more generally.

Practice Debates

In addition to all the theory, students will have the opportunity to participate in multiple practice debates during the workshop.  Each debate will be on a different policy topic, and students will have the opportunity to speak in different roles each time.

Our classes vary in size every holiday depending on how many bookings we receive – however, the maximum size of our Debating Hummingbirds class is 9 students with one coach, and 16 students with two coaches.

If all spots are taken, it’s likely due to full capacity. Please reach out to us, and we’ll explore options like opening another class, accommodating your child in the current one, or adding you to a waitlist in case of any cancellations.

After the workshop, students will get to keep:

• a digital personal feedback sheet prepared by their coach, which goes through what they’ve improved on, and what still needs some work;
• a certificate recognising their achievement of completing Debating Hummingbirds;
• a booklet that includes all the concepts they’ve covered over the course of the program, as well as any notes that they’ve taken;
• a completed public speaking presentation and debating speech, which they deliver to their peers on the final day; and
• hopefully a changed narrative in their mind, where public speaking and debating are things to enjoy rather than fear!

As an introductory program, our Debating Hummingbirds class is designed to be completed twice, as it alternates from holiday to holiday with a different focus.

Once completed twice, it’s recommended that students:

• move up to either of our Mixed Experience holiday workshops – Public Speaking Polar Bears or Debating Hawks – depending on their year group and which interests them more; or
• give one of our term programs a try, such as Public Speaking Penguins, Debating Parrots or Debating Club, which will build on the skills learned here.

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions, or get in touch using our contact form to learn more!