ISDS Skill Seminars

The ISDS Skill Seminars are a set of carefully crafted sessions on beginner debate and communication skills for students in grades 6 to 9 with little to no experience in debating coming from schools whose school fees are Rs. 60,000/-. The seminars aim to inculcate skills that can be applied in any debate, public speaking, or structured thinking setting (e.g., essays, interviews, etc.). Developed and executed by the best certified ISDS trainers, these sessions will combine lecture-based teaching and activities for practice, over Zoom, with a mixed classroom of students across schools.

Note:
Although the skills will be taught in a format agnostic manner, each class will have a section on WSDC format integration for students who wish to further explore that format, and enter selection rounds or competitions in the future in it.

Our Motivation: Driving widespread access

We know that debate continues to remain inaccessible to millions of students across the country, be it for cost, cultural, or language barriers. These seminars are a small step further in service of our vision for 200 million students in India to think critically, communicate effectively, and lead with courage. Toward this reason, they are exclusively open to students from schools with an annual fee of Rs. 60,000/- or lower. In addition, students attending from schools in Tier II cities will receive a further subsidy.

Seminar Contents and Pricing

Content:

Session Title	Date & Time
1/ Structured Speaking and Introduction to Debate	Apr 17 ’24 5:30-6:45 pm IST
2/ Building and Delivering Arguments	Apr 24 ’24 5:30-6:45 pm IST
3/ Building and Delivering Rebuttal	May 1 ’24 5:30-6:45 pm IST
4/ Effective Speech Presentation and Style	May 8 ’24 5:30-6:45 pm IST

► The detailed structure can be found here

Pricing¹:

For students attending from metro cities:
Rs. 1,200/- for 4 sessions, Rs. 350/- for 1 session
For students attending from other areas:
Rs. 1,000/- for 4 sessions, Rs. 300/- for 1 session

¹Students unable to afford this fee, or those attending state schools or APS,
can write to us for further consideration for a full subsidy on programmes@indianschoolsdebatingsociety.com

Why should you apply to attend?

Improve your communication skills: Through learning to articulate your thoughts clearly and putting them in action, your written and spoken communication will improve regardless of whether in a debate or public speaking setting.
Hone your critical thinking ability: Learn to analyse information, construct persuasive arguments, and think deeply about complex issues.
Receive expert guidance: Learn from the best! Our workshops are designed and executed by accomplished speakers with experience in debate education, and will break down complex concepts clearly, so you absorb them well.