Bill of Rights Institute and Founding Forward wrap summer debate institute for high schoolers

High school students from across the U.S. took part in a five-day Debate and Leadership Institute in Valley Forge and Philadelphia, aimed at strengthening civic knowledge, leadership and debate skills. The program mixed workshops, historic site visits and a final tournament centered on a constitutional question about congressional authorization for national security deployments.

Why it matters: - The program is designed to help students build civic knowledge, leadership habits and the ability to debate respectfully across differences. - The institute targets rising 10th through 12th graders, a key age when students are forming habits for future civic participation. - The experience tied debate practice to American history and constitutional principles, linking classroom skills to real-world citizenship.

What happened: - Students from across the U.S. participated in the Debate and Leadership Institute, a five-day program hosted by the Bill of Rights Institute and Founding Forward. - The program took place at Founding Forward’s campus at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. - Students attended workshops, Socratic dialogue sessions and collaborative learning activities to strengthen debate, reasoning and rhetorical skills. - Participants also visited Valley Forge National Historic Park and Independence Hall. - The week ended with a final debate tournament at the Union League of Philadelphia on July 24.

The details: - Students debated in teams of two on whether Congress should be required to authorize the deployment of national security forces into states. - Teams had to support their arguments with constitutional checks and balances, historical and legal precedent, public safety concerns and civil liberties arguments. - The institute emphasized analyzing ideas, communicating across differences, defending views with confidence and practicing respectful disagreement. - Bill of Rights Institute Chief Program Officer Stan Swim said the program treats debate as a vehicle for leadership, listening and character development rather than competition alone. - Founding Forward Chief Program Officer Ellen Resnek said students showed an understanding of civility and how to acknowledge other opinions. - Founding Forward Chief Operating Officer Joseph Fay said the students learned to make concise arguments, be gracious in debate and reconsider their assumptions.

Between the lines: - The program reflects a broader effort by civic education nonprofits to make constitutional study feel practical, not abstract. - By pairing historic sites with live debate, the institute turns American history into a setting for active skill-building. - The student comments suggest the program is also aimed at helping teens practice empathy and common ground, not just argument structure.

What's next: - The Bill of Rights Institute and Founding Forward are likely to keep using educational programs like this to develop civic understanding and public speaking skills. - Both organizations direct readers to learn more at mybri.org and foundingforward.org.