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Thornhill Acting Studio Debate Clubs poster featuring Christopher Healy with youth debate students, highlighting Season 1 and Season 2 debate training, critical thinking, persuasive speaking, team strategy, public speaking confidence, championship rounds, and communication skills for kids in Thornhill.
DEBATE CLUBS

Debate Classes for Kids in Thornhill

Debate Clubs help students build critical thinking, persuasive speaking, fast answers, structured arguments, and confidence under pressure.

Students learn how to form clear opinions, support their ideas with reasons and examples, respond to opposing arguments, ask better questions, and speak with more control in live debate situations.

This program is designed for students who want to think faster, speak more clearly, defend their ideas, and perform with confidence in front of others.

Parent Viewing Area

Parents are always welcome to stay and view classes during their child’s session. Thornhill Acting Studio has a parent viewing area where parents may sit back, relax, enjoy a coffee, and quietly watch the class while it is taking place.

We ask that parents remain quiet during class time so students can stay focused, participate fully, and enjoy the training experience. Thank you for helping us maintain a positive, respectful, and focused studio environment for all students.
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Fall 2026 Debate Club Classes

Tuesday, September 8 6:00–7:00 PM
Debate Club Season 1
Ages: 8–12
Tuition: $720 tax exempt / 
Returning students may be eligible for 10% off tuition.
Length: 12 weeks

Wednesday, September 9 7:00–8:00 PM
Debate Club Season 1
Ages: 8–12
Tuition: $720 tax exempt / 
Returning students may be eligible for 10% off tuition.
Length: 12 weeks

Friday, September 11 7:00–8:00 PM
Debate Club Season 1
Ages: 9–14
Tuition: $720 tax exempt / 
Returning students may be eligible for 10% off tuition.
Length: 12 weeks

Saturday, September 12 2:30–3:30 PM (weekend classes run at 11 weeks.)
Debate Club Season 1
Ages: 9–13
Tuition: $660 tax exempt / 
Returning students may be eligible for 10% off tuition.
Length: 11 weeks

Sunday, September 13 10:00–11:00 AM
Debate Club Season 3
Ages: 9–14
Tuition: $660 tax exempt / 
Returning students may be eligible for 10% off tuition.
Length: 11 weeks
Advanced debate group. Prior Debate Club experience and instructor approval required.

Sunday, September 13 12:00–1:00 PM
Debate Club Season 1
Ages: 8–13
Tuition: $660 tax exempt / 
Returning students may be eligible for 10% off tuition.
Length: 11 weeks
Christopher Healy coaching Rachel Parent through public speaking, TV interviews, and live on-air debate preparation, leading to national television debate success and international speaking recognition through Thornhill Acting Studio.
Description

Debate Club teaches students how to think clearly, speak persuasively, and defend their ideas under pressure.

Students learn how real debates work by building claims, supporting opinions with strong reasons, listening carefully to opposing arguments, and responding with structure and confidence.


The class moves step by step through the core skills of debate: forming arguments, organizing ideas, identifying weak points, asking questions, giving rebuttals, and delivering persuasive closing statements.

Students are coached to explain their thinking, stay calm when challenged, and respond with clarity instead of freezing or guessing.

Debate Club also builds public speaking confidence, critical thinking, teamwork, listening skills, emotional control, and the ability to speak with purpose in front of others.

Class size is limited to up to 8 students.

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What This Class Teaches In Debate Club, students work on debate and communication skills such as:

  • Building clear arguments
  • Making strong claims
  • Supporting ideas with reasons and examples
  • Listening to opposing arguments
  • Finding weak points
  • Asking better questions
  • Giving rebuttals
  • Explaining their thinking clearly
  • Speaking under pressure
  • Thinking quickly
  • Responding with structure
  • Staying calm during challenge
  • Team debate strategy
  • Persuasive speaking
  • Critical thinking
  • Respectful disagreement
  • Confidence in front of others
  • Debate round structure
  • Opening statements
  • Closing statements
  • Competition-style focus
Thornhill Acting Studio Debate Club students competing in live championship rounds with buzzers and podiums, building faster thinking, stronger focus, working memory, cognitive flexibility, persuasive speaking, and confidence under pressure.
 Who This Class Is For

Debate Club is designed for students who enjoy ideas, questions, opinions, discussion, competition, or challenge.

It is also helpful for students who need to become more confident speaking up, explaining their thinking, defending their answers, or responding when questioned.

Students do not need to be perfect speakers to begin Season 1.

They do need to be willing to participate, listen, think, and try.

Debate Club is especially useful for students who are ready to build stronger reasoning, clearer answers, better focus, and more confidence speaking in front of others.

Season 3 is for students with previous Debate Club experience and instructor approval.

Season Placement

Debate Club Season 1

Season 1 is for students beginning debate training or continuing foundational debate skills.

Students learn how to build arguments, answer challenges, speak clearly, listen actively, and take part in structured debate rounds.

Season 1 is the best starting point for most new debate students.

Debate Club Season 3

Season 3 is for students with prior Debate Club experience from season 1 and season 2

This advanced group focuses on faster thinking, sharper rebuttals, more independent responses, stronger argument defense, and higher-level debate rounds.

Students entering Season 3 should already understand basic debate structure and be ready for more challenge, speed, and pressure.

Instructor approval is required.

Studio Experience

Classes take place in a working performance studio where students practise speaking in front of others, using podiums, buzzers, team rounds, challenge games, debate formats, and live response drills.

Students learn how to perform under pressure while still staying respectful, controlled, and clear.

The goal is to build real confidence through repeated speaking practice, structured challenge, coaching, correction, and live debate experience.

Confidence Through Debate

The goal is not only to help students “win arguments.” The goal is to help students think clearly, speak respectfully, explain their ideas, listen to others, and respond with confidence under pressure.

Debate training helps students build communication habits that support school discussions, presentations, interviews, leadership opportunities, public speaking, and everyday confidence.

The Bigger Communication Pathway

Debate Club is part of the broader communication and performance pathway at Thornhill Acting Studio.

Students who continue developing their skills may later move into advanced debate, Million Dollar Youth, Public Speaking & Presentation, media-style speaking, interview training, leadership presentations, and performance-based communication work.

This course gives students the base skills they need to think faster, speak with structure, defend ideas, and communicate with confidence.

Rachel Parent speaking at the New York Times Climate Hub Debate after debate and public speaking preparation with Christopher Healy, showing advanced communication training, confidence, and live public debate performance.
What Students Build Across the Debate Program

Students who continue through the broader Debate Club pathway develop ski
lls in:

  • Critical thinking
  • Clear argument structure
  • Persuasive speaking
  • Stronger reasoning
  • Evidence-based answers
  • Rebuttal skills
  • Cross-questioning
  • Listening under pressure
  • Fast response
  • Team strategy
  • Competitive focus
  • Debate confidence
  • Emotional control
  • Respectful disagreement
  • Leadership-style speaking
  • Confidence under challenge
  • Public speaking readiness
  • Communication for school and life
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Free Trial

A free trial class may be available for new students, space permitting.

If the student does not continue after the trial class, there is no charge for that class.
If the student continues, the trial class counts as Class 1 and is included in the full course tuition.


Registration

To register or request class information, please use the registration form or contact Thornhill Acting Studio.
Please review the studio policies before registering, including free trial, refund, make-up class, recording/privacy, safety, and payment policies.


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