Seven Week Program
June 23rd – August 6th, 2024
If you are looking for the most comprehensive and challenging summer workshop experience, the Michigan Seven Week Program is for you. These labs offer the only cohesive, continuous Seven Week summer program for high school debaters. The Seven Week Program offers a student to faculty ratio of 10 to 1 or better a better ratio than any major lab in the country. In addition, the 2024 Seven Week Program participated in dozens of practice debates, attended dozens of lectures, and turned out arguably the best evidence set in the country. The Seven Week Program is available for rising Seniors and Juniors.
The Seven Week Program is our most exclusive camp. ONLY THE TOP Seniors and Juniors WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE SEVEN WEEK PROGRAM. The only applicants who are eligible are students who will be a Senior or Junior entering the 2024-2025 debate year. The Seven Week Program combines technological innovation (video debates, paperless debate and Verbatim, etc.) with the best debate instructors in the country and our incredible University of Michigan library system to make the most comprehensive camp experience available in the United States.
2024 Seven Week Program Instructors:
7 Week Seniors Lab 1– Dr. Brett Bricker (University of Kansas and Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart), Eric Forslund (Pace Academy), Kevin Hirn (University of Michigan and University of Chicago Laboratory Schools), and Dana Randall (Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart)
7 Week Seniors Lab 2– Dr. Allie Chase (Greenhill School), Kurt Fifelski (University of Michigan and Westminster Schools), Dustin Meyers-Levy (University of Michigan and Glenbrook North High School), and Stephen Pipkin (Glenbrook North High School)
7 Week Juniors Lab 1– Jeff Buntin (Northwestern University and Montgomery Bell Academy), Tim Ellis (Washburn Rural High School), Gabe Jankovsky (North Broward Prep School) and Grace Kessler (Emory University)
7 Week Juniors Lab 2– Josh Clark (Montgomery Bell Academy), Scott Phillips (Harvard-Westlake School and Dartmouth College), Dr. Becca Steiner (Emory University and Pace Academy), and Whit Whitmore (Pace Academy)
7 Week Juniors Lab 3– Brian Box (Blue Valley North High School), Alyssa Lucas-Bolin (Glenbrook South High School), Bennett Dombcik (University of Michigan and Isidore Newman School), and Will Katz (Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart)
A list of the qualifications of these teachers is provided in our faculty section.
The unique format of the Seven Week Program ensures that students receive an intensive, comprehensive and non-duplicative curriculum. This year’s program will split the Seniors and Juniors into separate labs. The Seven Week Lab Leaders will split up the research assignments so that no assignments will be duplicative and every single student will receive every bit of evidence the five Seven Week Labs produce. The Seniors and Juniors labs will make practice round schedules together so you still have exposure to all of the Seven Week Faculty and teams. This program therefore offers unparalleled opportunities for in-depth instruction and learning, and extensive analysis of the new national debate resolution.
We believe that the structure of the Seven Week Program is entirely unique and cannot be duplicated in any other camp environment in the country. If you want to elevate every aspect of your debate ability in an intensive Seven Week environment this is the camp for you!
What did the 2023 students think of the experience:
Fees
Fees for the 2024 7 Week Program are $6,900 and a $65 application fee for in-person. There is no online/remote option for the 7 Week Program. Students who are admitted will be required to submit a non-refundable deposit within a week after receiving their acceptance. Payment of the balance must take place no later than May 1st.
Application and Admission
Students who wish to apply to the Seven Week Program must submit a completed application by no later than June 1st and a $65 non-refundable application fee. Students will be notified of their admission status no later than June 1st. Students attending must confirm via a non-refundable deposit within a week after their acceptance. Please do not call to inquire about admission status unless you have not heard from us by June 1st as there will be a waitlist.
Click here to go directly to our Application Page