Why debate?
Debate is a sport based on theory. Team members take turns speaking, explaining their reasons for supporting or opposing an argument, to best persuade judges. Debate helps improve many skills:
CONFIDENCE & PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS
In every class, students deliver real-time debates and practice their skills.
CRITICAL THINKING
Debate is an active sport that requires quick and logical reasoning skills.
WRITING SKILLS
Debate forces students to focus on strong logic, structure, and arguments — the same skills needed for writing essays.
UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS
Universities today pay close attention to high-calibre extracurricular activities, such as debate.
Here’s what are students have to say about debating with Vancouver Debate Academy. See more from our students on Our Youtube Page.
About VDA
Our Mission
VDA’s mission is to train students to think critically about their world and advocate successfully for themselves and their communities.
Our Vision
VDA visions all of our students become future leaders in various fields and courageous speakers who make their voices heard.
Our Values
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- Life-long skills for university and life (critical thinking, researching, writing, speaking, interdisciplinary)
- Well-rounded instruction from BC’s top coaches
- Focus on whole child development
- Celebrate success at every stage of development
- Global awareness and literacy
- Equal access to opportunities and resources
How We Are Different
Through the collective efforts of our experienced team and in partnership with Heritage Christian Online School (HCOS), VDA has developed elective courses that can now be taken for B.C. credit toward graduation. We are the first and only debate program that offers B.C. Ministry of Education debate credit.
VDA offers a step-by-step long-term strategy for student progress, using a proven curricula to help each student maximize their individual potential.
Through our rigorous program, students not only gain debate and public speaking skills, but also advance their literacy and research skills, improve their self-esteem, and broaden their knowledge.
Our expert coaches know every student and provide individualized feedback that help each student grow and learn to maximize their own unique/personal style.
Our coaches come from the UBC Debate Society, western Canada’s #1 debate club.
Get In Touch…
Debate Program Director
Bryan Weber
- Holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in international affairs and political science
- An award-winning speech and debate coach with over two decades of experience at the primary, secondary, and university levels.
- Has coached teams to multiple championships and speaker awards at Harvard, Stanford, and Georgetown, a top eight finish at the China National Championship, and numerous other accolades
- Former director of the Houston and Minnesota Urban Debate Leagues, which produced both state and national champions and introduced hundreds of students to speech and debate
- Awarded Teacher of the Year in Houston, Texas
- Two-time Texas state silver medalist, a US national qualifier, and consistently finished in championship rounds of both speech and debate
