Yuba City • Marysville • Sutter County

Helping students speak clearly, think deeply, and argue well.

Yuba-Sutter Speech & Debate Academy is a nonprofit public benefit corporation supporting local students through public speaking, debate, civic literacy, tournament preparation, judge training, and school-based speech and debate support.

Middle school and high school Beginner friendly Competition focused

Practical training for real competition.

The Academy exists to build students who can compete, lead, and communicate. We focus on the skills students actually need in rounds and in life.

Public speaking

Students practice voice, posture, pacing, clarity, audience adaptation, and confident delivery without turning every speech into a canned performance.

Argumentation

Students learn claim, warrant, evidence, impact, weighing, refutation, cross-examination, and the discipline of answering the argument actually made.

Tournament readiness

We help students understand event rules, prepare cases and speeches, review ballots, practice rounds, and build the habits needed for sustained improvement.

Speech and debate gives students a rare combination: courage, precision, and judgment under pressure.

PF

Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas

Case construction, impacts, weighing, evidence use, rebuttal strategy, and speaking drills.

CX

Congress and debate fundamentals

Legislation analysis, authorship speeches, questioning, clash, flowing, and round strategy.

SP

Speech events

Interpretation, original advocacy, informative speaking, impromptu, delivery, and performance polish.

JD

Judge and parent training

Clear judging standards, useful ballots, tournament logistics, and support for first-time volunteers.

Who we serve.

We support students and families across the Yuba-Sutter area, including students who are brand new to speech and debate and students already competing for their school teams.

For students

The Academy helps students become clearer writers, stronger speakers, better listeners, and more strategic competitors.

  • Beginner workshops
  • Practice rounds and speaking labs
  • Congress, debate, and speech event support
  • Ballot review and skill-specific feedback

For schools and families

Speech and debate takes adults, judges, transportation, planning, and patience. We help build the support system around the students.

  • Judge recruitment and training
  • Parent volunteer orientation
  • School-based team support
  • Local scrimmages and community programming
Competition note: Students participating in school-based tournaments remain subject to the rules of their school, league, CHSSA, NSDA, NCFL, and the tournament host. Yuba-Sutter Speech & Debate Academy provides supplemental instruction, preparation, judge training, and logistical support. The Academy does not represent that students may bypass school-based eligibility or entry rules.

Contact Us

We are gathering interest from students, parents, judges, educators, attorneys, community members, and volunteers who want local students to have stronger speech and debate opportunities.

Get in touch

For student interest, school support, judging, volunteering, or general questions, email the Academy.

Email Devin