Welcome to Ascend
Safety
Safety is our top priority at Ascend. We understand the importance of keeping our students and staff safe and accordingly implement rigorous measures to ensure a safe environment. While at camp, students are constantly supervised and have nightly room checks. Students will have access to Ascend’s dedicated nurse at any time throughout camp. Parents will have access to a dedicated 24/7 contact for parents to call or text during camp. Students and staff are held to a rigorously enforced Code of Conduct. For students who cannot travel, we offer an online alternative.
Education
We are proud to have put together an elite, best-in-the-country coaching staff in Congressional Debate for Summer 2025. All of our staff are either award-winning students, coaches, or both. Many of our staff are themselves former Ascend students. Our staff has achieved mastery of a curriculum that has developed some of the most successful competitors in the country. Ascend’s curriculum is the product of decades of coaching experience coming together. Whether a student is a novice or a national finalist, our curriculum is tailored to helping students find their inner voice in order to achieve their full potential.
Community
Ascend students make lifelong friendships while at camp that carry over into tournaments and college. Many Ascend students connect later in life during college: when a student joins Ascend for a summer, they are joining a community that lasts far beyond. At Ascend, we remember that a summer camp is supposed to be fun and set aside plenty of time for students to bond both informally and through organized activities. Past fun activities have included capture the flag, movie nights, and morning warmups. We have also held important equity discussions with senior members of the speech and debate community.
Let’s Reach Your Goals. Together.
We firmly believe that the voice of a student can change the world. At Ascend, we provide an immersive, two-week learning experience to help you find your voice and use it, wherever your path may take you. We’re a Congressional Debate camp, but the skills we teach will help you achieve your goals everywhere. Our alumni have gone on to win national tournaments, attend top-tier colleges, win debate scholarships, and start non-profits.
Join Our Community.
“It is the community, connection, and support that we provide for our students that overwhelmingly dictates their experience.
Champions are never born, they are cultivated.
Victory alone is never enough.”
— Quest Sandel, Chief Executive Officer of Ascend
Year-Round Learning Ecosystem.
Ascend offers access to coaches from our summer programs—Ascend California, Ascend Florida and Ascend Online—during the school year through Ascend Academy and Sandel Academy, creating a year-round learning ecosystem in Congressional Debate distinct from any other summer camp.
Schedule Free Consultation.
At Ascend, we make it a priority to be accessible to our students and their families. Whether you’re a current student, a prospective student, a former student, or a parent/guardian, a member of our leadership team would be more than happy to schedule a free consultation with you at your convenience. Please find a time on our Calendly (See the adjacent scheduling tool) to meet with us, and we’ll call you at the time you schedule! Alternatively, you can email us with any questions at info@ascendspeech.org
