Mission
To provide classes for young students that will ensure them the necessary skills they need in the future; to inspire a generation of creative, ambitious, and confident individuals who are constantly challenging themselves to do better and to promote awareness about global issues from multiple perspectives.
Our organization has taught over 150 students from over 20 neighboring elementary and middle schools over the past five years, giving students the necessary debate and speaking skills for life.
2023 Virtual Summer Break Debate and Speech Camp
Sign up for our debate camp over summer break!
Debate Session 1 (Foundations): June 19th - June 30th, Monday to Friday, 7 PM - 9 PM.
This camp will cover the basics of debate, as well as material on public speaking, presentations, discussions and debates on current events, etc. Taught by experienced (former TJ, now college) students, this camp has previously helped many elementary and middle schoolers enter their middle school debate teams, and increased students' confidence in their public speaking and analytical skills. Meant for 5th - 8th graders.
Debate Session 2 (Advanced): July 10th - July 21st, Monday to Friday, 7 PM to 9 PM.
This class will cover advanced debate techniques that teach students to think critically and delve into deeper topics pertaining to politics, ethics, and science. At a more intense level of debate, students can learn the nuances of argument and how to apply it in real life. Meant for 5th - 8th graders.
Speech Camp (Foundations): June 24th - August 12th, Saturday, 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM.
This class is set in a noncompetitive environment where students learn the basics of public speaking including how to engage with an audience, write a persuasive speech, and thrive in an interview setting. Filled with hands on activities, students will learn to apply speech and public speaking to their daily lives. Meant for 2nd - 5th graders.
The tuition for debate camp is $250, and speech camp is $200. Please contact us if you qualify for free lunch programs so that we may work with your school's PTA and offer a 50% discount. Additionally, if your school has a school code that you use during registration, we will donate 10% of our proceeds from that student to their school's PTA to further support the education of students.
Click HERE to register for debate/speech summer camp.
About Nation's Capital Academy
Educating Students Since 2018
Nation's Capital Academy is an organization created and run by former TJ students to prepare students for middle and high school by offering lessons in subjects that are essential for their future careers.
Alice Ji, Co-founder
Hello! I'm the co-founder of Nation's Capital Debate Academy. This year I’m a freshman at the College of William and Mary majoring in Computer Science and Studio Art. I graduated last year as a member of the TJ Class of 2022. I began debating in the ESU-MSPDP Debate Program in seventh grade as part of the Rachel Carson Middle School Debate Team. From there, I was in TJ’s Public Forum Debate Team and now, am currently in the William and Mary Debate Society, which ranks as the second highest public debate society in the nation. Outside of debate, I’ve received many art awards in local, statewide, and international competitions. In 2017, I was the grand prize winner for the Virginia Association of Science Teachers art contest and had my art as their annual magazine cover. While at TJ, I served as the President of Art Club, President of Urban Dance Movement, and Communications Chair for TJ National Honor Society. During this time, I also led a TJ student group for a nonprofit organization (AE2C), which earned me a recommendation letter on behalf of the board of directors, whose president is the current treasurer of the United States Energy Association. As a current Monroe Scholar at William and Mary, I hope I can help educate young students in my specialized fields and encourage them to take on leadership and entrepreneurial roles.
Ramya Griddaluri, Co-founder
Hello! I’m a freshman at New York University majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Chemistry and Public Health, and I’m a cofounder of Nation’s Capital Academy. I recently graduated from TJ, where I was on the Public Forum Debate Team and won 5th at Metrofinals, and I was on the Rachel Carson Middle School Debate team from 2016 to 2018. Outside of debate, I have multiple accomplishments as a violinist, including winning the concertmaster seat in the 2019 and 2021 Senior Regional Orchestra, making the All-Virginia orchestra 4 times, and receiving an ABRSM performance diploma. Additionally, I received the Girl Scout Gold Award for my community-based music education initiative and the Congressional Award Gold Medal for 400+ hours of volunteer service. I also have a passion for the Indian classical dance form Odissi, and I have performed locally and internationally including at the Kennedy Center in DC and the Children’s Little Theater in Kolkata, India. As someone who aspires to attend medical school in the future and make a difference in my patients’ lives, I hope that I can make a difference in our students’ lives, help them apply public speaking, and teach them to be critical thinkers and good debaters!
My child improved a lot from taking your debate camp. He's more persuasive and speks more eloquently. I appreciate the amount of work put in to making this course fun and interactive. There was so much engagement in the course material and all the students were passionate about class.
Han Liang | Client
FAQ's
Here you'll find some answers to frequently asked questions!
What age should the students be for debate camp?
We teach rising 5th to 9th graders parliamentary style debate. Older kids rising 7th to 9th are eligible to sign up for our advanced debate classes. Students who attended our basic debate classes are also eligible for the advanced class.
Where will the proceeds from the tournament be donated?
Every tournament will have a different focus and donate to a different charity. All proceeds from our April 3rd tournament will be donated to The Innocence Project.
What about the classes other than debate?
Our instructors are working very hard to create new courses and make them available as soon as possible. We promise these new courses will be fun and engaging for students. If you are interested in any class, feel free to shoot us an email at nationscapitalacademy@gmail.com