ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the extent to which participation in debate camp influences middle school and high school students’ perceptions of their own civic engagement. Civic engagement in middle and high school youth has served as a topic of study both in school and in out of class activities such as 4-H, Boys and Girls Club, and youth development organizations. Most research on debate and civic engagement has focused exclusively on higher education settings. For example, scholars have explored debate’s ability to supplement service-learning or provide an outreach curriculum in one college’s First Year Seminar program. Overall, students’ perceptions of their own civic engagement significantly increases after participating in summer debate camp. Students indicated that they experienced an increase in both their civic duty and civic skills. Additionally, debate educators and communication scholars can play a role in understanding the developmental process of civic education among adolescents.
