The NHSDLC is the largest debate league in China. Throughout the school year, from September to May, the NHSDLC hosts roughly 40 tournaments The size of these tournaments ranges from 100 students in smaller cities to as many as 300 in larger cities. These competitions are an excellent opportunity for first time debaters to try out the activity of debate, and for experienced debaters to hone their abilities. Our regional tournaments also feature middle school divisions.

The NHSDLC season concludes with the National Championships. Teams that advance to elimination rounds at a regional tournament qualify to compete at nationals. We host separate nationals for middle school, high school, and international students. They are the most competitive tournaments of the year.

The NHSDLC runs weeklong debate training camps in February and July, where students receive coaching from some of the top debate instructors in the world. We recruit coaches from our partner organizations at top U.S. universities, including the Princeton Debate Panel, the Yale Debate Association, and the Harvard College Mentors for Urban Debate. The camps are located at major hotels in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, and draw students from across China.

Over the course of an intensive week, students receive more than 20 hours of direct instruction in small workshops and participate in several practice rounds. This format allows for lesson plans specifically tailored to the needs each student, and opportunities to put new skills to the test against other debaters. Students who attend camp see a dramatic improvement in their debate, public speaking, critical thinking, and research abilities.

Every February, the NHSDLC accompanies the top-performing Chinese teams to the Stanford and Harvard high school tournaments. These students receive rigorous debate coaching before they compete against the top U.S. high school debaters. In 2017, NHSDLC students won the international divisions of both tournaments.

As part of our commitment to grow debate in China, the NHSDLC offers free debate training sessions per year to any interested school in the country.

The NHSDLC also runs intensive workshops that focus on building advanced debate skills. Workshops involve a combination of instruction, drills, and practice debate rounds. You may request a one-day or multi-day workshop based on your preference, and the NHSDLC will tailor the curriculum to your students' needs.

Please visit the Become a Member School page if you would like to arrange a debate training or workshop.