The NHSDLC is the largest high school debate league in China. Throughout the school year, from September to May, the NHSDLC hosts over 50 tournaments in 35 different Chinese cities. The size of these tournaments ranges from 120 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. Several regional tournaments also feature a middle school division.

The NHSDLC season concludes with the National Championship, the largest high school debate tournament in Asia, which is held every summer in Beijing. Teams that finish in the Top 16 of a regional tournament qualify to compete at Nationals. Comprising of three divisions - a middle school, high school, and international division - the National Championship is the most competitive debate tournament of the year, and the highlight of the NHSDLC season.

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 and Shanghai, 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.

The NHSDLC also hosts an intensive summer camp program at Swarthmore College, one of the top liberal arts colleges in the United States.

As part of our commitment to grow debate in China, the NHSDLC offers two free 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.