Find Your Voice. Right Here in Stockton.
Stockton Camps brings Ascend Speech & Debate, the country's premier debate camp, home to San Joaquin families. Two weeks at the University of the Pacific for 6th–12th graders. No experience required.
Speech & Debate Is Transformative.
We've watched it change thousands of kids over the past seven summers running Ascend. Stronger thinkers, sharper leaders, kids who can hold a room. Stockton Camps is that same program, brought home to families in San Joaquin County.
This One's Ours, Stockton.
Stockton Camps is built for San Joaquin County families, by a team that grew up here. The national version of this program runs for students across the country at full price — but this is the local edition, kept close to home and priced for our community on purpose. Your student isn't one of thousands in a national pool. They're a neighbor.
Sharper Thinkers.
Building arguments, weighing evidence, anticipating counterarguments. The skills that win debate rounds are the same ones that win college essays, lab reports, and job interviews. Our debaters read more, write better, and walk into every classroom asking sharper questions than the kid next to them.
Real Friendships.
Camp drops your kid into a room full of academically driven, like-minded students who actually care about ideas. The friendships that form here run deep, and they last. Our campers stay in touch through tournaments, through college, and well into adult life.
A Lifelong Edge.
Look at any room of students at top colleges, business leaders, or engineers at the country's best labs, and you'll find a wildly disproportionate number of former debaters. The activity teaches you how to hold a room. That skill doesn't go away.
It's Still Camp.
Campwide water-balloon fights. Lawn sports. Arts and crafts. Drills that turn into games. We don't want our students to think of camp as two weeks of school in July. For most of them, it ends up being the most fun two weeks of their summer.
The Kid You Drop Off in July
Is Not the Kid You Pick Up.
Their First Speech, Delivered.
We teach the fundamentals of speaking and argumentation, then we put your student in front of the room. By Friday of week one, every camper delivers their first speech to the group. The hardest one is always the first.
Great Speeches, Without Fear.
By the end of camp, speaking in front of a room stops feeling scary. Students go from first-timers to confident speakers, the kind who walk into a round expecting to win. The change happens fast.
Sharper Thinkers, Stronger Voices.
Two weeks of public speaking shows up everywhere afterward: classroom participation, stronger writing, better arguments at the dinner table. And when they want to keep going, our school-year programs are right here.
Everything You'd Want to Know,
in Three Pages.
Take a quick tour of the program, the day, and the tuition. Click in wherever you're curious.
What Students Learn
Two weeks of public speaking, argumentation, research, and competitive debate, taught with novices in mind.
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What a Typical Day Looks Like
Morning lectures, hands-on labs, practice rounds, and afternoon activities. 9 AM to 6 PM, lunch included.
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Plans That Fit Your Summer
San Joaquin County resident pricing starts at $699.99 for a week. Full two-week and residential options available.
Learn MoreStudents Say It Best.
Hear from campers about what changed for them, in the rounds they win and the lives they lead afterward.
Ascend has quite literally changed my life. Beyond public speaking skills, it teaches you the determination, grit, and adaptability critical to any career or field. Skills I now leverage every day as a student at Stanford.
When I discovered debate, I dreamed of being a National Finalist. But it felt like just that, a dream. Luckily for me, Ascend is where dreams are made.
Parents Ask. We Answer.
My student has never done speech or debate. Is that okay?
Who can attend Stockton Camps?
What does a typical day look like?
What's the difference between commuter and residential?
Ready to Give It a Shot?
Spots are limited. The best next step is a quick call. We'll help you figure out if camp is the right fit for your student.