Ridge Speech and Debate Team announce 2021 Summer Institute.

The Ridge Forensics Team, the state championship interscholastic speech and debate team for Ridge High School, Basking Ridge, is excited to announce an ever expanding 2021 Summer Institute in Speech and Debate will return with in-person and virtual programming in July. The institute serves as a fundraiser to help the team's traveling and tournament expenses during the academic year.

In person offerings will occur during the last three weeks of July: July 12th -16th, July 19th - 23rd, and July 26th 8 July 30rd. The "speech and debate" institute for incoming 5th- and 6th-grade students will take place July 12th through July 16rd while the institute for incoming 7th, 8th, and 9th graders will take place on July 19th through the 23rd. Both will be taught by the Ridge High School and William Annin Middle School (WAMS) coaching staffs along with members of the Ridge High School state championship team. Elective offerings will be available for students outside those particular age groups. Following those weeks, an additional week will offer supplemental programming connecting the world of speech and debate to other areas like STEM, literature, writing, and being a 21st Century student and communicator. In addition, students can take an additional 'extension week' where they can continue working on their speech and debate skills -- particularly if their focus is to compete during the 2021-2022 school year. The workshop will return to its 9:00AM - 2:00PM schedule with an after-care option for in-person students.

In addition, a virtual camp experience will also be available during the same time periods. Virtual programming will offer the same course offerings as the in-person instruction.

David Yastremski, director of the Ridge Forensics Team, states, “after this tumultuous past year, we are very excited to return to in-person instruction for our 6th year of the institute; and, after our successful virtual institute last summer, we are excited to continue offering a digital platform for students who cannot attend the in-person event. Our staff, all professional coaches and educators, have become masters in balancing in-person and virtual instruction; however, some programming will be unique to in-person students while others will be focused on the digital platform.

In-person instruction will follow all district and health department policies regarding the use of masks and social distancing. "We have purchased several canopies to help facilitate outdoor instruction. In addition, our classrooms have been equipped with MERV-13 filtration and the ability to open windows. Hand sanitization stations will be located throughout the institute along with hand washing opportunities."

Both in-person and online offerings will incorporate a variety of speaking and listening coursework and electives. Jessica Lynch, Language Arts teacher and WAMS debate coach states, “In our sixth year, we are taking advantage of building our in-person offerings to help our young students nurture, and even rebuild, their communication skills. Social distancing and virtual learning has been a new, and sometimes difficult, experience for our young students. We are working to develop some interesting and fun in-person and digital learning activities so our students can feel connected and challenged over the summer months.”

The institute will feature lectures, workshops, coaching sessions, with independent and social activities, that will help students engage in learning and social experiences while they practice and polish their skills in all three genres of forensic speaking: debate, public address, and interpretation. William Annin Middle School Science teacher and debate coach, Dr. Vivekanand Balija, states, “Our daily schedule will allow our virtual students to practice, apply, and have some fun with our approaches to the various types of speaking and debating activities, along with some socially fun opportunities. Most importantly, the skills will transfer to both online and face-to-face worlds – so students will be ready for whatever learning environments await them in the future.

Stephanie Fletcher, assistant coach of the team, adds, “As a parent, I want my children to have social and engaging activities which will help them as they return to the school year in the fall. Whether our students become competitive speakers or not, all students will have an opportunity to develop their skills and interact with others in a fun, safe, exciting environment, whether in-person or virtual!”

“The communication landscape has changed dramatically for our pre-teen and teen students,” Yastremski states. “Our institute will also focus on how young people can feel confident when communicating whether directly with their friends and family or indirectly via the virtual experience. We are not only covering speech and debate competition; we are also assisting students in navigating this ever-changing world as communicators and critical thinkers.”

The Ridge Speech and Debate Team continued competing in virtual spaces throughout the pandemic and school closures. The were awarded first place team honors at the Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, and George Mason University online invitationals. They will compete at the National Catholic Forensic League Grand National tournament during Memorial Day weekend and the National Speech and Debate Association National Championship in June.

Details and registration information can be accessed at http://www.ridgeforensics.com/summer-institute.html.