High School Debate Workshop
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy sponsors annual High School Debate Workshop programs. Thousands of students and teachers have honed their forensic skills at Mackinac's one-day workshops, which are designed to enhance the debate season for all schools through informative speakers, free materials, and up-to-date news and research on the debate topic. Students attending the workshops learn classical liberal principles and the liberty-based response to the annual debate topic, which changes each year. The students argue these principles repeatedly during the debate season.
This outreach program introduces activist students and many of their teachers to the principles of liberty, as well as the host institute. This is beneficial in the short-term as debate students are likely to attend college. The debate program pays long-term dividends, too, because students who participate in debate often go on to careers in journalism and to be public servants.
From a fundraising perspective, such outreach programs are a positive sell to philosophically-aligned donors. Further, a student-based program like the debate workshop is generally looked upon favorably for those who not as devoted to a free market think tank's over all mission.
For more details on the Mackinac Center's High School Debate Workshop, refer to www.mackinac.org/debate.