Speech and Debate: Powers of Persuasion

Prepare to be amazed as you watch your differently-wired kiddo make real friends, explore this unique content, grow under the guidance of this expert mentor, and be seen in all their glory!

Taught by Mr. Sam and Coach Hughes

Coach Hughes

Ages: 9-12 & 13-16

Class size: Maximum- 8 Students

Level: Beginner and Returner

Price Per Session: $49

Why Take This Course?

🎤 Students who take this exciting course display HUGE confidence boosts in just days! 

If you have a child who: 

  • struggles to write but can talk your ear off about their passion, and/or struggles to articulate their thoughts, 

  • is a bit more reserved and struggles to find to confidence to share their passions with others,

THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU!

Help your kiddo learn how to harness their greatest power and transform it into their greatest gift!

Empower your child to gain confidence, organize their thoughts, improve their communication and listening skills, delve deeply into logic and persuasion, develop reasoning, perspective-taking, evidence-based claims,  and make leaps and bounds in speaking AND writing! That’s right! Our debate students show marked improvement in their writing skills, too!

  • 🎤 Get ready to witness your child's confidence soar in just days with our exciting Speech and Debate: Powers of Persuasion course! If your child possesses a natural gift for talking about their passions but struggles with writing or articulating their thoughts, this course is an absolute must!

    Join us as we empower your child to harness their greatest power and transform it into their greatest gift. Through this course, your child will gain the skills to boost their confidence, organize their thoughts, enhance their communication and listening abilities, delve into logic and persuasion, and make remarkable strides in both speaking and writing.

    It's a comprehensive program that unlocks your child's potential and empowers them to become persuasive communicators.

    We offer two levels of this course: Beginners and Returners Club

    BEGINNERS - Speech and Debate:

    This class will open your child's eyes to the timeless modes of persuasion, empowering them to discover their unique voice and learn how to lead with it. Students love the transformative skills they acquire in this class, including the art of persuading their parents to let them do more of what they want. Along the journey, they develop in-depth opinions on complex topics and articulate themselves in ways that would impress even college debate students. Parents appreciate the significant growth their children make in reasoning, evidence-based claims, and writing skills.

    RETURNERS - Speech and Debate Club:

    If your child has already experienced the thrill of speech and debate and wants more, they will absolutely love our dynamic Speech and Debate Club! This club is designed for students who have previously taken our Beginners course and have a solid understanding of the fundamentals of argumentation.

    In this more advanced class, returning students will further develop their ability to organize their thoughts, swiftly respond to opposing viewpoints, ask insightful cross-examination questions, and construct persuasive rebuttal speeches. They will also explore a variety of collegiate debate styles, including Student Congress, Parliamentary, Public Forum, Lincoln Douglas, Big Questions, and World Schools. Our Speech and Debate Club offers an intellectually stimulating and supportive community where students can bond, grow, gain confidence, and experience the excitement of a great debate.

    Course Highlights:

    ✅ Gain confidence and enhance communication skills

    ✅ Develop reasoning, perspective-taking, and evidence-based claims

    ✅ Improve speaking and writing abilities

    ✅ Explore the art of persuasion and develop the ability to lead with their voice

    ✅ Dive into logic and effective argumentation

    ✅ Delve into various collegiate debate styles

    ✅ Foster a sense of community, intellectual stimulation, and growth

    Don't miss out on the opportunity for your child to experience the transformative power of speech and debate. Enroll them in Speech and Debate: Powers of Persuasion and witness their confidence, communication skills, and passion for debate flourish. We look forward to providing your child with an enriching and exhilarating learning experience!

  • Enroll your child in this course to witness their confidence, communication skills, and passion for debate flourish!

  • Internet connection and a can-do-attitude!

Mr. Sam

Our Promise To You

Satisfaction Guarantee:

Your child must attend the class in question to qualify.

If you’re not 100% IN LOVE with your courses, here are your options:

  • Refund requests must be received up to 24 hours after the first course begins to do one of the following options:

    • transfer to another course of the same price

    • get a 100% refund credit toward a future class

    • get a 75% money-back to the original payment method

  • The deposit made at the time of enrollment is non-refundable. 

    Cancellation options are:

    Payment plan: Cancellation requests received up to 24 hours after the first course begins will stop any future payments.

    Any cancellation requests beyond that require a 30-day notice to stop the membership/billing.

    Paid in full:

    Cancellation requests require a 30-day notice.

    The remaining balance at the end of the 30-day cancellation period can be used to transfer to another class or be converted to credit toward a future class.

How To Enroll

Explore Times

Click below to discover when this transformative course is blasting off:

What Our Parents Say…

  • “After my son’s first class he said that he wishes it was every day. That is a high honor coming from him!“

    -Mike

  • “Mr. Sam’s AP courses are unparalleled! Our son has taken 3! The classes were the highlight of my son’s week. Every week he came out of that class in a better mood than he went into it. We only wish he didn’t graduate so he could take more!”

    -Lauren

  • “This whole year was just made so much easier knowing that ___ would be meeting with you. He loved what he learned and he loved going through his senior year with such a great group! Here’s to college! Thank you, Mr. Sam!”

    -Mark

Meet Your Mentor

Mr. Sam

Mr. Sam, MEd, is the founder and director of Young Scholars Academy, a two-time Fulbright Scholar, a former Bridges Academy teacher of nearly 10 years, and a Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity graduate.

He is a neurodivergent educator himself and has committed his life to supporting twice-exceptional/neurodivergent students by helping them discover, develop, and lead with their strengths, talents, and unique interests.

What Our Parents Say…

  • "Mrs. Huber also has an awesome personality that allows her to connect with her students. She knows her students' strengths and weaknesses and is willing to give them the extra help or personal attention they need to succeed in school and in life."

    -Abby, age 13

  • "Amy is positive in responding to students, while also asking them to think critically about their craft. She is a passionate, enthusiastic, creative teacher." -Alicia, mom of Peyton age 11

  • "Amy is the epitome of what it means to be a team player to produce maximum outcomes for students. She is always willing to go the extra mile for students."

    -Valerie, 8th grade English teacher and colleague

Explore Other Courses Offered by Young Scholars Academy

Questions Asked By Fellow Parents

  • 4 KEY things:

    1- A focus on the positive! We don’t focus on what students aren’t doing, we support what they are and we know the rest will come. We develop strengths, interests, and relationships. We build students up so they can build a better world! And do it with the new friends they make in our program!

    2- Like-minded neurodivergent peers. Our asynchronous students need one another and YSA is a safe haven for these kiddos to connect around their asynchronies, quirks, and interests. We’re a place where they can be their authentic selves and make friends while doing so!

    3- Passionate, masterful neurodivergent mentors who have walked the walk and can authentically validate and support your child with personal experience and care AND expertise as we all have advanced masters + degrees

    4-Content your students care about taught in a way they love! We offer the courses they need to be taking, not the ones they’re required to take.

    Come by and see for yourself!

  • Please don’t confuse reactive “distance learning” and virtual enrichment programming. After all, a student who is completely fried from a boring zoom class is often quick to pick up a tablet or phone, right?

    Our courses are not at all the same animal =)

  • THIS IS A SATISFACTION GUARANTEE, so your child must attend the class in question to qualify.

    If you’re not 100% IN LOVE with your courses, here are your options:

    1- 8-Week Courses Refund requests must be received up to 24 hours after the first course begins to do one of the following options: 

    Payment plan or Paid in full- 3 options: transfer to another course of the same price, get a 100% refund credit toward a future class, or get a 75% money-back to the original payment method. 

    2-  16+ Week CoursesThe deposit made at the time of enrollment is non-refundable. Cancellation options are:

    Payment plan- Cancellation requests received up to 24 hours after the first course begins will stop any future payments. Any cancellation requests beyond that require a 30-day notice to stop the membership/billing.

    Paid in full- Cancellation requests require a 30-day notice. The remaining balance at the end of the 30-day cancellation period can be used to transfer to another class or be converted to credit toward a future class.

    Please read the description of each course before enrolling.

  • We do! We have 3 kinds:

    1- Word of mouth: 25% off- we know that the best way to reach new families is word of mouth. When you help another family enroll in a YSA class and they name you at checkout, you will get 25% off the cost of the course you’re currently enrolled in once they stay past the refund period. Note— this applies to all regular courses, BUT only applies to the first month of membership courses.

    2- Multi-sibling: 10% off- We believe in supporting whole families and we are willing to put our money where our mouth is! When you sign-up 2 or more kiddos you will receive 10% off. Note— this does not apply to our membership courses.

    3-Multi-course: 10% off- To fully serve your family, we hope to provide your child with all the courses they dream of taking! To make this more affordable, when you enroll in 3 or more classes, you will receive 10% off. Note— this does not apply to our membership courses.

  • Of course!

    As we like to say, if you’re on our site, you’re in the right place.

    Our programming is for students who are not being supported or challenged enough in school.

    If you have an asynchronous kiddo who you know has strengths and struggles, our courses are for your child.

  • 2e students experience such asynchronous development that it proves difficult to have hard age limits.

    We often evaluate students on a case by case basis =)

    Please email us and we’ll discuss: sam@youngscholarsacademy.org

  • All of our programs are 100% virtual. This allows us to bring together the twice-exceptional/neurodivergent students of the world, connect them, and nurture them!

    Your child may very well enter a 6-person class with 5 other students from 5 different states/countries!

    Cool, right?