12 opportunities found in Washington

Capitol Debate programs draw students from around the world and our locations provide the resources to make every student’s stay rewarding. Our decades of experience let us create some of the safest and most secure academic programs in the country. We have a group of qualified educators who have taught and competed public speaking and debate for years, as well as residential advisors that are dedicated to making your students stay memorable as well outside of our classrooms. The key ingredient that we add, the ingredient that makes everything work together, is fun. Our students genuinely have fun at our camps. Along with the fun, our students gain the public speaking and debate skills they need to succeed in their personal and professional careers outside of the classroom. Our academic standards are high, which means our students are pushed to improve. They learn logic, critical thinking, leadership and teamwork, communication, public speaking, organization, and researching...

TOMODACHI Honda Global Leadership Program was established in 2018, building on the TOMODACHI Honda Cultural Exchange Program conducted from 2014 to 2016, where participants were selected from among high school students from the Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. For more information visit the official website here

At the National Student Leadership Conference on Political Action and Public Policy, students learn how they can have an impact on our nation's future. Students stage a mock Presidential campaign and immerse themselves in the inner workings of the U.S. Congress. Leading political advisors, politicians, and experts will be their guides as they gain a real-world understanding of the U.S. political system. For more information visit the official website here . 

JCamp brings a multicultural group of high school students together for six days of intensive journalism training. Students will learn from professional journalists and get hands-on training in writing, photography, television broadcasting, online media, and reporting. For more information visit the official website here . 

The Cube Quest Challenge is sponsored by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate Centennial Challenge Program. The challenge offers a total of $5 million to teams that meet the challenge objectives of designing, building and delivering flight-qualified, small satellites capable of advanced operations near and beyond the moon. Cube Quest teams have the opportunity to compete for a secondary payload spot on the first mission of NASA’s Orion spacecraft. This will launch atop the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. This competition includes three stages: Ground Tournaments, Deep Space Derby, and Lunar Derby. Each team may compete in any one of the four Ground Tournaments. Teams that rate high on mission safety and probability of success will receive incremental awards. The Ground Tournaments are held every four to six months, leading to an opportunity to earn a spot on the first integrated flight of Orion and SLS. The Deep Space Derby will focus on discovering innovative...

In the student-run, student-led Junior Statesmen of America (JSA), participants learn how to engage civilly in political discourse. They cultivate democratic leadership skills, challenge one another to think critically, advocate their own opinions, develop respect for opposing views and learn to rise above self-interest to promote the public good. As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organisation, JSA is committed to developing a diverse, cross-section of young leaders for a democratic society. JSA has been conducting pre-college enrichment programs since 1941. JSA Summer School is academically rigorous and requires students to be dedicated to making the most of their time in a college-level learning environment, with a focus on Speech and Debate formats designed to sharpen public speaking skills. JSA doesn’t hand out value, it builds it within the students themselves. It offers select students an opportunity to participate in a summer program that is proven to build the kind of value that...

The Jovem Embaixador program is an initiative sponsored by the US Embassy in Brazil that selects public school students to travel to the United States for a three-week program, where they visit different cities, take part in meetings with institutions, visit social projects, take courses in youth protagonism and entrepreneurship, attend classes in local high schools, participate in cultural and social responsibility activities, and deliver presentations about Brazil. The program seeks to promote the strengthening of public education, through students who are able to set examples in their communities – in terms of leadership, positive attitude, social consciousness, academic excellence, and English language ability. For further information, visit the website here .  

Since its initiation in 2005, Poetry Out Loud has grown to reach more than 10,000 schools, 50,000 teachers and 3 million students across America, encouraging students to publicly recite poetry through memorisation and performance. The program supports students in building self-confidence, mastering public speaking, while learning about contemporary life and literary history. Students compete according to a pyramid structure, beginning at the classroom level and with top competitors progressing to the National Finals. For more information visit the official website here

Broadcom MASTERS is a prestigious international middle school science and engineering fair competition. As a program for the Society for Science & the Public, students are engaged with the MASTERS philosophy; Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering as Rising Stars. Students have the opportunity to apply their skills in science, critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity towards being effective scientists and leaders. Students are in the top 10% of participants of society affiliated science & engineering fairs, and progress to the Broadcom MASTERS with the chance to compete for further prizes at a national level. Finalist awards include an all expenses paid trip to Washington, DC, and the chance to compete for honours that include the Samueli Foundation Prize (250,000 USD), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement, and the Rising Star Award to attend the prestigious Intel ISEF. There are also further opportunities for scientific excursions...

Since 1925, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has been held annually for students from all across America, making this one the oldest and most prestigious competitions in spelling. Students proceed through the stages of spelling challenge from the classroom to the Civic Centre, improving their spelling and growing their vocabulary base as they develop their use of the English language which they take with them for the rest of their lives. Finalists enjoy the ultimate challenge at the Civic Centre, where their performance is broadcast on television, with the support of their friends, family and teachers. For more information visit the official website here .     

Science Bowl is an educational and academic event catering to teams of high school and middle school students in a highly competitive environment. Students verbally solve technical problems and answer questions in all areas of science and math. Teams consist of four students, one alternate student and a coach. Science Bowl holds Regional and National events across the country. Regional winners receive an all-expenses paid trip to compete in the Nationals in Washington D.C. This event is run across several days with a strong focus on the importance of the Department of Energy and the Nation and the importance of the application of math and science.

The Kids Philosophy Slam is an annual programme designed to make philosophy fun and accessible, promote critical thinking, and encourage dialogue with other students and adults. Students can express themselves in words, artwork, poetry, or song to various stimulating philosophical questions such as "Hate or Love: Which has a Greater Impact on Society?". Philosophical questions are engaging and relevant to current issues we face as a society. Each grade level has its own National Winner and high school students compete for the "Most Philosophical Student in America" title. Schools can also compete for the "Most Philosophical School in America".