Empowering Visions, Transforming Futures
Welcome to Atlantic Ivy
Mission & Values
A strong belief in and deep commitment to every student.
Atlantic Ivy was founded to help expand speech & debate in Dubai and the greater GCCs. We offer coaching to students of all age groups. Our instructors are some of the most successful coaches in history; including the former head coaches of the Oxford and Harvard Debate Unions. Moreover, we have partnerships with multiple Ivy League Universities to make sure our students stay up to date on strategy from the best of best.
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We prepare the next generation of leaders to confidently express their thoughts and understand global issues. Speech and debate is a transformative activity. It empowers students to think critically about complex topics, exchange ideas, and persuade an audience.
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At Atlantic Ivy we value and believe that every student has a unique voice and the potential to become an effective communicator. We achieve that through expert coaching, individual attention, strong competition, and a chance to have fun.
Our Coaches Have:
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​Won numerous tournaments including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and the American Parliamentary Debate National Championship.
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Reached Finals at the World Universities Debating Championship, European Universities Debating Championship, and North American Universities Debating Championship.
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Been ranked #1 in the US nation in Public Forum Debate, Lincoln Douglas Debate, and American Parliamentary Debate.
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Been ranked as high #6 in the US nation in World Schools Debate and represented National Teams.
Our History
Atlantic Ivy is a global public speaking and debate coaching company based in Dubai. Our founders have been at the forefront of global debate education since 2012 and have directed programs at top universities and high schools across the world. As Dubai becomes a global hub for business and education, we are excited to offer world-class speech & debate coaching to students in Dubai and beyond.
Our Philosophy
1. Well-Tested Curriculum
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Designed to make learning Speech & Debate easy, educational, and exciting. Our curriculum combines lectures on both content and strategy with regular practice speaking with and without preparation. Outside the classroom, we provide resources to aid students with research, review and give feedback on their cases, and keep parents in the loop with regular progress reports.
3. Ample Tournament Opportunities​
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​Debate is best learned through practice. Atlantic Ivy runs tournaments for debaters of all skill levels inside the UAE and has deals with top universities for our students to attend internationally renowned competitions like the Stanford, Harvard, and Yale Invitationals even at the beginning of their debate careers.
2. Accomplished Coaching Team
Experienced at bringing out any debater’s true potential. Our coaches include the top speaker at the World University Debating Championship, the highest ranked competitors in American Parliamentary Debate, the Winner of the American Tournament of Champions, and the former Director of Training at the Oxford Union.
4. Commitment
to Excellence​​
At Atlantic Ivy, we strive for the highest standards in all aspects of speech and debate, including preparation, performance, and coaching. We focus on encouraging rigorous training, continual improvement, and the pursuit of mastery. By provide resources, support, and feedback we aim to help participants reach their full potential.
WHAT IF I'M NEW TO SPEECH & DEBATE?
We All Start Somwhere...
We get it. Arguing with other people and presenting your view points could sound intimidating. But most of our students are new starters to the activity. We have a well-structured curriculum that is curtailed towards growing confidence, thinking on the spot, and self growth. Plus, we won't just throw you into a tournament bare-handed. You will walk into a debate round with ample of prep material and mock practices done with our coaching team.
SHOULD I LEARN SPEECH & DEBATE AT SCHOOL?
Depends! If they offer it...
We always encourage students to go to their school's debate club if that's offered. They often lay a great foundation and offer students community they can foster in. Atlantic Ivy then workshop more advanced skills for our students and help them attend global tournaments.
SHOULD I JOIN SPEECH & DEBATE NOW?
Absolutely. New Opportunities This Year!
The National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) is the world’s largest academic competition with over 140,000 students participating each year. In Fall 2024, students in the UAE will be able to compete in-person and online for the first time. We have partnerships with universities such as Harvard, Penn, and Columbia which allows us to send students to their exclusive tournaments. Through our training programs, we can help students achieve prestigious awards.
Learning Happens...
1. Outside the Classroom
We make sure that every concept, strategy, and theory that we teach is reinforced after class ends. Every week, we send out short homework assignments and optional practice exercises to ensure that everything we cover is mastered. We also encourage students to improve through self-directed work. Our coaches host weekly office hours, organize practice debates, answer questions over our Slack channel, and share recommended readings about current events. This guarantees that every debater receives the guidance they need every step of the way.
3. Through Being Connected to the Real World.
Regularly attending tournaments and participating in practice rounds is the best way to grow as a debater. In competition, students push themselves, develop new skills and strategies, identify weaknesses, and feel rewarded for their hard work. Furthermore, regularly preparing and practicing for tournaments allows them to feel that there is a greater to purpose to getting better at debate. Our curriculum integrates tournament opportunities for students to compete in, both in Dubai and abroad. While we know that not every student feels comfortable attending tournaments immediately, our planned schedule ensures that they always have the option and support to grow and succeed.
2. Through Diverse Perspectives.
There is no ‘one right way’ to debate. Some of the best speakers in history have had radically different approaches to the activity. With coaches from five different countries, and experience competing in six different events, our students are exposed to a diverse array of debate styles. Additionally, we host free lectures from top debaters at our Ivy-League partner universities to help our students learn about different approaches to argumentation. For example, in our first semester, we have lectures arranged with Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, and Brown University.
4. When There is Transparency with Families.
The benefits of debate and our courses are easiest to see when you know what we teach. All families receive an outline of our curriculum, progress updates after each class outlining your child’s participation and growth, and detailed learning reports at the middle and endpoint of each semester. We are always willing to speak to parents; whether to set individualized learning goals at the beginning of class, provide more thorough updates, or answer any questions that may arise.