Satellite Camp · San Jose · Beginners Welcome
Ascend San Jose
A one-week day camp for students who are brand new to speech and debate, taught by Ascend's national-champion coaches at San José State University.
- Dates
- July 5 – 10, 2027
- Location
- San José State University
- Eligibility
- Entering grades 4–10 · No experience required
- Hours
- 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM · Commuter
- Tuition
- $895 · Financial aid available
THE EXPERIENCE
What Your Student Will Learn
Speech and debate teaches kids to speak up, think clearly, and hold their own in a conversation. Here's what we work on during the week.
- Speak with confidence. Stand in front of a room, make eye contact, and finish the thought, even when they're nervous.
- Build an argument. Organize an idea and back it up with reasons and evidence.
- Listen, then respond. Answer what the other person actually said.
- Think on your feet. Handle a tough question without freezing.
- Have fun doing it. Small groups, friendly coaches, and a showcase on Saturday where families come to watch.
WHY SPEECH & DEBATE
Why Speech and Debate?
Few activities build speaking, writing, and thinking skills all at once. Speech and debate does.
College Applications
Admissions officers know what speech and debate involves: research, writing, and defending an idea out loud. Ascend alumni have gone on to Stanford, Yale, Harvard, UC Berkeley, and UCLA. Read more →
Skills for Any Career
Explaining an idea clearly, listening to someone who disagrees, answering a tough question. These come up in every job interview, presentation, and group project.
Better in the Classroom
Students who can organize their thoughts out loud tend to write better essays, and they speak up more in class.
Confidence
Speaking in front of a room gets easier with practice. Once it stops being scary, kids carry that into class, interviews, and everything else.
WHY ASCEND
Why Ascend San Jose
Ascend runs summer camps in California and Florida, plus school-year programs for students who want to keep going.
More Than One Week
Camp doesn't have to be the end. Students can keep practicing during the school year with free group coaching through Ascend Academy or with Ascend Middle School.
Closer to Home
Ascend San Jose brings the coaching approach behind Ascend California and Ascend Florida to a one-week day camp in the South Bay.
Built for First-Timers
Everyone here is new. Lessons start from the basics, and students are grouped with others their age.
A WEEK AT ASCEND SAN JOSE
The Week
July 5 – 10, 2027 · San José State University
Ascend San Jose runs July 5–10, 2027 at San José State University in downtown San Jose. Students spend the week on a college campus and go home every night.
Drop-off is at 8:30 AM and pick-up is at 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. On Saturday morning, families are invited to the showcase.
Coaching Excellence
Ascend's coaches are accomplished competitors and experienced teachers who know how to work with beginners. Students train in small labs grouped by age, so fourth graders aren't in a room with high schoolers, and every student gets individual feedback.
Every Ascend coach is background checked per California State Law.
Meet Our CoachesLIFE AT CAMP
A Look Inside Ascend
Photos from past Ascend camps.
A DAY AT ASCEND
Sample Daily Schedule
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:30 – 9:00 AM | Check-In and Warm-Ups |
| 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Lecture #1 & Activities |
| 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Lunch |
| 1:00 – 4:00 PM | Lecture #2 & Activities |
CAMP DIRECTOR
Quest Sandel
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer · Head Congressional Debate Coach, James Logan High School
Quest Sandel has served as Ascend's Co-Founder and Camp Director since its inception. Since he started coaching in 2016, his students have won national championships and earned admission to Harvard, Stanford, Yale, UC Berkeley, and UCLA.
Read Quest's story →FIND YOUR PROGRAM
Is Ascend San Jose Right for You?
Ascend California is our flagship camp, open to students of every experience level. Ascend San Jose is a shorter, introductory camp: a one-week first taste of speech and debate, close to home.
Choose Ascend San Jose if…
You want an introduction to speech and debate
- No prior speech or debate experience
- Entering grades 4–10
- Want to try it before joining a school team
Choose Ascend California if…
You want the full Ascend experience
- Our flagship camp, open to every experience level
- Novice track for students who are just starting out
- Looking for more intensive coaching
- Ready for one or two weeks of immersive training
After camp, students can keep going with free group coaching through Ascend Academy, join Ascend Middle School, or come to Ascend California when they're ready.
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY
From Ascend Students
"Ascend gave me the support and confidence to find my voice."
Jane Bailey
Former student · Texas
"Beyond public speaking, it teaches the determination, grit, and adaptability critical to any field — skills I now leverage as a student at Stanford."
Adrian Baek
Former student & current staff · Stanford
"With such a diverse curriculum, and so many fun activities, I felt like I had a home at Ascend, and I always will because of the community it built for me as a debater."
Jack Wlazlowski
Former student · Texas
SAFETY & LOGISTICS
Safety Is a Prerequisite to Learning
Supervised, Start to Finish
Students are supervised from drop-off at 8:30 AM to pick-up at 4:00 PM. All staff are background checked per California State Law. See our full safety approach →
What to Bring
- A laptop
- A phone, if you have one
- Writing materials
- A legal pad
- Lunch, or sign up for the lunch we provide
GETTING TO CAMPUS
San José State University
1 Washington SqSan Jose, CA 95192
Downtown San Jose, minutes from I-280 and Highway 87. The exact building, parking, and drop-off details are sent to registered families before camp.
PRICING
Tuition
July 5 – 10, 2027 at San José State University.
Ascend San Jose — 1 Week Commuter
Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM, plus the Saturday morning showcase.
- Five full days of lab instruction
- Saturday showcase for families
- Financial aid and payment plans available
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available, and we don't ask for tax returns. We just talk it through with you. Email info@ascendspeech.org or schedule a call.
HOW TO ENROLL
Three Steps to Enroll
-
Book a Call
Pick a time or email info@ascendspeech.org. We'll answer your questions, talk through financial aid or a payment plan if you need one, and get your student registered.
-
Get Your Welcome Email
It arrives once your student is registered. Before camp, we'll send the exact drop-off location, what to bring, and how to reach us during the week.
-
Drop Off Monday Morning
Check-in starts at 8:30 AM. On Saturday, come watch the showcase.
QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Move
Now it's your turn to ascend.
Have questions first? Book a quick call and we'll walk you through it.