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January 2023 Results Round-Up
January Tournament Updates Over 230 of our students have won a public speaking award since late July of 2022. Our high school students...
Hong Lisa
Feb 14, 20231 min read
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New Year, New Coaches
Happy 2023! We'll keep this brief. Our spring 2023 classes start the week of January 9, 2023. We're offering over 20 different sections...
Hong Lisa
Jan 24, 20233 min read
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Five YouTube Channels for Speech and Debate Students
Our families often ask us for book recommendations to help younger students better understand logic, research, and argumentation. Don't...
Hong Lisa
Dec 13, 20222 min read
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Why You Should Double-Enter (in Speech and Debate)
The National Speech and Debate Association's (NSDA) national championship tournament used to have repetitive awards ceremonies. This is...
Hong Lisa
Dec 4, 20224 min read
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Spring 2023 Class Schedule/Registration Is Up!
Website Updates We promised we'd have our spring 2023 class schedule ready earlier than ever--and we delivered! Here's our new schedule....
Hong Lisa
Nov 11, 20221 min read
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Tips for a Successful Storytelling Speech (by Samantha Togno)
While Storytelling is one of the less common speech events to be available at tournaments, it’s definitely worth competing in. Why? Well,...
Hong Lisa
Sep 20, 20223 min read
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Two Tips to Be Funny in Your Impromptu Speeches
Impromptu speaking national champion, member of Western Kentucky University’s renowned speech and debate team, and BrainMaster coach...
Hong Lisa
Sep 12, 20224 min read
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Three Ways to Be a Wonderful Mock Trial Witness
Stop us if you’ve heard this one: “You’re better than some of the lawyers I see in my courtroom!” If you’ve competed in high school mock...
Hong Lisa
Sep 1, 20224 min read
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Three Tips to Overcome Obstacles in Original Oratory
Whether it's the 2020 NSDA-China national champion, three 2021 NSDA-China national finalists, or three 2022 NSDA middle school national...
Hong Lisa
Aug 23, 20223 min read
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We redid our TOURNAMENT CALENDAR!
It's now much easier to view on a phone/tablet. HERE IT IS! Your next opportunities are on 7/30 and 8/6; ask your coaches.
Hong Lisa
Jul 22, 20221 min read
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New Classes: College Writing Workshop, Mock Trial Nationals Team, and more!
Our college counseling mentees are thriving. From the rising senior who just advanced to the American Legion Auxiliary’s highly...
Hong Lisa
Jul 22, 20222 min read
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The Night Before National Finals: Advice for In-Person Showcase Rounds
The final rounds of online public speaking contests were intimidating. Students typically put in countless hours of practice to achieve...
Hong Lisa
Jun 24, 20225 min read
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Our Partner ModernBrain: 2022 National Champions
Championship Updates Our students from Jeffrey Trail, Parks, Polytechnic, Ridgecrest, VanDamme, Lindero Canyon, Sierra Vista, Bowditch,...
Hong Lisa
Jun 11, 20222 min read
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How to start a speech, debate, or mock trial team
Do you want to start a competitive public speaking team at your school, but you’re not sure where to begin? Here’s a simple step-by-step...
Hong Lisa
Jun 3, 20224 min read
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Admissions Advice: I Want to Teach You More About Performing Arts
Many families who aren’t familiar with competitive speech and debate come to us with the preconceived notion that debate is more...
Hong Lisa
May 29, 20223 min read
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Admissions Advice: Student-Athletes
Ask any debater and they’ll explain what we do is a sport. It’s true: competitive public speaking activities are the verbal equivalent of...
Hong Lisa
May 10, 20223 min read
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California State Champions (and More!)
State Championship Updates Last year, ModernBrain's middle school students took 2nd at the California High School Speech Association's...
Hong Lisa
May 9, 20223 min read
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Admissions Advice: Learn the Landscape
When debaters prepare for competitions, they typically read about their judges’ preferences, their competitors’ records, and the...
Hong Lisa
May 2, 20222 min read
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