A top public service debate camp can give you a huge head-start toward being a specialist or leader; it can even position you to be an extraordinary one. Join summer debate camps today at Statesman Debate.

1. Benefits of A Top Summer School of Public Service
If you haven’t yet entered college and if you aspire to leadership in the public sector or in a related field,
such as political science, journalism or public relations, then a top summer school of public service can
be a godsend. A group of high-energy, pre-college students gather. They may come from all over the
country and even from overseas. They can number 2017 high school grads, rising seniors and rising
juniors. Such a school may only meet for a short while, but its benefits can be profound.
The High-Level View
High school is for everybody and equips one to be a citizen generalist. To enter public service or
thereabouts is to specialize. But what a vast field is this specialization! It is easy to get lost in this field or
miss the mark. Furthermore, it is highly politicized. Many are those who teach you something not
because it is true or effective but because it pays them well to teach it.
A top public service school can give you a huge head-start toward being a specialist or leader; it can
even position you to be an extraordinary one. It can help you visualize what a possible career choice can
mean. It can help you get there. Thanks to both the skills and knowledge imparted in a top school, you
will craft a better college curriculum, get much more out of the courses you select and, crown all, better
navigate professional life.
Ideally, a public service school is situated in Washington, DC. It offers total immersion in the capital,
including the residential (dormitory) option.
Do not mistake a top school with a travel service. Sightseeing is involved but everything has “strategic”
value. Two things, above all, are being accomplished. One thing is to improve, moreover, transform your
leadership skills. The other is to enable you to explore the American political economy systematically.
A top school, based in the federal city, is inevitably a motivating experience. You are in the very
presence of the national leadership. You will meet and talk to junior people—those recently out of
school—and to senior people. There is also the insight from seeing where they work and live.
Special Faculty
In order to gain deeply from the exploration of Washington, DC, it is necessary to put everything into
context. This is where the faculty of a top public service school come in. They don’t merely schedule you
with interesting people and facilitate discussions. Collectively, they are superb instructors in
government, relevant history and leadership; moreover, as a group they not only hold relevant degrees
but also are veterans of the public policy arena and Washington-area employment.
Transforming Leadership
Leadership divides, above all, into critical thinking skills and communication skills. A public service school
that is in top form will be sure to impart advanced leadership skills: these are far superior to what is

2. taught in grades 9 to 12; they involve the updated, renowned Classical Rhetoric. Such skills show you
how to become a true independent thinker, that is, an expert or authority in your own right, and how to
influence a general audience. The dividends of such skills are spectacular and written across the pages of
history since the days of the Greeks and Romans.
The aforementioned skills are imparted at the very onset of the top public service school. Consequently,
the student can (a) fully appreciate the entire school curriculum, (b) begin practicing these vital skills
without delay and (c) have these skills ready the moment they enter college
Systematic, Practical Exploration
The superior public service school is not merely helping you sample the American political economy. It is
providing deep, rich context. Systematic exploration requires looking at the whole and the parts. In a
sense, you will be taken on a rapid ascent to the very mountaintop of knowledge. The whole refers to
the American “system”—the mix of capitalism and republic. Thus you will learn how it works, what its
effects are, what it is like and not like, whence it came and where it seems to be going. Above all is this
effort to see it as it truly is, as objectively and dispassionately as possible, which, in turn, necessitates
the fair use of multiple, important points of view.
The upshot of seeing the whole, the American system, is amazing. You are able to understand the
system before professionally entering into it, which, perforce, must have profound implications when
choosing one’s exact career. You will gain a better idea of where you could fit in, of where you might
want to fit it, even of what changes you might want to cultivate. There is also the appreciation of politics
from a fresh perspective. Left and right, liberal and conservative, look differently now; your viewpoint is
more balanced; you are coming into your own—as an independent observer and thinker. You also
discover that there are more than the conventional two ways to solving the nation’s problems. There is
this intriguing enhancement of creativity.
Besides exploring the system that so often carries us along like a strong tide, there is also the
contemplation of the parts of the system where you can have your say and exert your influence, which,
in turn, takes us to government employment and government-related employment (business, media,
academia and think tanks). Some time is even devoted to probing jobs in particular government
agencies, such as Congress, Defense, State and so on.
Creative Teaching
How is all this knowledge and insight, skills and tools, conveyed? The short answer is via a judicious and
stimulating mix of tours, strolls, office visits, simulations and seminars. For instance, it is amazing what
can be learnt by looking at federal buildings and displays. Also you will bring to life the meaning of
government, policy and politics through taking on the roles of famous, powerful personages in historic
and contemporary-issue debates. You will enjoy lively discussions, wherein provocative, original sources
are the centerpiece. You will be drawn into and speak your mind on the “great conversation” of
history—mankind’s unending quest to better society, country and world.

3. Strictly Fun Too
A top public service school certainly covers a lot of ground! Purposeful exploration is an exhilarating
experience. Yet a top school also recognizes that you need and deserve a change of pace, at times.
Washington, DC has much to offer in sports and leisure. There will be ballgames to see and fun rooftops
views to enjoy and nightlife (always under supervision!) and much more.
School as Social Hub
Ultimately, a top school is a thrilling social hub. The students are interacting with each other. You are
making sense together of this magnificent country, of fabulous future opportunities, of great
challenges—all this in the context of public service.
Ways And Means
Going to college, or even embarking on self-study or an internship in lieu of college, is expensive. An
anticipatory and superior public service school is a tiny fraction of that cost. Yet it can leverage, in terms
of skill and knowledge, an entire college education, moreover, an entire career. A summer public service
school that provides the highly valuable, total experience is the flagship program of Statesman Debate
Institute.