🏛️ The Harvard Debate Council x Ivy Spires 2026 Calendar Is Coming!

Priyanka Kamath
Nov 12
2 min read

India’s journey into Harvard-level debate education enters its next chapter.

A new era of debate in India is about to begin. The 2026 Harvard Debate Council – Ivy Spires calendar of events is nearly finalized — and it’s shaping up to be our most ambitious year yet.

From Mumbai to Delhi, from Kolkata to campuses across India, a national movement in speech, reasoning, and leadership is taking root. In 2026, Indian students will engage directly with Harvard-certified coaches, adjudicators, and mentors — mastering the art of persuasive communication and critical thinking at a global standard.

🎯 A Year That Redefines Learning

The upcoming calendar is more than a list of events — it’s a blueprint for how young people can learn to think, argue, and lead with integrity.

Students will take part in:

Intensive Debate Workshops conducted by Harvard Debate Council coaches — structured to teach analysis, empathy, and strategy.
Interschool and Regional Invitational Tournaments where the best teams compete in World Schools Debate Format under Harvard adjudication.
National Championship Events for top qualifiers, with winners earning direct seed entry to global tournaments like the Johnston-West Tournament of Champions (Kentucky, USA) and the Harvard Presidents Day Tournament (Harvard University, February 2027).
Educator & Coach Training Sessions to help Indian schools build sustainable debate ecosystems aligned with international standards.

Every program is designed not just to train speakers — but to build thinkers, problem-solvers, and global citizens.

🧠 Why Debate, Why Now

In an age shaped by AI, automation, and digital noise, communication has become the most human — and most powerful — skill of all.

Debate teaches students to question deeply, listen respectfully, and lead decisively.

The Harvard Debate Council (HDC) has championed this philosophy for over a century, helping thousands of young people worldwide turn their ideas into action through the power of speech and reasoning.

Through Ivy Spires, this tradition now finds a home in India — offering every student, from middle school to high school, a chance to learn, compete, and grow within Harvard’s intellectual framework.

🌍 Bringing Harvard to India

Each event in the 2026 calendar reflects the same rigor, methodology, and mentorship that define the Harvard Debate Council.

Students will experience:

Harvard-approved debate structures and adjudication rubrics
Live engagement with international coaches and tournament directors
Certificates and recognition that carry real academic and global value

For schools, it’s a chance to be part of an internationally endorsed education movement that blends academic excellence with leadership training — a combination uniquely relevant to the aspirations of modern India.

🔔 Stay Tuned

The full calendar of events — spanning debate workshops, regional tournaments, and national championships — will be announced soon.

Registrations for schools and students will open shortly after.

2026 will mark the year that India debates at the Harvard standard.

Whether you’re a student eager to find your voice, a teacher hoping to build leadership through language, or a school looking to elevate your academic offerings — the journey starts here.

Together, let’s shape a generation that can think boldly, speak wisely, and lead globally.

Follow Ivy Spires for updates:

🌐 www.ivyspires.com

📧 contact@ivyspires.com

📱 Instagram / LinkedIn: @ivy_spires

“Debate doesn’t just teach students how to win arguments — it teaches them how to build a world worth debating for.”