The Cornerstone Difference

World-Class Coaches. Personalized Instruction. Breadth of Opportunities.

At Cornerstone, we emphasize experiential learning with practice activities and interactive lessons in every program. With renowned instructors and extensive programs, we are committed to aligning with your goals—whether you aspire to be a nationally competitive debater or an extremely decorated student with interests in other activities—we will help you develop exceptional public speaking, critical thinking, and other soft skills. Our programs are uniquely designed to be tailored to various age groups, interests, debate styles, and experience levels.

Our Mision

We are committed to laying the foundation for the next generation of debaters, changemakers, and leaders. Accordingly, we aim to equip students in elementary, middle, and early high school with essential skills in communication, strategic thinking, and research to promote a more engaged and educated society. We hope to empower all students to find their own sense of confidence to express themselves and advocate for others.

Cutting Edge Curriculum

Our approach to education is designed to teach with students, not lecture at them. With a strong emphasis on interactive activities and practicing the real-world application of debate, we provide a plethora of structured programs that each allows for tailored instruction so that we can prioritize our students’ personal growth as they navigate their own debate journey. In addition to teaching persuasive speaking, impromptu public address, and competitive debate skills for a variety of debate styles, we provide students with opportunities to compete in speech and debate tournaments, as well as seminars that allow them to engage in discourse on the very issues they deliberate. We not only teach students how to be successful debaters but also creative leaders, engaging presenters, and well-educated citizens of our evolving society, which functions as a key stepping stone to students’ academic and professional pursuits.

Our Story

Empower
Growth

Originally known as “All About Debate,” the program was founded in 2020 as a debate class at a local library in Bergen County, NJ. Amid the pandemic, civic engagement and communication-based advocacy became more important than ever. Unfortunately, speech and debate programs at schools throughout the county became discontinued, were underdeveloped, or even nonexistent in many areas. As a result, Cornerstone Debate was developed to make public speaking classes and debate opportunities more accessible for young students. Over the past few years, Cornerstone has expanded to address these accessibility issues and inequities across the country and around the world.

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