About Us
The Summer Institute is a premier program created by the English Speaking Union (ESU) and the New York Debate League (NYDL) to offer middle school students an immersive, skills-based introduction to the world of parliamentary debate. Rooted in the ESU's mission to promote civic engagement, critical thinking, and confident public speaking, the Summer Institute is designed to help students grow as thinkers, speakers, and teammates—whether they're brand new to debate or looking to sharpen their competitive edge. Our program is led by two passionate educators and nationally recognized debate coaches: Evan Streams, NYDL Tournament Director and head coach at Birch Wathen Lenox, and Grace Campos, former Yale debater and head coach at BASIS Manhattan. Between them, they bring over two decades of experience as both top-tier competitors and transformational teachers.
Grace Campos
Grace Campos is a graduate of Yale University and a former competitive debater for the Dalton School. She first fell in love with parliamentary debate at the NYDL in 6th grade and carried that passion with her into high school. Throughout Grace’s tenure at Dalton, she won the Stanford Forensics Tournament, made it to the final rounds of national tournaments at Princeton, Yale, and UPenn, and placed 3rd overall in New York State. Throughout her time at Yale, she successfully competed in mock trial and Model U.N. As a teacher, Grace served as the Manhattan Director and Lead Instructor for Lumos Debate, working with students from 5th-12th grade on their research, writing, and argumentation skills. She is passionate about helping students find their voice, and spreading the unique joys of speech and debate.
Evan Streams
Evan Streams is the NYDL Tournament Director and the head coach at Birch Wathen Lenox and former head coach at The Dalton School. In 14 years of coaching, his students have won hundreds of awards including one world championship, two national championships, three state championships, and three NYDL championships in a row. As a debater, Evan was the Connecticut state champion. He believes strongly that debate must be focused on teaching enduring life skills in order to be valuable. When not debating, Evan is an avid hiker and reader, and enjoys comics and D&D. He holds a degree in philosophy from Columbia University.
