Vancouver Debate Academy

🎉 Congratulations to 8 VDA debaters for their outstanding achievements in the NSDA Honor Society in May!
In May, several VDA debaters earned new certifications within the National Speech & Debate Association Honor Society. These honors not only recognize competitive success, but also reflect their continued commitment and growth in critical thinking, public speaking, and academic development.
🏅 May Honor Results:
• Merit × 6
• Honor × 2
Behind each honor medal are countless hours of practice, reflection, competition, and growth. Through speeches, preparation, and challenging themselves in rounds, these students continue to strengthen their communication skills and critical thinking abilities.
Congratulations to all the debaters who received these recognitions! We also extend our sincere thanks to our coaching team for their dedicated guidance, and to parents for their ongoing support and encouragement. We look forward to seeing even more VDA students on the NSDA Honor Roll in the future! 👏

VDA Wins Top Awards at Vancouver World Schools Debating Championship

The Vancouver WSDC brought together 50 of the world’s most elite debate teams last weekend for a grueling test of logic and persuasion. Amidst fierce international competition, VDA debaters delivered a truly unforgettable performance, succeeding across both the Open and U-16 Junior divisions.

Leading the charge in Open World Schools Debate, VDA secured three separate octofinalist slots, making up 40 percent of the total elimination round field. The teams of Anthony Fuliu, Luella Zhang, Ryan Zhang, Sylvia Xie, and Sylvia Zhu; Branca Xiao, Charlene Wang, Karina Lam, and Sophia Jia; and Bella Lent, Jerry Yang, Kalan Xie, and Matthew Yip all advanced to the elimination rounds. Coach Bishal Podder was effusive in his praise, particularly for the young squads. “We had two young teams that were eligible for the Junior break but broke in the Open category, which showed their ability to take on far more experienced teams,” he said. A special shoutout went to the Pre-Advanced class team of Charlene, Branca, Sophia, and Karina, whom Coach Bishal called out for “breaking records to break open in their first tournament, which was so insane to watch. They were four-for-four at one point. So inspiring!”

In the U-16 Junior World Schools Debate, VDA’s future stars continued the momentum, with the team of Annie Li, Darren Dou, Jessica Wang, and Susu Ye powering through to the semifinals. Karina Lam also earned an individual honor as the Tenth Speaker in the competition. Reflecting on the entire weekend’s work, Coach Bishal noted, “We are so happy with how our teams did this year! One experienced team dominated the in-rounds with a perfect 5-0 win record, an unbelievable feat for such a competitive international tournament,” adding that the Junior break from Annie, Jessica, Darren, and Susu “goes to further show that the future is so promising!” Congratulations to all VDA debaters on an historic weekend.

🌷Happy Mother’s Day🌷

Thank you to every mother
for your endless support, encouragement, and love throughout your child’s journey of growth.

Through your patience, listening, and constant belief in them,
children learn to speak with confidence, think critically, and grow into strong communicators.
Behind many successful debaters
is a mother who always believed in them ❤️

Vancouver Debate Academy
wishes all mothers a joyful and beautiful Mother’s Day 💐

🎓 VDA Debate Summer Camp Registration Is Now Open

📅 Each camp runs for 2 weeks (Monday–Friday)
📍 In-person & online classes available

Debate is about much more than simply “learning how to speak.” It helps students develop the ability to:

✔ Express ideas logically instead of speaking without structure
✔ Form opinions and think critically instead of only agreeing or staying silent
✔ Collaborate effectively in a team instead of passively following others
✔ Grow from “afraid to speak” to “confidently expressing themselves”

Before joining, many students:
— feel nervous about speaking
— struggle to organize their thoughts
— don’t know what to say

After just two weeks, many are able to:
— clearly explain their ideas
— speak with confidence
— and even begin to truly enjoy debating

⚠️ 10% Early Bird Discount ends May 6

For more information about class schedules, coaches, tournament opportunities, and more, feel free to contact us.

☎️ 604-366-6269

We are incredibly proud to celebrate an outstanding achievement by one of our students, Finn Ye, who has earned Premier Distinction, the highest honor awarded by the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) Honor Society.

Fewer than 3% of NSDA members reach this level before graduation, making this recognition a true testament to Finn’s dedication, perseverance, and excellence in speech and debate.

Behind this milestone are hundreds of hours of preparation, practice, and competition—each round contributing to the development of not only exceptional communication skills, but also leadership, critical thinking, and resilience.

At Vancouver Debate Academy, we are honored to be part of Finn’s journey and growth.

Please join us in congratulating Finn Ye on this remarkable accomplishment!

Class of 2026/27: Share Your Glory! 🎓✨

If you’ve already received that dream University Offer, we want to celebrate with you!
Your success is more than just a personal milestone—it’s a beacon of inspiration for all your juniors at VDA. Let them see exactly where critical thinking and hard work can lead. 🌟
Share your joy and let VDA witness your next big chapter!

Scan QR to submit your offer now!

🥇 VDA Sweeps UBC Spring Tournament with Championship & Top Honors! 🏆
It was an outstanding weekend for VDA at the UBC tournament. Our students showcased exceptional tactical depth and resilience.

🏆 Junior Division

* Nicolas Liu & Luella Zhang: After breaking 6th, they delivered a masterful performance in the outrounds, convincingly defeating the province’s top young talent to win the Championship!
* Owen Liang & Lucas Chen: Successfully broke into the elimination rounds and surged all the way to the Semifinals. Their presence on the floor was truly impactful.
* Alex Yang: Secured the 10th Best Speaker award with a stellar consistent performance.

🏆 Senior Division

* Owen Kan: Crowned the Overall Best Speaker! He led his team to the Finals, narrowly missing the title in a hard-fought 2-3 split.

While VDA has a long-standing tradition of excellence in the Senior division, seeing our Juniors perform with such dominance is deeply rewarding and speaks volumes about the future of our program.

VDA fights to Milo Cup Quarterfinals, earning a global top 50 ranking

VDA debaters Flora Tu and Joshua Zhou turned in yet another dominant performance at last weekend’s Milo Cup Debate Tournament, where the duo delivered win after win en route to a top eight finish in the elite Varsity division. Their deep elimination run was made all the more significant by securing a second Tournament of Champions (TOC) Gold Bid this month, a monumental achievement highlighting their consistent success at the highest levels.

Josh and Flora’s quarterfinal finish is not an isolated victory but the latest milestone in what has become a dominant season for the team. Their TOC Gold Bid marks their sixth bid overall and earned them an impressive 45th ranking globally, proving they are perennial contenders capable of winning the championship at any given tournament.

The VDA team is back in action this weekend at the TOC Digital Debate Series and VDA In-House, as well as in two weeks at UBC Spring. Let’s wish everyone a fun and successful tournament, wherever they might be!

🏆VDA Debaters Dominate at Harvard University🎉

Vancouver Debate Academy proved once again that excellence knows no bounds at Harvard University, where VDA delivered a program-defining performance across Public Forum and World Schools Debate at every level of experience, from novices to seasoned varsity veterans.

In Varsity Public Forum, Flora Tu and Joshua Zhou put on another master class performance, securing an elite Tournament of Champions Gold Bid by powering to the top 16 of almost 400 teams at one of the world’s most competitive tournaments. This TOC bid, their fifth of the season, places Josh and Flora among the top-ranked teams in the world, a well-earned honour for two of the hardest working students at every tournament.

The team’s successes continued in Worlds School Debate, where VDA bulldozed their way through one of the most competitive fields of the year. The talented trio of Alyssa Yu, Esther Lin, and Sylvia Zhu lost only a single ballot on their way to a Semifinalist finish, while right on their heels, the squad of Amanda Chen, Crystal Su, Eaton Li, Lex Hsiao, and Norah Liu dominated their panels to secure a Quarterfinalist spot. The team’s depth didn‘t stop there, however, as Audrey Yung, Brandon Kim, Jenny Yu, and Samuel Sun also posted winning records against elite competition. The team also came home with a wealth of top 50 individual speaker finishes, with Eaton claiming 14th, Alyssa taking 28th, Jenny 33rd, and Amanda Chen 39th.

More success was yet to come in the Varsity PF Online Division, where Angela Zang and Miranda Le fought their way to a gritty Quarterfinalist finish, while Shannon Zhu and Steven Shi advanced to Octofinals. To add to their already impressive performances, Steven was awarded the second place speaker award and Shannon finished as fourth speaker, each an incredibly high honour given the competitiveness of the field. Miranda and Angela were recognized in the top 50 as well, earning 18th and 31st rankings respectively.

Vancouver Debate Academy Wins Top Honours at Stanford University

VDA debaters were back in action at this weekend’s Stanford University Debate Tournament, bringing home trophies in both Worlds and Public Forum debate. The entire team delivered an extraordinary series of performances across every division, showcasing the remarkable skill, dedication, and teamwork of every single participant.

The results speak to the profound depth of talent on the team. In the top TOC division of World Schools debate, the team of Amanda Chen, Crystal Su, Eaton Li, Matthew Yip, and Norah Liu argued with masterful analysis and creativity, advancing all the way to the Top Eight before losing a close Quarterfinal round to Team USA.

Hot on their heels, the team of Anthony Fuliu, Devan Bhatt, Kalan Xie, and Nicolas Liu showcased equal prowess, reaching TOC Octofinals. These results in a format that rewards quick, critical thinking and dynamic delivery are incredibly impressive.

In the research- and analysis-heavy TOC Public Forum division, two teams – Flora Tu & Joshua Zhou and Angelina Guo & Nikki Zheng – powered through intense preliminary rounds to both achieve the impressive status of Triple Octofinalists. This double achievement highlights the strategic strength and persuasive power of our most experienced PF debaters.

The success continued in Junior Varsity Public Forum, where the team of Steven Shi & Shannon Zhu broke into elimination rounds and finished in the Top 16 as Octofinalists, a testament to their rapid development and competitive grit. Further amplifying this achievement, Miranda Le earned the outstanding distinction of 20th Speaker out of 184 debaters, showcasing her individual rhetorical excellence.

And finally, our future is clearly in good hands in Novice Public Forum, where Owen Liang announced his arrival on the national circuit with authority, securing the position of 26th Speaker out of 164 speakers. This early success is a preview of great things to come.

VDA will be looking for more success on both sides of the United States next weekend, with debaters competing at both UC Berkeley and Harvard University. Best of luck to everyone involved!