Congressional Debate Program Descriptions
1 Week - 6/28-7/4 - $1400
This program is designed for students that compete in Congressional Debate in National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) and/or Texas Forensic Association (TFA) competitions. Students will receive a mock docket of Congressional legislation at the beginning of June. The 1-week workshop will focus on fundamentals of public speaking, competition procedure, and will research and prepare arguments for and against a selection of items in the mock docket. Students will spend Monday-Thursday in morning, afternoon, and evening sessions in University classrooms and/or libraries researching and practicing. Students will spend the first half of Friday in a mock Congressional Debate competition and will spend the evening doing a fun activity with their group. Students will depart Saturday morning.
2 Week - 6/28-7/11 - $2800
This program is designed for students that compete in Policy Debate in National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) and/or Texas Forensic Association (TFA) competitions. Students will receive a set of evidence for the 2026-2027 topic at the beginning of June. The 2-week workshop will focus on fundamentals of public speaking, competition procedure, and will research and prepare arguments for and against a selection of items in the mock docket. Students will spend Monday-Thursday in morning, afternoon, and evening sessions in University classrooms and/or libraries researching and practicing. Students will spend the first half of Friday in a mock Congressional Debate competition and will spend the evening doing a fun activity with the departing 1-week students. Students will spend the first Saturday morning with instructors receiving constructive criticism regarding the first mock legislative session and then participate in 4th of July activities in the evening. During the second week, students will do more targeted speaking activities and prepare arguments for the expanded Congressional Docket.
Meet the Staff
Kirsten Nash, Curriculum Director
Kirsten Nash has spent the last two decades helping students discover their voices, sharpen their thinking, and compete at the highest levels of speech and debate. A longtime educator and coach in Texas and on the national circuit, she has guided students to major competitive success, including the 2025 MBA Champion, the 2024 TFA State International Extemp Champion, the 2019 NSDA Champion, and eight UIL State Championships. Her students have also reached finals at tournaments such as Harvard, Berkeley, Yale, Stanford, and the University of Texas, along with dozens of other national and state competitions.
In Congressional Debate, Kirsten has coached multiple finalists at both the UIL and TFA State Tournaments, as well as national-level finalists and numerous qualifiers to the Tournament of Champions. Her approach emphasizes strong research habits, strategic thinking, persuasive writing, and confident delivery, which allows students to succeed both in competition and beyond. This will be Kirsten's 8th year with UTNIF.
Beyond the tournament circuit, Kirsten has taught advanced research, writing, government, and communication courses and has mentored hundreds of students through academic planning, college admissions, scholarships, and interviews. She currently runs her own consulting firm, Illuminate Ventures, LLC, where she provides coaching, mentorship, and guidance to students pursuing excellence in public speaking, debate, and academic opportunities.