It’s time to find your voice.

Tap into your power with Westfield’s Adult Intro Classes.

All life-long learners welcome.

No exceptions.

We get it.

Speaking your mind in front of other people can be intimidating.

Our class is designed to you move through that challenge. We’ll take it step by step, helping you build your confidence steadily over time. The intellectual challenge of debate will keep you engaged and motivated as you learn crucial tips to become an effective public speaker. Best of all, you’ll spend the whole class surrounded and supported by a community of people who are in exactly the same boat as you.

Our classes

Engage deeply

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Advocate strongly

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Disagree respectfully

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Find your voice

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Engage deeply | Advocate strongly | Disagree respectfully | Find your voice |

This unique introductory class is designed specifically for adults who are anxious about speaking in public.

Our class will begin by developing and practicing a tool kit of public speaking skills. We will then learn the basics of debating and slowly begin doing debates in a supportive and respectful environment. We will debate diverse topics such as economics, current events, history, geopolitics, philosophy and international affairs. We will concentrate on learning how to construct articulate, persuasive and evidence-based arguments and respond to your opponents’ argumentation. Students will develop a method of cognitive organization that is helpful in any presentation or negotiation.

All classes are virtual, so you can engage with the world from the comfort of your own home. Our offerings are accessible for all levels and our participants are diverse. At Westfield, everyone is welcome.

Why debate?

  • Learn to speak with clarity and authority about what matters to you.

  • Enter into a space that invites respectful differences of opinion.

  • Join a vibrant community of curious, motivated, life-long learners like you.

Why Westfield?

“It's more than confidence in public speaking. It's learning how to think and communicate.”

“Ann Walsh Henderson is a brilliant teacher.”

“I always walk away more hopeful about the future of humanity."

"What a gift your program is!"

Learn from the best

Ann Walsh Henderson is passionate about respectful civil discourse. She received her J.D. from UCONN law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and graduated second in her class. She later clerked for three federal judges and worked as an Assistant Professor at UCONN law. Ann went on to a 25-year career as an appellate lawyer.

In 2006, she held her first debate class in the elevator lobby of a community school. From those humble beginnings, Westfield Academy has grown into an a vibrant international community. Since 2006, Ann and her team have coached thousands of students to unprecedented success on the competitive circuit. But, for her, collecting trophies has always been beside the point. She sees debate as a way to learn how to find your voice and change the world. Now she is beyond excited to offer this transformative opportunity to adult students.

Read a letter from Ann about our adult debate program.

Fun facts: Ann holds a masters degree in biochemistry and has run four marathons.