Democracy Prep graduates will have the virtuous character needed to become engaged democratic citizens. Through service learning projects, civic expeditions, and a school-wide speech and debate team, students become true citizen-scholars.

Preparation for Civic Success: We believe that public schools have a responsibility both to educate students for college and to improve the democratic infrastructure of our community by building civic and social capital. Our goal is to ensure that all graduates are able to participate and take leadership roles in democratic institutions. Through required public service, summer experiences, internships, and other civic activities during in and out-of-school time, our students will apply the knowledge, skills and character they have developed in the academic program to help change the world. Our graduates will be poised public speakers, respectful debaters, skilled negotiators of conflicting information, engaged community members, critical thinkers, and confident leaders prepared to propose solutions to the important social issues of our time. The measurement of these goals includes annual standardized testing (NAEP Civics), community service data, interscholastic competition results, and metrics of school behavior and citizenship such as DREAM Dollars.

School-wide Debate and Speech Program: The public hallmark of our school will be a championship speech and debate program that rivals the most established teams in the nation. Beginning in seventh grade, all students will compete in forensics (speech & debate) activities through the Urban Debate League and the National Forensics League. Students will receive rigorous training in policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, Parliamentary debate, model congress, mock trial, model UN, and speech events including original oratory, extemporaneous speaking, dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation, and other events. All students will compete in interscholastic forensics competitions on the local level while in the Lower School and on the national circuit in our Upper School.