First Light camp · 14 to 16 December

Find your voice.

Three days of live online debate for ages 11 to 18. Your child learns to build an argument, answer the other side, and say it out loud.

When: Mon 14 to Wed 16 Dec 2026, 10am to 1pm
Where: Live online, on video call
Who: Ages 11 to 18

Why debate

They know the answer. They just don't say it.

Some children know exactly what they think and never put their hand up. Others talk easily and fold the moment someone disagrees.

Both are skill gaps, and both can be taught. Debate is the practice: work out what you believe, find the reasons, listen to the person arguing against you, and answer them.

Homework has AI. Essays have AI. A debate doesn't. For three days there is nothing to type a prompt into, only a team, a topic and a turn to speak.

The camp

What three days look like.

Day 1

Build an argument.

The difference between an opinion and an argument, and a four-part recipe for making a point: say it, explain it, give an example, link it back. Every student delivers a one-minute point before the day ends.

Big ideaThe trolley problem. Would you sacrifice one person to save five? Why “best result” and “never cross that line” lead to different answers.

Day 2

Answer the other side.

Rebuttal in four steps, three ways to find the weak point in someone’s case, and how to take notes while they are still speaking. Practised in fast one-on-one rallies.

Big ideaHow Parliament works. Who sits where, how a government is formed, how a bill becomes law, and why debaters say “this house”. Students then pass a bill in their own mini-parliament.

Day 3

Debate for real.

How to plan a speech, how to split prep time, then a full team debate on a topic nobody has seen, with feedback for every speaker.

Big ideaWho runs the economy? Free markets, socialism and communism, explained with one island and one bakery, and why most countries mix all three.

30minutes

No phone. No notes. A speech from nothing.

In a real debate the topic is announced and the clock starts: 30 minutes in most formats, 15 in some. By day three your child can take a topic they have never seen and turn it into a structured speech with their team, using only what is in their heads.

How it works

Small rooms, real coaching, three days.

Live on video call

Every session is taught live. No travel, no drop-off, and nothing pre-recorded.

Beginners welcome

No debate experience needed. We start from how to make one clear point.

Team-based

Students prepare and speak in teams, so nobody is left to work it out alone.

An AI-free room

AI tools stay closed. Every argument is one your child worked out and said themselves.

Who runs it

Hi, I'm Jash.

I started Apolian Academy in 2024 to run debate workshops for students. First Light is the first camp of its relaunch as a live online debate academy.

If you have a question about whether the camp suits your child, message me. I answer every one myself.

Three days. One seat each.

Rooms are kept small so every student speaks and gets feedback. To register, send us a message and we'll confirm your child's seat and how to pay.

Early birdUntil 30 November

RM590

StandardFrom 1 December

RM690

All three days of live sessions
For ages 11 to 18, beginners included
10am to 1pm each day, Malaysia time

Opens WhatsApp with a message ready to send.

Message us by 30 November to keep the RM590 price, even if you pay after that date.

Questions

What parents ask.

My child has never debated. Is that fine?

Yes. The camp is built for beginners. Day 1 starts with how to make a single clear point.

My child is shy. Will they have to speak?

They will speak every day, and it starts small: a one-line answer in the warm-up, then a one-minute point prepared with a partner. Students work in teams and build up to a full debate on day three.

Is it only speaking practice?

No. Each day pairs a skills session with a “big idea” class: the trolley problem and how we decide right from wrong, how Parliament works, and how different economic systems share things out. Debaters have to prepare without looking anything up, so what they already understand is what they argue with.

What do they need?

A laptop or tablet with a camera and microphone, a steady internet connection, and somewhere quiet to sit. Paper and a pen help.

What time are the sessions?

10am to 1pm Malaysia time on all three days, Monday 14 to Wednesday 16 December, with a short break in the middle.

How do I pay?

Message us to register. We confirm the seat and send payment details by WhatsApp.

What happens after the camp?

Weekly classes begin in January 2027. Camp families hear about them first.

Find your voice.

First Light debate camp, 14 to 16 December 2026. Live online, ages 11 to 18.