NHI Programs
NHI announces full slate of summer programs for 2022
Program dates and locations for this coming summer are ready to be announced as NHI welcomes back old and new partners for upcoming programs. As preparations for the Great Debate, LDZ, and CWS are underway, it is a great time to apply as a participant in the experience — with the Nov. 15 application deadline quickly approaching. Apply today!
Note: This article has been updated to include the New Mexico LDZ program added after the initial publication date.
Great Debate
(Class of 2025)
This year, NHI will offer six live, in-person, on-campus Great Debate programs as well as a continuation of the innovative, online GDx program NHI debuted in 2020 in response to the pandemic, connecting students across geographic distances and time zones in a program that helped students build their digital literacy as well as their communication skills.
Those programs include:
Texas Great Debate
- Schreiner University, Kerrville, Texas
- June 11-14
This long-standing NHI tradition continues at a new location, with Schreiner University — at the picturesque gateway to the Texas Hill Country — serving as host for this NHI-defining event. Students from major cities and regions throughout Texas including Greater Houston, El Paso, Austin, North Texas (Dallas/Ft. Worth), the Rio Grande Valley, Tip of Texas (Brownsville), Corpus Christi, and San Antonio will continue the Texas Great Debate tradition, competing in a four-day team event unique to NHI, questing for the Silver Cup trophy for best overall team performance.Texas Great Debaters convene with their teams during the spring months to prepare for this epic competition that launches many Texans’ NHI journeys.
Texas Star Great Debate
- Schreiner University, Kerrville, Texas
- June 16-21
This six-day program will also be hosted by Schreiner University immediately on the heels of the Texas Great Debate. At this program, Great Debaters will form teams shortly after arriving through a team selection process. The Texas Star, as well as the other six-day programs, will provide a comprehensive and immersive experience for participants, including students who prefer intensive communications training or come from communities outside of NHI’s local training and development alliance regions that the Texas Great Debate requires.
Midwest Great Debate
- Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois
- July 3-8
Augustana College will be hosting another year of the Midwest Great Debate, located in Rock Island, Illinois. The liberal arts college, located in the heart of the Quad Cities, is one of NHI’s longtime host partners, first welcoming NHI students in 2004. The Midwest Great Debate is continuing to challenge rising high school sophomores in their debate and communication skills. Participating students come from all over, with a concentration from — keeping to the Midwest part of the events name — Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri — but attendees hail from all over the U.S. and even Mexico.
California Sol Great Debate
- University of San Diego, San Diego, California
- July 12-17
The University of San Diego maintains a strong partnership with NHI. After hosting the California LDZ in recent years, the private university will serve as the host for the California Sol Great Debate in 2022. This will be an excellent opportunity for students in California high schools, building a larger network of students that may participate in a Great Debate program closer to home — as well as an opportunity to visit one of the U.S.’s largest and best border cities.
Northeast Great Debate
- St. Francis University, Loretto, Pennsylvania
- July 19-24
St. Francis University, located in an idyllic rural region of Pennsylvania still less than 80 miles from Pittsburgh, is welcomed by NHI as the official host of the 2022 Northeast Great Debate. The six-day program is one of the longest-running Great Debates, traditionally reaching students from New York City, Philadelphia, and other East Coast NHI communities — along with Puerto Rican and Dominican participants. This in-person program will be a significant stepping stone for rising sophomores transitioning back to live and interactive engagement.
GDX
- Online from NHIx Global Broadcasting Studio
- July 21-23 and 25-26
The GDx is an online learning experience available to NHI students throughout the Americas, broadcast from NHI studios, employing Zoom, Discord, Moodle, and even TikTok to engage students and connect them across borders. No prior in-person training is necessary for this fully-online program, allowing students to build relationships as well as provide the same competition and leadership development found in a live, in-person program.
LDZ
(Class of 2023 and 2024)
This summer, the Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session – better known by its LDZ abbreviation — will be available to NHI students via two in-person programs and the online LDZx version debuted this past summer. As students continue to navigate through the pandemic, NHI feels it important to offer both options to develop asset-based thinking, exercise team building, and advocacy for their beliefs within a transformational, immersive learning experience.
Dionisio “Dennis” Chavez New Mexico LDZ
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- June 12-19
150 top students from New Mexico will participate in a week-long leadership experience on the UNM campus, for a program that will highlight the legacy of the late Dionisio “Dennis” Chavez. The program is made possible with the help of special funding from the New Mexico Legislature, as requested by State Sen. Michael Padilla, and marks a return to the Land of Enchantment — the site of one of the first-ever NHI LDZ programs.
Colorado LDZ
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
- June 19-26
Colorado State University will host the Colorado LDZ, continuing a tradition of over 30 years of hosting students from throughout the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) and Mexico. Throughout the program’s eight days, students will enjoy CSU’s prestigious campus and unparalleled Rocky Mountain setting while brainstorming ideas for their proposals and policies.
American LDZ
- St. Mary’s College, St. Mary’s City, Maryland
- July 10-17
In 2022, NHI will premiere the American LDZ at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. During this eight-day program, students will experience LDZ’s mock legislative session format near the nation’s capital. This program is open to up to 150 rising high school juniors and seniors, and while the program’s likely to feature a number of East Coast-based Great Debaters, organizers anticipate a diverse group of students to converge for this journey into civic engagement and democracy.
Texas LDZ
- Austin College, Sherman, Texas
- July 10-17
The Texas LDZ is significant in NHI’s history, being its longest-running program, dating back to 1984. This year, the Texas LDZ is hosted by Austin College for the second year in a row, shifting the liberal arts college’s role in NHI lore after many years of hosting the Texas Great Debate. In these eight days, participants will boost public speaking skills, cultivate community, and encourage each other throughout the unexpected obstacles thrown their way. This program welcomes students from Texas, Mexico, and beyond.
LDZx
- Online from NHIx Global Broadcasting Studio
- July 25-30
The LDZx is offered this year once again as an online experience to students. While this six-day edition of the LDZ carries similar hallmarks to its live, in-person sibling, it operates from more of a business and non-profit model than a governmental body, and integrates core NHI principles in its structure — so rather than navigating a House and Senate, LDZx students navigate a Community Social Entrepreneurship chamber, looking at short-term viability concerns for their proposals, exploring feasibility and a Community Equity Building chamber, pondering long-term concerns like outcomes and how much equity is built into the community as a result of their initiatives.
CWS
(Class of 2023)
NHI offers three opportunities for rising seniors this summer to complete their capstone NHI experiences. The CWS provides direct mentorship from select admissions counselors from NHI College Register universities, preparing students for the college admissions process and introducing them to inquiry-based learning.
International CWS
- University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee
- June 29-July 3
NHI welcomes the University of the South as the official host for the 2022 International CWS. This five-day program serves students from throughout the U.S. and — true to its name — Central American and Caribbean nations. CWS students will be introduced to the college admissions process and inquiry based learning in a historic, beautiful campus about 90 miles from Nashville, for what promises to be one of NHI’s most distinctive host locations.
Texas CWS
- St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas
- July 27-31
This year’s Texas CWS will be hosted by St. Mary’s University, a staple of the San Antonio community and a familiar NHI partner returning to the fold. Students will get to stay at a private, Catholic, liberal arts college nestled within a predominantly Latino community within Texas’ largest Latino-majority city.
CWSx
- Online from NHIx Global Broadcasting Studio
- July 18-20 and 23-24
The CWSx provides a digital version of the Collegiate World Series, connecting students with higher education aspirations from NHI’s studios — and connecting them to admissions counselors from NHI College Register member schools. The challenges presented to CWSx participants mirror those in the in-person edition, allowing students to practice networking, utilize resources, and cultivate community.
NHI is thrilled to move forward with a greater number of in-person programs while continuing the option of online learning experiences for each program in the three-tiered leadership development series. If you are currently a high school freshman, sophomore, or junior, you can apply today to your specified summer program, and be prepared to excel in ways beyond your imagination.
Participants are encouraged to register by November 15 before programs are filled, though late submissions will be accepted through December 15. NHI is also seeking staffers for each program, so NHI alumni may apply to volunteer by contacting Julio Cotto at jcotto@nhimail.com and going to this link to be included in our volunteer placement opportunities.
Author note: Sofia Hernandez is an NHI alumna and an NHIMagazine.com contributor.
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