As we reach the middle of February, we hope that your students are engaged and excited to compete—and, if you haven't finished it yet, that your district tournament series is going well! Please email or call if you need our support.
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Listen and Lead #4 - District Growth and Celebrations
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Don’t miss Listen and Lead #4 on March 9 at 7:00 p.m. CT; register here! Our March session will focus on district growth and celebrations—and yes, a little brag sesh is encouraged! Come ready to share a quick example of something that’s gone well recently: a bright spot, a win, or a strategy worth stealing. Your stories will help spark momentum and inspire ideas across the team.
Can’t make it live? No problem—we’d still love to learn what’s working. Please share your growth wins and celebrations ahead of time using this form.
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Meet the Team: Alan Coverstone, Director of Regional Partnerships
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Please introduce yourself.
Hello! I’m excited to join the NSDA as the Director of Regional Partnerships. My career has centered on helping build learning environments where young people have real voice, agency, and opportunities to grow, whether that’s been as a teacher and high school debate coach, school district administrator, nonprofit leader, or a partner to schools and districts working to expand access to meaningful student experiences.
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Speech and debate has been a constant through that journey, shaping how I think about learning, equity, and community. Outside of work, I love backpacking, listening to and discovering new music, reading, following sports, and most of all, being with my family. I’m grateful to be part of an organization whose mission connects so deeply to both my professional work and my personal values.
What does being the Director of Regional Partnerships include?
My role centers on building and supporting strong, place-based partnerships that help grow and sustain speech and debate at the local and state level. This includes working with district leaders, state associations, funders, alumni, and community organizations to develop regional strategies, advance advocacy efforts, and strengthen existing programs. A core priority is ensuring coaches have meaningful support and strong communities where they are. I also collaborate closely with internal NSDA teams to align regional efforts with national priorities. At its core, my work is about connecting people, aligning goals, and creating the conditions for long-term, equitable growth.
What are you excited about during your first year on staff?
I’m excited to learn from and work alongside the incredibly thoughtful, mission-driven colleagues across the NSDA whose passion, creativity, and care for students is evident in everything they do. I’m also excited to meet and work closely with the incredible speech and debate coaches who bring this transformative opportunity to countless students every day. All students need speech and debate now more than ever, and I’m honored to be part of an organization that believes deeply in equity, student voice, and the power of communication to shape lives.
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District Spotlight: Fundraising Idea!
- by Rebecca Hier, Nebraska South Chair
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If you’re looking for a great fundraising idea, consider hosting a community yard sale! Bellevue West has hosted a yard sale for two years. We learned about this from Toni Heimes, the Nebraska district chair, she and Matt have done this for years to fund their program. The sale is 24 hours of work, but it can pay off in big ways! Community engagement and advertising are the name of the game—start advertising your sale a month or so in advance, so community members can clean out their houses and gather donations. We use Facebook, Craigslist, and local garage sale sites to get the word out. You’ll need to seek donations for bags and hangers—you’d be surprised how many of these are needed. Talk to your theatre department and your school library to get clothing racks and book carts to use during the sale. The more organized the sale looks, the more inclined people will be to shop!
On the Friday before the sale, community members drop off donations, and your team gets to work! Team members unload vehicles, sort, clean, organize, and set up the sale on Friday night. If you have a lot of great help, you can be done setting up by 10:00 p.m. Pricing gets tricky; check resale prices for bigger items and have parents/alumni that you trust price items. Saturday, we host our sale from 9:00a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Coaches run the register, and students help bag items and haul heavy purchases to vehicles. We partner with Thrift World—an organization that supports veterans—for pick up of any unsold items. Typically, these quick 24 hours of work bring in around $2,000 for our team. We run one in the fall, during our city’s fall clean-up days, and then one in April to handle National costs and set us up for the next season.
Have a great idea or successful practice from your district? We’d love to share it! Send your ideas for promoting and strengthening speech and debate to Jenn Borman so we can spotlight your district and help strengthen others.
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It's Time to Celebrate National Speech and Debate Education Day!
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Nominate for the Activating Equity Award
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Nominate a group for the Activating Equity Award, a $5,000 grant recognizing organizations that expand fairness, access, and participation in middle and high school speech and debate. Learn more at speechanddebate.org/activating-equity-award.
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