Check out new resources and opportunities for you, Coach!

Meet the 2025-2026 Student Leadership Council

Big news—27 students have been selected to serve on the 2025-2026 Student Leadership Council! The SLC is comprised of current NSDA high school member students who were nominated by their districts and hand picked by the NSDA team. These students will develop resources, provide feedback, and serve as key student voices in strategic decision-making. Join us in congratulating the incoming SLC and thanking our the 2024-2025 SLC for their service!  

Read the Latest Rostrum

Our Centennial Celebration takes center stage in the latest issue of Rostrum! Highlights include: 

• A look back on 25 years of Academic All American awards.
• Hopes and predictions for the future of debate over the next 100 years.
• Details on the pilot program that will allow up to 25% of districts to test alternative National Tournament qualification methods next year.
• Profiles on Humorous Interp champion Mfaz Mohamed Ali and Duo Interp champion Molly McDermott. 
• And much more! 

Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Deadlines in April and May

DUE APRIL 30: High School District Leadership Election » Each high school’s advisor may cast their vote by logging in to their NSDA Account and selecting NSDA Voting from the left-side menu. Results will be announced in early May, and elected leaders will need to confirm their acceptance of the position by the end of May. Read more about the election »

DUE APRIL 30: Hall of Fame Voting » The highest honor for any high school speech and debate coach is election to the NSDA Hall of Fame. Current Hall of Fame members and active coaches with three or more Diamond Awards may vote online to select this year’s inductees. To access the ballot, eligible coaches can log in to their NSDA Account and select NSDA Voting from the left side menu. 

DUE APRIL 30: National Tournament Extemp Questions » Extemp enthusiasts are invited to submit questions for the 2025 NSDA National Tournament! Whether you're a competitor, coach, or alum, you’re welcome to contribute. You won’t know which questions make the final cut until Nationals. If yours are selected, great! If not, your team has some strong questions you've generated to use for practice. Please share this opportunity with your students—their insights bring fresh perspectives to Extemp. 

DUE MAY 2: Membership Survey Feedback: Our membership survey helps shape our priorities for the coming school year and influences the resources, recognition, and competitive opportunities we offer. In 15 minutes, you can have your voice heard and enter to win. Three high school programs and three middle school programs will be randomly selected from all complete surveys submitted by Friday, May 2, at 11:59 p.m. CT to win free a free school membership for 2025-2026. If you are eligible to participate in our survey, you would have received an email on April 7 from info@speechanddebate.org via SurveyMonkey with the subject line Response Requested: 2025 NSDA Membership and Resource Survey. 

DUE MAY 15: National Tournament Registration: All entries, fees, judges, and materials are due for high school and middle school Nationals. Please accept or reject entries ASAP and double check your registration on Tabroom.com! Issues will be flagged with a red X in the "Status" column on the "General" tab. For help registering for Nationals, check out this video that goes through the process stey-by-step.

Welcome to World Schools Webinar

Do you have students competing in World Schools Debate for the first time at Nationals? Or are you interested in trying the event out next year? In this webinar recording, USA Debate Team member Taite Kirkpatrick and alum Claire Curran offer an intro to World Schools Debate from the student perspective. The session covers:

• The basics of the World Schools Debate format.
• Unique aspects of the event.
• Strategies for success.
• Ways to get involved with Worlds.

Superlative Certificates: Fun Ways to Celebrate Students

Who on your team was most improved? Who was the spirit of the squad? Who had the best snacks? Who is the best bus buddy? Use our team superlative certificate templates to celebrate your team at a team dinner, end of year banquet, or other senior send-off event. This is a great activity to share with team captains! 

End of Year Activities 

Need ideas for filling some days at the end of this semester? We've got you covered! 

• Character Congress » Students dress up and act as a character like Taylor Swift or Mitch McConnell while they do Congressional Debate. 
• Storytelling for Children » In this adapted version of Storytelling, students read stories to elementary students with animated delivery and receive feedback.
• Impromptu Congress Crisis » Students respond to a simulated national crisis as though they are members of the U.S. Congress. For example, a nuclear first-strike submarine has gone missing.  

Host Debates, Earn Team Funds. It's Easy with Free Resources! 

If you have 10 students debate for 3 rounds each, you can earn $200 for your team with Big Questions Debate! Big Questions is a form of debate designed to open students’ minds and encourage them to engage in life discussion that may not align with their previously held beliefs. When you host a qualifying event, you earn money for your team!

Pro Tip: Learn by Watching » Check out our Big Questions YouTube playlist to help your team get started with the format. You can explore final rounds from 2017 to 2024!

Questions? We're here to help! Email info@speechanddebate.org or call (920) 748-6206.

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