What started as a summer project turned into one of the most exhausting, chaotic, and unexpectedly meaningful things we’ve ever done.

From personal growth to public advocacy, speech and debate shaped who I am. This is why I believe every student deserves that same chance, and what we’re doing to make it possible.

Everyone argues. About homework. About screen time. About whether school should start later. But not all arguments actually work . A strong argument isn’t about being loud, dramatic, or stubborn. It’s about being clear, supported, and logical. One of the simplest and most effective ways to do this is using a structure called CER : Claim. Evidence. Reasoning. Let’s break it down with a real, middle-school-relevant example. Step 1: Start with a Clear Claim Your claim is what y

Co-teaching Advocacy and Leadership Through Speaking was an eye-opening experience. It marked the first new bootcamp offered by the Future Speakers Initiative since the summer. We were bringing with it a fresh curriculum, new activities, and, for me, a completely new challenge. I had no idea what to expect. Sure, I had taught Public Speaking and Presentation and Introduction to Debate before, even helping to design parts of those curriculums. And yes, I had learned the fundam

We’ve all been there: sitting through a speech that feels like it’s never going to end. The speaker drones on, slides click by, and...

A curated list of 12 creative, student-tested online games that make public speaking fun, engaging, and easy to teach for middle schoolers on Zoom.

When first coming into speech and debate, it may be difficult to figure out what exactly you want to do. There are so many different...

When most students prepare a speech, the first instinct is to write out every single word. Then comes the memorizing. Recite it. Repeat...