2022 Annual Report

— Frances Haugen data engineer and whistleblower

There is no activity more powerful than speech and debate.

— Kalen Allen | actor, producer, singer, and television personality

NSDA Alum of Sumner Academy, KS – Class of 2014

I know that I am a much more effective communicator. I don't think I would have had the confidence to be the whistleblower I am today if I hadn't done speech and debate.

We are the largest speech and debate community in the country, and we want all of our alumni to stay connected.

NSDA free alumni membership allows for exclusive access to webinars, volunteer opportunities, and a chance to build the speech and debate community.

Claim your free alumni membership: www.speechanddebate.org/alumni

NSDA Alum of Iowa City West High School, IA –Class of 2002

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Thank you for creating meaningful and accessible speech and debate opportunities! On page 6, Arjun shares that, with dedication, speech and debate taught him that he could change the world. Your support—your dedication—to speech and debate gave Arjun and thousands of students the opportunity to learn the essential life skills they will need to change the world. As DiCo mentions on page 8, the opportunities you make possible teach students not to be silent.

Thank you for your dedication to these student leaders, their teachers, and our society.

With gratitude,

MISSION

The National Speech & Debate Association connects, supports, and inspires a diverse community committed to empowering students through speech and debate.

VISION

We envision a world in which every school provides speech and debate programs to foster each student’s communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creative skills.

CORE VALUES

Equity • Integrity • Respect • Leadership • Service

J. Scott Wunn

The 2022 National Tournament included more than 4,700 high school students competing in Louisville, KY for a weeklong competition to determine the most prestigious title in high school academics—national champion.

Visit www.speechanddebate.org/nationals to learn more!

This would be the first time in my three years coaching the team that anyone has traveled to Nationals. While we have qualified people in the past, students have declined attending due to the cost. As a team where the majority of our students come from an economically disadvantaged home, I think knowing it is possible to attend Nationals would give my other students hope that they could actually do the same.

— Tate Fund Recipient

Speech

2022 NSDA NATIONAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR

The William Woods Tate, Jr., National Student of the Year award annually recognizes one individual out of more than 140,000 student members who best embodies the organization’s Code of Honor: humility, equity, integrity, respect, leadership, and service. Nominees must also demonstrate strong academic credentials and a commitment to the speech and debate community. The 2022 NSDA National Student of the Year award is presented by Richard Bitner in honor of Bob Stockton.

Watch the 2022 Student of the Year video.

— Arjun Banerjee | Reservoir High School, MD

and debate has taught me that with dedication I can change the world. I don’t come from a community where that’s the norm. If you have a good idea, the will to work, and the belief, there’s no stopping what you can do.

K.M. DiColandrea founded the Brooklyn Debate League to give students of all experience levels an opportunity to compete in a safe and welcoming environment. For his students, DiCo has always been a safe place to land and because of him, countless students have discovered their purpose and their power.

Watch the 2022 Donus D. Roberts Diamond Assembly to celebrate DiCo and other speech and debate educators who are making a difference.

— K.M. DiColandrea | Director of Brooklyn Debate League Coach at Achievement First Brooklyn High School, NY NSDA Alum of Stuyvesant High School – Class of 2003

2022 BROTHER GREGORY RENÉ STERNER LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT

Speech and debate changes the trajectories of kids’ lives. My students are the strongest people I have ever met... Even when everything around them tries to silence them, they learn through speech and debate not to be silent anymore.

Watch the 2022 Diamond Assembly.

2022 ONLINE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

student who qualified for the National Tournament in a main event but declined their spot was eligible to enter online supplemental events. Plus, each school also had the opportunity to enter up to two students who competed at districts but did not qualify to attend the National Tournament.

Cheer for the online national champions:

CAM High School has done about nine of the Springboard scrimmages. They have been great for our speech and debate program. We have a limited budget—70% of our budget comes from fundraisers the students do during the year. So these free tournaments are a blessing.

Kirk | Coach from Iowa

Thanks to the generosity of The Julia Burke Foundation, the online Springboard Series offers free speech and debate events including after-school scrimmages and weekend tournaments. In 2021-2022, the Springboard Series offered 22 free competition opportunites— reaching more than 2,500 students!

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free events presented by The Julia Burke Foundation

RICHARD BITNER JAMES M. COPELAND TOM AND VICKI ROLLINS JOE AND PAM WYCOFF