2023 Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT 2022-2023

Watch a message from the Championship Team

The USA Debate team competing in this year’s competition are as follows:

Ollie Braden . . Senior . . Jackson-Reed High School . . District of Columbia

Ambika Grover . . Senior . . Greenwich High School . . Connecticut

Chelsea Hu . . Junior . . Phillips Academy . . . . Massachusetts

Vinayak Menon . . Senior . . Lambert High School . . Georgia

Sungjoo Yoon . . Senior . . Burbank Senior High School California

Alex Lee . . . (alternate) . . Harvard-Westlake School . . California

The team is coached by Cindi Timmons (co-head coach and team manager), Aaron Timmons (co-head coach), and Aditya Dhar (assistant coach) .

The National Speech & Debate Association is proud to announce that Team USA won the championship title after competing against Team Canada in the grand final at the World Schools Debating Championships hosted in Vietnam on Thursday, July 27, 2023. This marks the first time since 1994 that the U.S. competed in this round, and is also the first-ever North American final.

After facing off against more than 64 top teams from around the globe, Team USA advanced to the final round, debating the motion, “This House prefers a world ruled by a benevolent AI programmed to maximize utility by calculating the actions most guaranteed to reduce the greatest global suffering.” Following a 7-4 split-decision, Team USA won against Team Canada.

From an application process open to almost 140,000 student members of the NSDA, only 12 students are selected to join the USA Debate team. From these, five are chosen to compete at the World Schools Debating Championships in addition to one alternate.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

This year brought a number of remarkable moments I will never forget. This report is filled with a glimpse of those—and each story is special, unique, and only possible because of your support. When I was interviewed by Newsweek this year, I shared the importance of mentors to my own life journey. That is why I am so proud of the opportunities you provide to young people. You give them access to lifelong speech and debate mentors and peers who will encourage and support them to grow and unleash their potential.

Thank you for investing in young people,

J. Scott Wunn

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

My mindset has shifted to quickly think on my feet and not be afraid to speak up when I am in doubt. Last week when I was at the Navajo Prep Board of Trustees meeting, my speech and debate skills kicked in. I gave my stance on the situation and presented valid evidence for why they should agree. Speech and debate has made me realize how I want to conduct myself in the world. It is evident that there are not many Native Americans in many of my high school activities. From this, I’ve reflected on how I want to act in these public events as a respectful leader, a compassionate person, a competitive opponent, and a proud Navajo woman.

— Haylei Redhouse | Navajo Preparatory School, NM

Watch the 2022-2023 Keith West Memorial Fund school grant announcement video.

2022-2023 SPRINGBOARD SERIES

Jennifer, a coach at Trinity High School in Euless, TX, shared how the opportunities you provide took her team from nine students to 43 students in just a few weeks! Jennifer told our staff that her team was depleted during COVID. She was hired to bring it back. Because of your support, her team is back and thriving!

Hear from Jennifer how your support is making a difference for her team.

The Springboard Series creates FREE, online, afterschool speech and debate opportunities for all high school and middle school students. Thanks to the generosity of The Julia Burke Foundation, the NSDA has been offering the Springboard Series since 2020.

In addition to providing students with free practice opportunities, Springboard is a wonderful way for coaches, advisors, administrators, and supporters to build and foster a healthy speech and debate team. In 2022-2023, the NSDA offered 24 free competition opportunities to students— reaching 2,620 unique students and 404 schools across the nation. In April, Springboard offers a Last-Chance Qualifier which gives students a FREE chance to qualify for the National Speech & Debate Tournament!

Twenty-six years ago students came to ask me to judge. I knew nothing. But they said most judges knew nothing! I tried it and fell in love with the activity. Anyone who complains about teenagers today needs to attend a speech and debate tournament, where they will see thoughtfulness, maturity, intelligence, passion, and commitment. Being an adolescent today has so many challenges, and as a judge, you can truly make a difference in their lives by listening, encouraging, and guiding. And I learn so much from them!

— Carol Goodman | Speech and debate alum

Volunteers are filling in a crucial gap. They are the reason a student gains access to speech and debate! Find out about more ways to be involved at www.speechanddebate.org/get-involved

THE PAY IT FORWARD FUND

The Pay It Forward Fund was founded in 2022, with inaugural donations from Joe and Pam Wycoff and the alumni of Apple Valley High School, MN, who believe speech and debate is one of the most influential experiences a student can have. In this spirit, the Pay It Forward Fund provides hundreds of new schools access to speech and debate through free NSDA memberships and access to all NSDA resources.

Thank you so much for everything. Our team really appreciates your support and contributions to helping our program grow and be as competitive as possible, and educated on the subject of speech and debate!

— Coach from Missouri

This support will allow us to improve and expand our debate team greatly, as we now have more resources to teach debate more effectively than ever before. Again, we greatly appreciate the generosity, and we will strive to continue the excellence of our debate program through exemplifying the values of an enjoyable debate experience.

— Coach from Texas

Speech and debate will help me boost my speaking and writing abilities. I will be able to track my progress from tournaments and access more resources to better my debate and performance skills. I believe that speech and debate will significantly help me in my future career and studies.

— Senior from Washington

Speech is where I found my voice. My career is based on what I learned in high school in speech and debate. It was that speech coach, Josette Surratt, who said, ‘Boy, you got a good voice, you should use it in speech.’ So I would say to every parent, student, anybody watching right now, speech is something that will give you maybe a career like me, but at the very least, tools that will so well serve you in the course of life.

— David Begnaud | Journalist and news correspondent, CBS News

2023 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT

David Begnaud is the Emmy Award winning Lead National Correspondent for CBS Mornings, the national broadcast that airs weekdays on CBS. Begnaud says his career is based on what he learned doing speech and debate in school. The NSDA proudly presented the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award to Begnaud at the National Speech & Debate Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona.

ALUMNI MEMBERSHIP

We are thankful to speech and debate alumni who are sharing their stories and time to advocate for speech and debate. Learn more about our alumni membership at www.speechanddebate.org/alumn i .

Learn more about our notable alumni. NSDA alums include Supreme Court justices, media visionaries, Academy Award winners, and more!

2023 NATIONAL TOURNAMENT – HIGH SCHOOL CIRCLE OF CHAMPIONS

The 2023 National Tournament included more than 6,716 students competing in Phoenix, AZ for a weeklong competition to determine the most prestigious title in high school academics: national champion. Visit www.speechanddebate.org/nationals to learn more!

2023 NATIONAL TOURNAMENT BY THE NUMBERS

6,719 STUDENTS

1,489 SCHOOLS

11,500 ROUNDS OF COMPETITION

THE TATE 'ROAD TO NATIONALS' FUND

Watch this impact video from StowMunroe Falls High School speech and debate team.

Thank you for supporting the Road to Nationals Fund, created to help talented students overcome financial challenges to attend the National Tournament.

The Road to Nationals Fund, founded by the William Woods Tate, Jr., Memorial Fund (often called “the Tate Fund”) is designed to help students attend the high school National Speech & Debate Tournament. The Road to Nationals Fund provides financial assistance to schools who are lacking financial resources to attend the National Tournament.

TATE ROAD TO NATIONALS FUND

$112,000 250 SCHOOLS

If I wasn’t in speech and debate, I wouldn’t think that was something I could do.

— Kriti Gopi | Union High School,OK 2023 DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. COMMEMORATION SOCIETY ORATORICAL CONTEST CHAMPION

The champion of this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Society Oratorical Contest credits speech and debate class for acquiring the award-winning skills. Class inspires her to think outside the box, she said, and to explore different outlets to express herself. Being an introvert, these skills were critical in besting the competition.

Winning the competition changed her mindset, she said. Gopi realized if she devotes 100% of herself to a challenge, she’ll emerge victorious.

“It makes sense why [MLK Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech] was so significant, even today, and why people still remember it and talk about it,” she said.

Read more: tinyurl.com/2deh2chz

PHOTO: Ian Maule | Tulsa World

*Deferred

As a young man of color, I’ve been able to express myself and also change people’s mindsets on the way they look at young men of color. You can use your voice to show them.

— Jordan Brown | The Delores Taylor Arthur School for Young Men, LA

The Delores Taylor Arthur School for Young Men is using debate to teach students to "write their own narrative."

Students at the all-male New Orleans school are leveraging the power of debate to shape their future pathways, honing critical thinking and communication skills. Through engaging debates, these students are not only enhancing their academic prowess but also gaining the tools to navigate and influence the world around them.

Read more: tinyurl.com/bdz2bea3

PHOTO: Brett Duke | nola.com

2023 NATIONAL TOURNAMENT SPONSORS

PLATINUM LEVEL

Arthur N. Rupe

RUBY LEVEL

EMERALD LEVEL

A. C. ELEY FUND

CARMENDALE FERNANDES FUND

THE JEPS FOUNDATION

VICTOR JIH

ADAM AND ASHLEY JOHNSON

SILVER LEVEL

SAPPHIRE LEVEL

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

HAROLD C. KELLER FUND

MCCARTHEY FAMILY FOUNDATION

HARLAND B. MITCHELL FUND

LANNY D. AND B. J. NAEGELIN FUND

DONUS AND LOVILA ROBERTS

SANDRA SILVERS FUND

RICHARD B. SODIKOW FUND

BOB AND SALLI STOCKTON

WILLIAM WOODS TATE, JR., FUND

Thank you to our many individual donors who have supported us in 2022-2023. www.speechanddebate.org/ 2022-2023-donors/ NATIONAL SPEECH & DEBATE ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2022-2023 15

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