Equity is a core value of the National Speech & Debate Association, and we take our role as a leader in the community seriously. We encourage all participants to review our Equity Statement, and expect all participants to align with our organizational values, our Code of Honor, and our harassment and discrimination policy.
Each year, the NSDA publishes updated Equity Focus Areas informed by feedback from the caucuses and interest groups that comprise our Coaches’ Network, and internal reflection. We invite members to review these commitments and stay engaged with our full collection of equity resources.
As speech and debate programs transition to distanced learning and online classrooms, the NSDA offers several programs to support continued practice and competition. NSDA Campus is a low-cost tournament hosting platform, fully integrated with Tabroom.com, that makes running online tournaments simple and accessible. Member schools also receive access to practice space on NSDA Campus as part of their membership.
We are proud to offer the Springboard Series, a series of free online speech and debate events. These opportunities include after-school scrimmages and two weekend tournaments, ensuring accessible participation for students and schools nationwide. We also provide funding opportunities for local teams through the Keith West Memorial Fund, the National Tournament Tate Fund, and general program grants.
We now offer an NSDA Last-Chance Qualifier, which is a free, online event for students who did not qualify through their district tournament to have a chance to attend the National Tournament.
All participants at speech and debate tournaments deserve a safe and affirming environment. To that end, the Belonging and Inclusion Station (BIS) exists to provide interpersonal support and address improper conduct, including violations of the harassment and discrimination policy.