Impromptu
Impromptu appeals to students who enjoy thinking quickly and thrive under time pressure. Ideal competitors are quick-witted, creative, and comfortable with uncertainty. Many students are drawn to the variety of prompts and the opportunity to inject personal perspective, humor, or insight into a speech that is built in real time. Those with a strong general knowledge base across news, literature, pop culture, and history often find they can draw from a wide range of examples to support their points.
To succeed in Impromptu, students must be able to quickly analyze a prompt, identify a clear thesis, and develop organized, well-supported content on the spot. Strong delivery skills, logical structure, and the ability to connect with the audience are critical. Whether the topic is silly or serious, the best Impromptu speakers bring creativity, clarity, and confidence to every performance.
Judge
Is your program new to the NSDA?
Welcome!
Instructions
Welcome Back!
Instructions
- Program advisors can visit www.speechanddebate.org and click Member Login in the top right corner of the page. Use your username and password to log in to your account. Once you’ve logged in, click “Account” in the upper right corner, which will take you to your profile page. Please click “Renew School”, in red, from the left menu and follow the prompts at the top of the page to renew your school.
- High school membership is $149, with an option to upgrade to the all-school team Resource Package for an additional $199. Each individual high school student membership is a one-time $20 fee.
- Middle school membership is $75, with an option to upgrade to the all-school team Resource Package for an additional $199. Each individual middle school student membership is a one-time $10 fee.
- To finalize the renewal, follow the prompts on the page to review the following:
Step 1. Confirm information on the school profile page. Once confirmed/updated, click the “Next Step” button.
Step 2. Confirm the coaches listed. Once confirmed/updated, click the “Next Step” button.
Step 3. Create the invoice. The annual dues are automatically selected. You can use the toggle to select other options such as coach memberships, student memberships, insurance, and the Resource Package. The prices for each item are listed on the right side of your screen, and a running total is at the bottom in blue. When done, “Create Invoice and Proceed to Checkout”.
The system allows you to “Pay Now”, with a credit card or you can email the invoice to yourself or print out the pdf.
Need a Visual? Click here to watch our brief tutorial!
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Impromptu
IMP • High School Supplemental Event • Middle School Main Event
Impromptu Speaking (IMP) is a public speaking event in which students are given seven minutes (with a 30-second grace period) to select a topic, brainstorm ideas, organize a speech, and deliver it without the use of notes. The speech must include an introduction, body, and conclusion, and can range in tone from lighthearted to serious. Prompts provided to speakers may come from a wide variety of sources, including nursery rhymes, current events, historical figures, pop culture references, and abstract ideas. The challenge lies in responding thoughtfully and persuasively with limited preparation time.