Bringing Speech and Debate to New Schools in Alabama

Bringing speech and debate to new areas and expanding access to this activity is an integral part of our mission. That’s why we were so excited to work with the Daniel Foundation of Alabama and Mountain Brook coach Elizabeth Wood-Weas to put on a day of professional development training and a free tournament for new coaches and programs.

“Speech and debate programs are incredibly important for high schools,” said Elizabeth Wood Weas, the speech and debate advisor at Mountain Brook High School. “This tournament was an excellent way to encourage new programs and offer schools the opportunity to build their team.”

23 teachers from 20 different schools participated in the professional development opportunities. Nearly all of these teachers were in their first three years of coaching speech and debate, and approximately half attended the tournament with their students the next day.

The novice tournament also featured the opportunity for students to learn more about competitive events. In between rounds, students were offered the opportunity to learn from experienced debaters and coaches about speech and debate specifics, from tournament etiquette to competitive advice.

We’re looking forward to putting on more great events like this in the future!