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Partnerships

Exclusive Partnerships

As part of our mission to empower youth to become engaged citizens, skilled professionals, and honorable leaders, the National Speech & Debate Association has a number of partnerships with professional organizations to provide additional opportunities for our student, coach, and alumni members.
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American Legion Oratorical Contest

The American Legion offers student members an opportunity to supplement their experiences in speech and debate competition, particularly in Oratory and Extemporaneous Speaking. The contest generally starts at a local post before progressing through a contest format based on that department (state). Winners at department (state) level will move onto the national contest.  Participants compete for scholarships, including a grand prize of $25,000, runner-up receives $22,500 and third place received $20,000! Visit the American Legion website to get started.

The Council on Foreign Relations

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher that provides in-depth analysis and background on the foreign policy choices and opportunities facing the United States and the world today. Debate coaches and students can research current topical and regional issues at Foreign Affairs magazine.

HeinOnline is a premier online research platform that provides more than 211 million pages of multidisciplinary periodicals, essential government documents, international resources, case law, and much more. Composed of fully searchable image-based PDFs and available at an affordable price, the wealth of material allows academic institutions, government agencies, law firms, court systems, corporations, and other organizations access to authoritative, true-to-print digital material without the hassle or cost of using multiple research databases. 

Every document across HeinOnline’s 100+ databases is an exact facsimile of its print counterpart, providing access to original, authoritative sources as well as the ease and speed that accompanies online searching. To improve the discoverability of relevant content, we’ve also incorporated unique artificial intelligence tools and research aids throughout our various databases. 

Take a moment to learn a bit more about why individuals researchers, organizations, and libraries from around the world choose HeinOnline.

International Public Policy Forum presented by The Brewer Foundation

International Public Policy Forum (IPPF)

The International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) provides high school students worldwide with the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy. Sponsored by the Brewer Foundation and New York University, the IPPF is a free competition that begins annually in October, as teams submit a 3,000-word qualifying round essay on the IPPF topic. The top 64 teams are invited to compete in a written debate tournament, volleying essays back and forth via email. The final eight teams win an all-expenses-paid trip to the IPPF Finals in New York City, where the IPPF World Champion receives a $10,000 grand prize! Visit the IPPF website to learn more.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute

The Great Communicator Debate Series holds regional debate competitions across the country culminating in a National Finale at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Winners from each region compete for a share of more than $50,000 in scholarship money at the national finals! Check out this Rostrum article for highlights from a past Great Communicator Debate Series capstone event.

State Organizations

Many state associations/leagues sponsor local tournaments throughout the year in addition to their own state tournament series, which enable students to earn rewards for their practice and dedication to one or more of our competitive events.