Florida Debate Initiative Announces 2026 Civic Immersion Cohort: 40 Students from across Florida selected for an all-expenses-paid leadership-based learning experience in Washington, D.C.

2025 Civics Immersion Experience Cohort in Washington D.C. ORLANDO, Fla. — February 2, 2026 — The Florida Debate Initiative (FDI) is proud to announce its 2026 Civic Immersion Cohort, an exceptionally selective group of student leaders chosen from hundreds of applicants statewide. Selections are made using a rubric-based review of each student’s application packet. In general, FDI considers academic readiness, the strength of written responses, demonstrated interest in civics

Florida Debate Initiative Announces Winners of the 2025 Statewide Veterans Day Speech Contest

2024 Veterans Day Speech Contest Winners Oviedo, FL: Florida Debate Initiative (FDI) proudly announces the winners of its 2025 Veterans Day Speech Contest. 2025 Prompt: LEARN FROM THOSE WHO SERVED - What can we learn from veterans about courage, teamwork, and responsibility? How can those lessons help students in everyday life? Participation surged this year, with student submissions nearly doubling from our inaugural contest. Entries were evaluated by a panel of speech exper

FDI President Abraham López Named to Seminole County Voter Advocacy Workgroup

FDI President Abraham López Named to Seminole County Voter Advocacy Workgroup Sanford, FL — October 1, 2025. The Florida Debate...

LET'S BE

Good luck to everyone competing in the FCDI Regional Qualifiers in Northeast and Central regions. May your debates be strong and your speeches impactful. 👏

That long-awaited post-round debrief with the besties always hits different. What is the best advice you’ve ever received from a teammate? Tell us in the comments! 💬

DONUT miss this opportunity! 50% of each purchase of a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts supports Florida Debate Initiative! Join our GroupRaise at the link in our bio, to purchase your gift card that can be redeemed at a Krispy Kreme near you.

Applications are now open for Pro Camp! Join us March 20-22 for a weekend of intensive speech and debate training geared toward varsity-level debaters! Don’t miss out on a chance to surround yourself with the real MVPs and learn from the most seasoned coaches. Submit your application by March 10, 2026 at floridadebate.org/procamp

SB 1062 Update!

Big step forward today: SB 1062 cleared its second committee stop with bipartisan, unanimous support. We’ve still got more ahead — but this momentum matters.

Huge thanks to our Senate sponsors Senator @jtbrodeur, Senator @dannyburgessfl, and Senator Gaetz for standing with Florida students. And a special shoutout to the students who testified in support — Mackenzie Fulton, AmandaLesly Miranda, and Stephanie Salavei. Your first-hand stories change the conversation.

Let’s keep showing up, staying positive, and lifting student voices.

Grateful to Senators @jtbrodeur, Gaetz, and @dannyburgessfl for sponsoring SB 1062: Speech and Debate Education! This bill is on the agenda for the Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K–12 Education tomorrow, Wednesday, February 18th at 8:30 a.m. in the Mallory Horne Committee Room. Student, parent, and teacher voices matter right now as we work to advance priorities that support our students. Looking forward to this important hearing! 🙌

Today we celebrate President George Washington’s birthday! Throwing it back to our 2025 Civics Immersion Experience when we visited the Washington Monument while touring the iconic landmarks of Washington D.C.

The anticipation is growing as we get closer to the 2026 Civics Immersion Experience! While 2026 CIE applications are now closed, stay up-to-date for next year by visiting floridadebate.org

Thank you to Luis David Latozefsky for giving a beautiful and inspiring testimony in committee Wednesday. You spoke with courage and conviction, reminding every lawmaker listening that speech and debate is NOT just a program, it’s a LIFELINE.

We’ve got momentum and purpose - let’s keep it going!

We’re SWEET on Debate! This February, join us in supporting speech and debate in Florida by purchasing a Krispy Kreme dozen. All it takes is three easy steps:
1️⃣ Join our GroupRaise page [at the link in our bio]
2️⃣ Purchase your gift card for a dozen Krispy Kreme Original Glazed donuts
3️⃣ Redeem at your nearest Krispy Kreme!

Congratulations to Senator @dannyburgessfl on receiving the Gavel Down Award during the 2025 Legislative Session. Thank you for your steadfast commitment to Florida's speech and debate community.

Exciting news for Florida students! HB 1059 passed its first stop in the Student Academic Success Subcommittee!

HB 1059 will ensure that speech and debate programs receive the support they need to prepare Florida’s students for successful futures.

A special thank you to our bill sponsor, Representative Booth, and to Representative Rizo for adding HB 1059 to the agenda. We are also grateful to all members of the Student Academic Success Subcommittee for their continued support.

Grateful to Rep. Rizo @teamalexrizo and the Student Academic Success Subcommittee for advancing HB 1059.

Thank you, Chairman Rizo, for getting us on tomorrow’s agenda, and to committee members for recognizing the important role speech and debate play in civic learning and leadership development across Florida. Excited for tomorrow! 🙌

This Saturday, students from Gulf Coast, Southeast, North Central, and South take the stage for another weekend of speech and debate competition at the FCDI Regional Qualifier #3. We look forward to seeing everyone and wish all student, coaches, and judges good luck!

It was our pleasure to present the Gavel Down Award to Senator @jtbrodeur during the 2025 Legislative Session. We appreciate everything you do to support speech and debate students statewide.

SAVE THE DATE! 📅On March 20-22, FDI will hosting PART TWO of the DebatEd professional development program. DebatEd 201 is for intermediate coaches or educators who have been coaching and/or teaching speech and debate for 1-5 years and who have already completed DebatEd 101. Keep an eye out for when we announce the location!

The cohort for Civics Immersion Experience 2026 is here! 🎉Heading to Washington D.C. with us? Let us know in the comments and tell us what you’re looking forward to the most! We can't wait to see you there!

Didn't make it this year? That’s okay! There's always next year, and we'd love to see your application again.
Learn more about how you can stay in touch until next year at floridadebate.org

We were delighted to visit with Representative Sirois during the 2025 Legislative Session. Thank you for your tireless advocacy for speech and debate students across Florida and for taking the time to meet with us.

SAVE THE DATE: PRO CAMP — MARCH 20-22! Don’t miss out on a chance to sharpen your skills, connect with other speech and debate students, and set yourself up for success at your next debate tournament. Applications will open soon at floridadebate.org/procamp.

The FDI has partnered with Seminole County Public Schools @scpsinfo to bring the American Dream Debates to the district’s English language learners, and we couldn’t be more delighted to host 6 SCPS ESOL educators under the direction of Minnie Cardona, for Speech and debate training.

What an honor to award Senator Gaetz the Gavel Down Award during the 2025 Legislative Session. Your commitment to Florida's speech and debate students makes a lasting impact.

Wishing all students and coaches competing in the FCDI Statewide Online tournament this weekend, the best of luck! One step closer to the State Championship in April. 😎

Big day in Tallahassee for Florida students

The Florida Senate K-12 Education Committee voted unanimously to move the Florida Speech & Debate Education Act (SB 1062 / HB 1059) forward.

A huge thank-you to the leaders making it happen:
Senate President Pro Temp @jtbrodeur (District 10), the General Bill sponsor
Senator @dannyburgessfl (District 23), co-introducer
Senator Don Gaetz (District 1), co-introducer

We’re grateful for the bipartisan momentum and for everyone who believes Florida students deserve the chance to find their voice.

We're proud to have presented Representative Canady with the Gavel Down Award during the 2025 Legislative Session. Thank you for being a champion for speech and debate students across our state.

Happy National Florida Day! At FDI, we're proud to call the Sunshine State home. We are even prouder to empower Florida's future leaders through speech and debate. Here's to the students shaping tomorrow's conversations today. ☀️

It was our privilege to recognize Senator Hooper @sen_hooper with the Gavel Down Award during the 2025 Legislative Session. We're grateful for your unwavering support of speech and debate students throughout Florida.

Florida showed up in a big way at NCDC because that’s what leaders do. 💪🇺🇸🎤

Huge shoutout to our Florida Debate Initiative Board members who were on-site cheering on Florida’s best and championing the work that makes our state a national model for civics through speech + debate:

👏 Co-Founder & Board Chair Tara Tedrow
👏 Board Member Marna Weston
👏 Board Member Cathy Brown

Thank you for showing up, standing proud, and reminding everyone what Florida leadership looks like, strong, student-first, and all-in on building the next generation of civic leaders.

We were honored to present Representative @danatrabulsy with the Gavel Down Award during the 2025 Legislative Session. Your dedication to empowering speech and debate students across Florida means the world to us.

Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose powerful oratory changed the course of history. His speeches combined moral clarity, emotional resonance, and logical reasoning to move hearts and minds across America. His mastery of rhetoric, from “I Have a Dream” to “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” reminds us why debate and public discourse matter.

As we train the next generation of speakers and thinkers, we honor his legacy by teaching students to use their voices.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day from Florida Debate Initiative.

Strike a Pose: NCDC 2026 Edition 🕺

Day one in the books! What an incredible showing in extemp debate and impromptu speaking today. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Ladies and gentleman…. Start your engines for NCDC 2026! 🎉

Good luck to all Florida Speech and Debate students competing in this weekends, National Civics and Debate Championship, in Orlando! All of your hard work has lead to this moment, facing-off the top debaters in the country. We know you will make our great state proud!

The Gavel Down Award is Florida Debate Initiative’s highest honor, recognizing leaders who champion civic education through speech and debate across Florida. This award celebrates policymakers, educators, and advocates who empower students with critical thinking, communication, and civic engagement skills that shape future leaders.

Thank you to our 2025 Legislative Session Gavel Down Award recipients for your unwavering commitment to Florida’s students. Your leadership ensures thousands of young Floridians gain access to transformative speech and debate experiences that prepare them to be informed, engaged citizens. 🏆

Throwback to November when we hosted our first American Dream Debate! It might be in it’s rookie season, but we are eager to see how it grows and continues to help amplify both English and Spanish debaters! The Florida Debate Initiative is committed to support ALL voices and amplify our mission to make speech and debate accessible to all students.

Your 2026 Speech and Debate Season will be different if you do these FIVE ✋ things:
1️⃣ Film yourself practicing
2️⃣ Build a evidence filing system early
3️⃣ Watch rounds outside of your event
4️⃣ Seek feedback from judges you didn’t win under
5️⃣ Compete outside of your comfort zone

Wishing Board of Directors member, Beverly Evans, a very happy birthday! Thank you for all that you do to support speech and debate across Florida.

Robert Avery, 24-Year U.S. Air Force Veteran and Parent & Proud Supporter of FDI, shares his immense gratitude for Florida Debate Initiative. We are proud to be considered a force multiplier — as we continue student voices across the state!

It’s the beginning of a new year... Swipe to see what your birth month says about you! 🎉

We’re thrilled to announce the 2026 Salute to Service cohort! We have a roster of 14 top-performing students in grades 10-12 who have been selected to work with military community mentors to design and execute service projects that directly benefit veterans, active-duty service members, and their families. Swipe left to see who made this year’s roster!

The 2025 Debate Season has come to an end. Thank you to all our students, coaches, judges, parents, regional ambassadors, and everyone else who made this a CHAMPIONSHIP year! ⭐️ 2026 has great things in store!

New year means new goals! How are you preparing for the upcoming year? What goals would you like to accomplish in 2026?

Today is the LAST DAY to apply for the 2026 Civics Immersion Experience! Students will learn the power of civic engagement by immersing themselves in our nation’s capital. Don’t miss out on a life-changing experience — free-of-cost! Apply NOW at http://floridadebate.org!

We are TWO days away from the application deadline for the 2026 Civics Immersion Experience. Don’t forget to submit your application by MIDNIGHT December 29th to be considered for this free-of-cost experience in our nation’s capital! Learn more and apply today at floridadebate.org/civicsimmersion

The FDI Family wishes you and yours, happy holidays!🫶

Wishing the happiest of birthdays to Jen Burg, Director of Education Programs. We could not host all of our amazing programs without her hard work and diligence creating top-level speech and debate educational programs for both students and teachers!

As Hanukkah comes to a close today, we celebrate courage, community, and resilience. From all of us at FDI, Happy Hanukkah. May the light you have kindled carry into the days ahead.

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Florida Debate Initiative Announces 2026 Civic Immersion Cohort: 40 Students from across Florida selected for an all-expenses-paid leadership-based learning experience in Washington, D.C.

Florida Debate Initiative Announces Winners of the 2025 Statewide Veterans Day Speech Contest

FDI President Abraham López Named to Seminole County Voter Advocacy Workgroup

LET'S BE

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