High School S&D

Welcome to WHS Speech & Debate

We believe speech and debate plays a central role in the development of character and leadership in our members. 

Speech and Debate provides students with opportunities and a superior educational experience beyond the classroom. As championed by the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA), Speech and Debate provides young people a forum to collaborate with others, think analytically on broader issues that face the world, and develop critical thinking and communication skills. These developments, fostered uniquely through Speech and Debate, are unparalleled mechanisms that promote civic engagement in young people and prepare them to lead as public servants who care about their communities and the world around them.

Regardless of the path that students choose after participation in Speech and Debate activities, they are undoubtedly better suited to take their next step. All of the skills that businesses and employers prioritize in employees, like communication, character, critical thinking and analysis, and the ability to collaborate in high-pressure situations, are developed through Speech and Debate. Additionally, Speech and Debate participants are overwhelmingly more likely to take their next steps in public service careers. Because competitors spend much of their high school experience learning about critical issues that face the world, they feel particularly inclined to solve them. 

Undoubtedly, Speech and Debate offers a magnitude of academic and personal skills that would advance any classroom, company, or country. Involvement in this activity qualifes students to lead lives dedicated to public service and their communities’ development. Perhaps, most importantly, students in this activity are assured and validated that their voices and ideas, in all of their authenticity, are worth listening to and have the potential to cultivate change for the greater good. This realization, empowering future leaders to develop confidence and reassurance in the value of their contributions, is the prerequisite to changing the world for the better.