FAQs
If I apply, are my students covered by scholarship?
This year FCDI will be paying for sleeping rooms on a master block and providing all attendees meals rather than providing a scholarship for each student. Each team will be provided an allocation of sleeping rooms based on the number of students invited to participate in the tournament.
Will the competition happen on-site or at a local school?
All competitions will take place at a local high school. FCDI will provide bus transportation to and from the host school each day.
Are meals provided for the attendees?
FCDI will provide meals for all competitors, coaches, judges and up to 1 parent/guardian per competitor.
How many students can I bring to The Great Debate?
FCDI will determine and notify teams how many students they may bring to NCDC at the conclusion of the application period. All additional team members will be placed on a waitlist.
When will I know how many students I can bring to The Great Debate?
The application period closes on November 27, 2024; FCDI will notify teams of their allocation by November 29, 2024.
Can students bring their parents and families?
FCDI will allocate the number of attendees a team may bring, for example a team of 10 would be allocated 10 competitors, 10 parents, 1 coach and 5 judges for a total of 26 attendees. FCDI will provide sleeping accommodations and meals for up to the allocated attendees for each team.
What is the agenda for The Great Debate?
The agenda will be posted at Home | Florida Civics and Debate Initiative a when it is finalized. The tentative plan is for registration to take place on Friday, January 17, 2025, with a concurrent college fair. All competitions will take place on Saturday and Sunday, and the tournament will conclude with an awards ceremony on Monday, January 20,
2025.
Are students required to participate in all three events?
Yes, the National Civics and Debate Championship “The Great Debate” is a triathlon style competition where all students will expand their skill set through competition in all three events.
Why are spots limited this year?
The National Civics and Debate Championship has grown each year, and due to limited space, we must limit each team’s number participants to accommodate as many schools as possible. It is our hope that the competition can be expanded next year to allow more schools and students to participate, but the expansion was not feasible this year.
When can I book my hotel reservation?
Each team will RSVP with their room list and FCDI will book the rooms based on the information provided by the coach.
Will the students receive information in advance to prep for the event?
Yes, a Legislative Packet and other topics will be posted no less than 2 weeks prior to the tournament.
Can my student request to participate in a room with only a judge?
Yes, a Legislative Packet and other topics will be posted no less than 2 weeks prior to the tournament.
Can my student request to participate in a room with only a judge?
Rooms cannot be “cleared.” Judges should NOT be alone in a room with a single competitor.
Is there a travel stipend for The Great Debate?
FCDI will advance out of state teams up to $500 per attendee and reimburse Florida teams for travel expenses. The formula and form for travel reimbursement will be posted at Home | Florida Civics and Debate Initiative.
A RIGOROUS CONTEST THAT THOROUGHLY CHALLEnGES STUDENTS' DEBATE SKILLS
The National Civics and Debate Championship is a rigorous contest that thoroughly challenges students' knowledge, debate skills and endurance. While most conventional debate tournaments require students to compete in only one event, this event, the first and only of its kind, requires students to compete in different debate events on each of three tournament days.
A TRIATHLON EVENT
LEGISLATIVE
Debate
IMPROMPTU SPEAKING
EXTEMPORANEOUS DEBATE
The Great Debate: The National Civics and Debate Championship
Held January 17-20, 2025
This event offered a unique competitive experience where students had to compete in three events over two days of competition to demonstrate the breadth of their civics knowledge and the diversity of their communications skills. The tournament culminated in a special awards ceremony.
All middle and high school students NATIONWIDE were invited to attend.
Photos from this year's event:
2025 WINNERS
HIGH SCHOOL
OVERALL CHAMPION
Oscar Rubio Flores, Wildwood High School, Wildwood
2ND PLACE
Andria Antony, Hagerty High School, Oviedo
3RD PLACE
Grace Jackson, Hagerty High School, Oviedo
4TH PLACE
Anabel Kirkland, Lake Nona High School, Orlando
5TH PLACE
Hunter Hayes, Lake Nona High School, Orlando
MIDDLE SCHOOL
OVERALL CHAMPION
Aryana Sahai, A.D. Henderson University School
2ND PLACE
Armaan Seth, The Frazier School, Gainesville
3RD PLACE
Lara Castineyra, Kanapaha Middle School, Gainesville
4TH PLACE
Sara Khial, Kanapaha Middle School, Gainesville
5TH PLACE
Nathan Moronta, iPrep Academy North Middle School, Miami
INSPIRING COACHES
ToryAnn Stutts - Orlando Science High School
Kristin Potter-Oliveri - FAU High School
K. Morgan Mousley - Tocoi Creek High School
These awards will honor three of our coaches who helped develop the skills of the students competing in The Great Debate. These three coaches were nominated by their students.
THE FREEDOM CUP
Erabelle Conant - Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High School
The freedom cup is awarded to one student who exemplifies great citizenship.
LEGISLATIVE debate CHAMPION - high school
Hunter Hayes - Lake Nona High School, Orlando
Extemporaneous debate CHAMPION - high schooL
Noah De Haan - Tocoi Creek High School, St. Augustine
Impromptu speaking CHAMPION - high schooL
David Arutyunyan - FAU High School, Boca Raton
congressional debate CHAMPION - Middle school
Angela Ostheimer, A.D. Henderson University School, Boca Raton
Extemporaneous debate CHAMPION - Middle schooL
Aryana Sahai, A.D. Henderson University School
Impromptu speaking CHAMPION - Middle schooL
Josh Kim, The Frazer School, Gainesville
congressional debate
high school winners
2nd Place - Sahiti Reddy
3rd Place - Andria Antony
4th Place - Grace M. Rivera Gonzalez
5th Place - Samantha Faucette
6th Place - Oscar Rubio Flores
7th Place - Kody Bigay
8th Place - Tanush Chava
9th Place - Jason Joseph
10th Place - Sophia Powell
11th Place - Isaac Caccam
12th Place - Jolie Lehrman
13th Place - Anik Sahai
14th Place - Anabel Kirkland
15th Place - Sydney Thompson
extemporaneous debate
high school winners
2nd Place - Nicholas Ostheimer
3rd Place - Evden Tillery
4th Place - Elizabeth Grounds
5th Place - Graham Bowser
6th Place - Anushka Patni
7th Place - Jolie Lehrman
8th Place - David Arutyunyan
9th Place - Oscar Rubio Flores
10th Place - Samantha Westerdale
11th Place - Anabel Kirkland
12th Place - Hailey Graepel
13th Place - William Kiker
14th Place - Andria Antony
15th Place - Truitt Williams
Impromptu speaking
high school winners
2nd Place - Grace Jackson
3rd Place - Jackson Buzzard
4th Place - Jordan Miranda Juarez
5th Place - Peter Moywaya
6th Place - Oscar Rubio Flores
7th Place - Tristan Rodriguez
8th Place - Sophia Powell
9th Place - Jenna McKee
10th Place - Andria Antony
11th Place - Audrey Ellenburg
12th Place - Jayden Gabay
13th Place - Jaylen E. Moore
14th Place - Isabella Applegate
15th Place - Hunter Hayes
LEGISLATIVE debate
Middle school winners
2nd Place - Armaan Seth
3rd Place - Vincent Wen
4th Place - Sara Khial
5th Place - Emery Brooks
6th Place - Selena Dexter
7th Place - Aryana Sahai
8th Place - Sasha Yan
9th Place - Jayden White
10th Place - Lara Castineyra
Extemporaneous debate
MIddle school winners
2nd Place - Nathan Moronta
3rd Place - Gage Papp
4th Place - Lara Castineyra
5th Place - Sara Khial
6th Place - Jalen Zheng
7th Place - Ignacio Andres Cervantes
8th Place - Avinoor Jutla
9th Place - Zeyad Saadi
10th Place - Quinn Baker
impromptu speaking
Middle school winners
2nd Place - Madison Lavidas
3rd Place - Breanna Kopinski
4th Place - Thomas Moywaywa
5th Place - Ellington Smith
6th Place - Armaan Seth
7th Place - Vincent Wen
8th Place - Veeksha Nalluri
9th Place - Jessica Zou
10th Place - Siya Barad
OUR STORY
In November 2021, the FCDI hosted the inaugural National Civics and Debate Championship (NCDC), which showcased a “next level synthesis” of civics education and debate competition. The NCDC thoroughly challenged students’ civics knowledge, debate skills and endurance. Students participated in a three-day competition with over 150 students and 26 teams.
With exemplary performance in rigorous contests aligned with Florida’s standards, students competed in the areas of Congressional Debate, Extemporaneous Debate, Impromptu Speaking and Extemporaneous Sports Analysis (a new event added to attract a new demographic of competitors).
While most conventional debate tournaments require students to compete in only one event, the NCDC “triathlon” required students to compete in different debate events on each of the three tournament days.
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