SpeakFirst
Impact America’s SpeakFirst initiative uses academic debate as a platform to support Birmingham-area high school students and guide them on a path toward excellence in college and beyond. The SpeakFirst initiative enriches the academic experience of talented and motivated students from Birmingham City schools through participation in a competitive debate team.
Since the inception of SpeakFirst in 2004, our high-school students have competed in more than 100 tournaments.
A lot of the inequalities that exist in our education system come not from the fact that students don't take advantage of opportunities, but that they aren't offered in the first place. You can't expect a child to perform if she is given no opportunity to do so.
Benefits of participating in SpeakFirst speech and debate program
- Enriches the academic experience
- Teaches students how to argue their ideas and think critically about various issues
- Enhances and develops excellent oral and written communication skills
- Develops effective tools for research, organization and presentation
- Develops strategies to overcome fears and public speaking
- Allows students to discover the confidence and desire to participate in all academic classes
- Builds camaraderie – students meet like-minded peers at tournaments and build healthy bonds of competition.
Tournament Dates
Come back soon for more information! We are tentatively planning our first tournament for January 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have experience as a debate coach to lead students at my school?
No. We will provide free training to all coaches. As a coach, you will need to supervise practices and tournaments, coordinated with our SpeakFirst Director, Lee Quinn.
Are there any entree fees for tournaments?
No. Our program is designed to keep the barriers-to-entry as low as possible for all participants. We will never charge students fees for participating in the league, our season tournaments, or our coaching program.
Where will tournaments be held?
Tournament dates and locations will be posted on this webpage. We expect our first tournament of the season to be held in January 2026.
Make a donation today to help students in SpeakFirst’s Birmingham Urban Debate League thrive!
You contribution supports our team as we bring the benefits of competitive debate to middle-school and high-school students throughout Birmingham.
If you would like to designate your gift for SpeakFirst, please leave a note in PayPal during checkout.
8.6%
Amount of college scholarships earned by SpeakFirst graduates since 2004:
$16,981,775
UA, UAB, and UAHuntsville provide full-tuition scholarships to our seniors, and our students earn many more scholarships to nationally-ranked schools.
Number of SpeakFirst practices:
1,710
Our students practice three hours per day, three days per week to prepare for debate tournaments.
Number of SpeakFirst graduates:
77
Each SpeakFirst graduate is equipped for higher education and has the tools to succeed.