Fort Lauderdale, FL, June 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What & Why:
The National Speech & Debate Association is partnering with the Broward County Public Schools Active Voice Project to hold an event called Powerful Voices. Meaningful Changes. The event will kick off the 2018 National Speech & Debate Tournament.
The Powerful Voices. Meaningful Changes. event will showcase the importance of empowering students to exercise their voices to express their views and participate actively in an open exchange of ideas as taught through speech and debate. This event is being presented by Students Demand Action.
The Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) Active Voice Project is a subset of the Broward Debate Initiative, which is a leading speech and debate program in the United States. This event will showcase BCPS debate students, with a special message from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who have inspired people locally, nationally, and around the world with their activism.
When:
Saturday, June 16th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Where:
Greater Fort Lauderdale-Broward Country Convention Center (Grand Ballroom)
1950 Eisenhower Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale
Who will attend the live event:
1,000 high school and middle school students, educators, and administrators from Broward County as well as from across the United States. Media is welcome.
Who will speak:
Robert Runcie – Superintendent, Broward County Public Schools
Sari Kaufman – Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Class of 2020); Captain, Speech and Debate Team; and Organizer, Parkland March for Our Lives
Daniel Tabares – Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Class of 2021)
Meghan Keough – Western High School (Class of 2020)
Jayley Halpern-Drock – Graduate of Charles Flanagan High School (Class of 2018)
Neuteyshe Felizor – Graduate of Charles Flanagan High School (Class of 2017)
Walker Elementary School Debate Team
Marianna Garcia – Graduate of Cypress Bay High School (Class of 2014)
J. Scott Wunn – Executive Director, National Speech & Debate Association
Opening Event of the 2018 National Speech & Debate Tournament:
The Powerful Voices. Meaningful Changes. event will kickoff the 2018 National Speech & Debate Tournament, which will be held June 17-22 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, as well as at various Broward County Public schools. With more than 7,000 participants, the annual National Tournament held by the National Speech & Debate Association is the capstone event for the speech and debate community and is the world’s largest scholastic competition.
Media Access:
To attend, please contact Mike Rieker, Marketing & Advocacy Director for the National Speech & Debate Association, at mike.rieker@speechanddebate.org or (515) 447-8884.
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About the National Speech & Debate Association
The National Speech & Debate Association is the largest interscholastic speech and debate organization in the United States, serving middle school, high school, and collegiate students. The Association provides competitive speech and debate activities, high-quality resources, comprehensive training, scholarship opportunities, and advanced recognition to more than 150,000 students and coaches every academic year. For more than 90 years, the National Speech & Debate Association has empowered more than 1.5 million members to become engaged citizens, skilled professionals, and honorable leaders in our society. For more information, visit www.speechanddebate.org and follow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @speechanddebate.
About Broward County Public Schools
“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.” Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has more than 271,500 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 234 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 204 different countries and 191 different languages. To learn more, visit browardschools.com. Follow BCPS on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS mobile app.
About Students Demand Action
Students Demand Action is a national initiative, created by and for teens and young adults, to channel the energy and passion of high school and college-aged students into the fight against gun violence. Students Demand Action volunteers work within their schools and communities to educate their peers, register voters and demand common-sense solutions to this national crisis. Together with Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Students Demand Action volunteers are part of a network of nearly 5 million supporters across the nation committed to gun violence prevention. For more information or to get involved visit www.studentsdemandaction.org.