🇺🇸 AMERICAN DREAM BILINGUAL SPEECH & DEBATE SERIES

 

English & Spanish • Original Oratory & Public Forum Debate

 

Welcome to the **American Dream Bilingual Speech & Debate Series!

 

We are excited to invite schools, coaches, and students to participate in a unique speech and debate experience designed to celebrate bilingualism, student voice, communication, and academic competition

 

Students will challenge themselves by developing and demonstrating their speaking and advocacy skills in both English and Spanish—while competing in an encouraging environment that recognizes bilingualism as a strength.

 

Open to grades 6-12

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🗓️ AMERICAN DREAM SERIES DATES

🇺🇸 American Dream #1

 

📅 November 14, 2026

💻 Online via Zoom

 

PF Topic- Resolved: 

 

🇺🇸 American Dream #3 — Series Finale

 

📅 December 19, 2026

📍 IN PERSON — Seminole State College - Central Flroida

 

Additional location and tournament information will be provided to registered teams.

 

🎤 TWO EVENTS — STUDENTS CHOOSE ONE

 

The American Dream Series offers two separate competitive events:

 

🗣️ Bilingual Original Oratory (OO)

 

Students prepare and deliver an original speech and compete in both English and Spanish.

 

 🤝 Bilingual Public Forum Debate (PF)

 

Two-person teams debate a designated topic and compete in both English and Spanish.

 

Important: Students must choose either Original Oratory OR Public Forum Debate for each tournament. Students may not compete in both events at the same tournament.

 

 

🌎 HOW THE BILINGUAL ROUNDS WORK

❗Students always compete against other students who share the same native/dominant language. ❗

 

During the online tournaments:

 

Rounds 1–3: Students compete in their native/dominant language, either English or Spanish.

 

Round 4: Students switch languages and compete in their non-native/second language.

 

For example, a student who competes in Spanish during Rounds 1–3 will compete in English during Round 4. A student who competes in English during Rounds 1–3 will compete in Spanish during Round 4.

 

Students do not have to be perfect bilingual speakers. The purpose of the American Dream Series is to provide students with an opportunity to **practice, take risks, build confidence, and grow as bilingual communicators.

 

⚖️ JUDGES NEEDED — PARENTS CAN HELP!

 

Successful tournaments depend on members of our community volunteering to judge, and teams are encouraged to bring judges.

 

Coaches may recruit parents, teachers, school staff, college students, community members, and other responsible adults to serve as judges.

 

 ¡Hablamos Español!

 

This is an especially great opportunity for Spanish-speaking parents and family members to participate!

 

Parents who are more comfortable judging in Spanish are welcome and encouraged to serve as judges for Spanish-language rounds. Previous speech and debate experience is not required.

 

🎓 Judge Training Will Be Provided

 

We will provide training and resources to help judges understand:

 

* How Original Oratory and Public Forum Debate work

* What to look for during a round

* How to evaluate students fairly

* How to complete ballots and provide constructive feedback

* Expectations for judging bilingual competitors

 

Our goal is to make judging accessible and welcoming—even for adults participating in speech and debate for the first time.

 

👩‍🏫 IMPORTANT COACH REQUIREMENT FOR ONLINE TOURNAMENTS

 

For the October 17 and November 14 online tournaments, every participating school must have a coach or designated school representative logged into Zoom for the entire tournament.

 

If your school has a student participating, your coach/designated adult must also be present in the tournament Zoom.

 

Coaches should remain available throughout the event to:

 

* Assist students with technical difficulties

* Communicate with tournament staff

* Help locate students when necessary

* Address student or team concerns

* Support students throughout the competition

 

Please plan accordingly when registering your team.

 

💻 ONLINE TOURNAMENT GUIDELINES

 

The October 17 and November 14 tournaments will take place through Zoom.

 

Students should:

 

* Remain **visible and in frame** throughout their rounds and preparation periods, when applicable.

* Mute themselves when they are not speaking.

* Remain in their assigned competition room for the **entire round**.

* Immediately notify their coach of technical difficulties. Participants will have up to five minutes to resolve a technical issue before a forfeit may be issued.

* Compete from a **quiet location** free from unnecessary interruptions.

* Dress with the same professionalism expected at an in-person speech and debate tournament.

* Follow the tournament **Code of Conduct** and demonstrate appropriate sportsmanship.

 

Students may request time signals and may keep their own time; however, the judge serves as the official timekeeper.

 

🏅 RESULTS & AWARDS

 

There will be no live awards ceremony for the online tournaments.

 

Tournament results will be posted following the competition.

 

🏅 Medals will be shipped to each participating team, and coaches will distribute awards to their students.

 

 

🔗 ZOOM INFORMATION

 

The October 17 and November 14 tournaments will be conducted through Zoom.

 

The official tournament Zoom link and final instructions will be emailed to registered teams prior to competition day.

 

Coaches are responsible for ensuring that their participating students and judges receive the appropriate tournament information.

 

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👋 MEET YOUR AMERICAN DREAM DEBATE GUIDE

 

 Mercedes Cortes

 

American Dream Debate Coordinator

 

Have questions about starting a team, registering students, choosing an event, recruiting judges, or preparing students to compete bilingually?

 

I am here to help!

 

Join me for an upcoming American Dream Information Session where coaches and school leaders can learn how to get involved, ask questions, and prepare their teams for the series.

 

 💻 Upcoming Information Sessions

 

Information Session #1: September 15, 2026 8:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.

🔗 Zoom: 984 268 8374.  https://floridadebate-org.zoom.us/j/9842688374?pwd=zFKt2mOrFDtFUHeA7FD2inp3Cw6z4D.1

 

Judges Training September 28th & October 5th 3:30 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. (EST) 

🔗 Zoom: 984 268 8374.  https://floridadebate-org.zoom.us/j/9842688374?pwd=zFKt2mOrFDtFUHeA7FD2inp3Cw6z4D.1

 

💰 Coaches: Ask About Stipend Opportunities!

 

During the information sessions, we will also explain opportunities for eligible coaches and teams to receive **coach stipends and/or team funding support**.

 

Coaches can learn about:

 

* Completing the **coaching agreement**

* Becoming an official participating coach

* Opportunities for **team funding support**

* Becoming an **FCDI participating school**, when applicable

* Tournament participation requirements

* Resources available to help build and sustain your team

 

Pathway to the Full Coach Stipend

A coach who brings their team to four FCDI qualifying tournaments may qualify for the full coach stipend:

We want to help schools not only attend a tournament, but also build sustainable speech and debate opportunities for their students.

Join an information session to learn how to complete the necessary agreements, officially enroll your program, and take advantage of available support.

The IN-PERSON American Dream Debate Tournament in DECEMBER counts as one of the FOUR REQUIRED.

🇺🇸 JOIN THE AMERICAN DREAM!

 

Whether English is your first language or Spanish is your first language, the American Dream Bilingual Speech & Debate Series gives students an opportunity to demonstrate what they can accomplish in both.

 

🌎 Celebrate bilingualism.

🎤 Build confidence.

💭 Develop critical thinking.

🤝 Strengthen advocacy.

🏆 Compete. Grow. Find your voice.

 

Two Languages. One Voice. One American Dream.

 

We look forward to welcoming your students, coaches, parents, and judges to the American Dream Series!

 

¡Nos vemos en el torneo! 🇺🇸🌎

(vr24)