Welcome to the 2023 Season of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute's Great Communicator Debate Series!

Our 2023 Regional Topic is

Resolved: All United States citizens should serve one year of mandatory national service between the ages of 18 and 26.

We hope you will join us at the in-person SouthCentral Regional GCDS competition. All rounds on Saturday will be held at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

On Friday, the SouthCentral Registration and Meet & Greet will be at the George W. Bush Presidential Library on the Southern Methodist University campus. This first-class facility features artifacts and events of President Bush's tenure in the White House, and includes many hands-on experiences. Of particular interest to debaters will be:

The Situation Room Experience--an immersive, role-playing simulation that transports students into a high-stakes, fast-paced, decision-making environment where they face a national crisis based upon historic fact. https://www.georgewbushlibrary.gov/

Thanks to the generosity of the Sumners Foundation, we are pleased to offer transportation scholarships to Texas schools needing financial support to travel to the SouthCentral Great Communicator Debate Series Regional Qualifier in Dallas, TX.

To apply for scholarship funds, please send a request describing financial need and include any relevant information (i.e. Title One, school/community data) to cadams@reaganfoundation.org

Scholarship applications must be received by 5pm CT on April 3. Funds are limited.

An expectation of receiving transportation scholarships is to have students competing in or staying to watch GCDS debate elimination rounds through the final round of debate at 6pm CT.

Please see needed information and forms in the boxes to the right on your screen.

On behalf of your Regional host Amberley Tanner, Regional location host Dr. Ben Voth, location site Southern Methodist University, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute,

Christine Adams, GCDS Program Coordinator