Invitation Cover Page

Dear Forensics Director:

It is our pleasure to welcome the member schools of the Barkley Forum for High Schools to the 71st Annual Barkley Forum for High Schools at Emory University in Atlanta, which will be held January 23, 24, and 25, 2026. It is an equal pleasure to invite applications from other schools to be with us in January. We are excited to welcome you back to the Emory University campus in person in Atlanta, GA this year.

All competitors will be required to submit one required release form, and we will be following Emory University’s guidelines for visitors regarding COVID -19. If students test positive for COVID-19, we ask that they refrain from participating in the tournament.

Applications to attend (including the competitive records/qualifiers for each student applying) from non-member schools must be entered on tabroom no later than December 1, 2025, and admission will be granted based upon space available and competitive record. Indications of attendance from member schools must be entered on tabroom by the same date. Shortly thereafter, an email will be sent to all the schools that have been selected to attend.

Please note that there will NOT be in-person registration or an in-person Opening Awards Assembly. Schools should check in on tabroom no later than 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 23rd. We encourage all of you to view the pre-recorded Opening Awards Assembly for all students, coaches, and judges that will be released on Friday morning, January 23rd. We will recognize the new Key Coaches and hear from the 2025 Georgia Speaker of the Year, retired Executive Director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Sally Bethea.

With the exception of the Pelham Debates (which will start at 1:30 Friday with participants responsible for paying for parking), all events will begin on Emory’s campus after 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 23rd, which is the earliest we are permitted to park on campus.

In The Pelham Debates (policy), Public Forum, and Lincoln-Douglas, we are accepting three entries from Member Schools and three applications from non-member schools. In Congressional Debate, we are accepting ten entries from Member Schools and ten applications from non-member schools. In Speech Events, Member Schools may enter four entries in any one event. We will accept applications for up to four entries per event from non-member schools. NEW: Triple entries will be allowed provided they are not in the same pattern and provided one of the events is not Extemporaneous Speaking.

The Final Awards Ceremony will be held in the Emory Student Center on Sunday. You will not want to miss the Presentation of the Silver Keys and supportive awards, as it is nationally unique.

We hope to bring you the best possible forensics experience we can offer. May we hear from each of you soon.

Sincerely,

Mikaela Malsin, Tournament Director
Kara Grant, Tournament Administrator