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Due to the ongoing power and internet outages impacting much of the country, and desired participants, the NJSDL we be cancelling this tournament.

We thank those who showed a desire to attend, and our thoughts are with those still being impactfrom the winter storm.

2025-2026 NJSDL Online Speech Festival Series Open to High School and Middle School Students in all states. All schools are invited to participate in the2025-2026 New Jersey Speech and Debate League (NJSDL) Online Speech Festival Series. These festivals are designed to provide students on speech and debate teams as well as students in traditional classroom environments an avenue to develop and share their public speaking and performance skills in a convenient, educational, and fun way! The NJSDL Festivals are open to students from ANY STATE and each festival will have specific themed events connected to calendar celebrations during the year.

THE JANUARY TOURNAMENT IS A SYNCHRONOUS TOURNAMENT ON NSDA CAMPUS. Students will receive commentary and feedback aimed at helping them improve their speaking, performance, and communication skills! Students will receive recognition for their work and feedback from the evaluators! Coaches and teachers will also receive school recognition to display in their classrooms, offices, or team trophy cases!2025-2026 Registration & Video Deadlines

• October 2025 NJSDL Online Speech Festival - Asynchronous
  Registration and videos due by Sunday, 10/12/25; Preliminary Round Asynchronous Judging 10/13-10/16; Finals Round Asynchronous Judging 10/17-10/19
• January 2026 NJSDL Online Speech Festival - Synchronous
  Registration due by Tuesday, 1/27/26; Synchronous on NSDA Campus 1/31/26
• March 2026 NJSDL Online Speech Festival - Asynchronous
  Registration and videos due by Sunday, 3/8/26; Preliminary Round Asynchronous Judging 3/9-3/12; Finals Round Asynchronous Judging 3/13-3/15
• April 2026 NJSDL Online Speech Festival - Asynchronous
  Registration and videos due by 4/19/26; Preliminary Round Asynchronous Judging 4/20-4/23; Finals Round Asynchronous Judging 4/24-4/26

SPECIAL THEMED EVENTS & NJSDL EVENTS Each festival will have specific themed events connected to calendar celebrations during the year. 2025-2026 Themes:

• The October 2025 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
• The January 2026 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• The March 2026 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrateWomen's History Month.
• The April 2026 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month.

The themed events for the January Festival will be:

• Congressional Debate (Students can submit legislation on any topic by Friday, January 9th. However, legislation related to the theme of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will be given more consideration.)
• Impromptu Speaking (At least one round of prompts will contain quotes/themes related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)
• Extemporaneous Speaking (At least one round of prompts will contain quotes/themes related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)
• Original Spoken Word Poetry (Students will write and present an original poem inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)

The other NJSDL events offered will be:

• Storytelling (MS & HS)
• Dramatic Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Humorous Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Prose Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Poetry Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Program Oral Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Original Oratory (MS & HS)
• Informative Speaking (MS & HS)
• Declamation (MS & HS Freshman/Sophomores)

About the NJSDL TheNew Jersey Speech and Debate League is a volunteer, member-led, not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that exists to promote the arts of effective communication among students in public and independent schools in New Jersey. The League is registered as an incorporated non-profit entity with the State of New Jersey. The League is also affiliated with theNational Speech and Debate Association (NSDA), theNational Federation of High Schools, and works in conjunction with the New Jersey District Committee as the governing body for NSDA activity in the state.