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2026-2027 NJSDL Online Speech Festival Series Open to High School and Middle School Students in all states. All schools are invited to participate in the2026-2027 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. VIDEO SUBMISSIONS Teachers or coaches will upload videos of student performances to be evaluated by a selection of educators and experienced judges! Students will receive commentary and feedback aimed at helping them improve their speaking, performance, and communication skills! Students will receive recognition for their video submissions along with feedback from the evaluators! Coaches and teachers will also receive school recognition to display in their classrooms, offices, or team trophy cases!

2026-2027 Registration & Video Deadlines

• November 2026 NJSDL Online Speech Festival

  Registration and videos due by Sunday, 11/15/26; Preliminary Round Asynchronous Judging 11/17-11/19; Finals Round Asynchronous Judging 11/20-11/22

• December 2026 NJSDL Online Speech Festival

  Registration due by Monday, 12/12/26; Synchornous on NSDA Campus 12/19/26

• February 2027 NJSDL Online Speech Festival

  Registration and videos due by Sunday, 1/31/27; Preliminary Round Asynchronous Judging 2/2-2/4; Finals Round Asynchronous Judging 2/5-2/7

• March 2027 NJSDL Online Speech Festival

  Registration and videos due by 2/28/27; Preliminary Round Asynchronous Judging 3/2-3/4; Finals Round Asynchronous Judging 3/5-3/7
  
  

SPECIAL THEMED EVENTS & NJSDL ASYNCHRONOUS EVENTS Each festival will have specific themed events connected to calendar celebrations during the year. 2026-2027 Themes:

• The November 2026 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrate Native American/Indigenous Heritage Month.
• The December 2026 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will observing Universal Human Rights Day.
• The February 2027 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrate Black History Month.
• The March 2027 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrate Women's History Month.

The themed events for each festival will be:

• Themed Congressional Debate Authorship Challenge (Legislation Packet released on Monday, November 2, 2026)
• Prepared Prompt(Prompt List will be released on Monday, November 9, 2026)
• Orginal Spoken Word Poetry (November 2026 submissions should celebrate Native American/Indigenous Heritage Month)
• Pro Con Challenge (Students can use the September/October NSDA LD or PFD Topics or the 2026-2027 NSDA Policy Topic)

The other NJSDL events offered will be:

• Children's Literature (MS & HS)
• Dramatic Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Humorous Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Prose Interpretation(MS & HS)
• Poetry Interpretation(MS & HS)
• Program Oral Interpretation(MS & HS)
• Duo Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Original Oratory(MS & HS)
• Informative Speaking (MS & HS)
• Declamation (MS & HS Freshman/Sophomores)

About the NJSDL TheNew Jersey Speech and Debate Leagueis 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.