Speech And Debate Canada Foundation

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Speech And Debate Canada Foundation

Speech and Debate Canada is a national not-for-profit organization that brings debate clubs to Canadian youth.

09/09/2026

Welcome to a new season! 🏫 🎉

The fall program is officially open and we couldn't be more excited to welcome this year's cohort.

To every student joining us this season, you made a great choice (though we might be a bit biased in saying so).

It's a great choice not because debate is easy, but because it isn't.

You're going to be challenged.
You're going to argue positions you disagree with.
You're going to lose rounds.
And then you're going to come back sharper, clearer, and more confident than before.

That's the deal. And it's worth it every time.

Welcome to the S&DCF. Now let's get to work! 💙

09/07/2026

Why do we have a Labour Day holiday?

Ever since 1894, Labour Day, which has been marked as a statutory public holiday in Canada, always happens on the first Monday of September.

There were many events and local demonstrations that contributed to the making of it. But one of the most important was in 1872, when an April 15th labour demonstration in Toronto, Ontario, in support of striking printers in the Toronto Typographical Union, led directly to the enactment of the Trade Unions Act, a law that confirmed the legality of unions.

So now you know!

09/05/2026

School is back is session, let’s talk about it!

The first week of school sets the tone for the semester, but you don’t need to have everything figured out on day one. What matters most is showing up prepared, staying organized, and being intentional about the impression you make.

1. Be prepared and be on time.
Know your schedule, locate your classrooms ahead of time, and arrive a few minutes early. Being punctual signals reliability and gives you time to settle in before class starts.

2. Make a good first impression.
Introduce yourself to classmates, participate when you can, and be respectful to your professors and peers. You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room, just being engaged, approachable, and attentive goes a long way.

3. Start strong academically.
Don’t wait until the first assignment is due to get organized. Put important deadlines in your calendar, review your syllabus, and establish a study routine early. A little structure in Week 1 can save you a lot of stress later.

4. Build your support system.
Talk to people in your classes, join a club, attend campus events, and learn where to find academic resources. The connections you make early can become study partners, friends, mentors, or future opportunities.

5. Don’t try to be perfect.
The first week can feel overwhelming. You’re learning new routines, meeting new people, and figuring out expectations. Give yourself room to adjust. You don’t need a perfect start, you just need a strong one and remember to take every day just one step at a time.

09/02/2026

The best thing about debate club isn't debate.

Ask any debater what they miss most about their program, and the odds are, they won't say "trophies".

They might say that they miss being in a space where being curious, opinionated, and maybe a little nerdy was the whole point.

They might say they miss the people. Fellow students who care about ideas, who grow together and challenge each other and stay late to prep a case.

They might saw they miss the culture. Culture where disagreement is not only normal, but productive. Where they could argue fiercely and then genuinely shake hands after.

Outside of debate, that's rare. And it's worth finding.

So before the opportunity becomes a missed one, find your people. Find your space. Find your club.

Contact us if you're in Canada and need help setting up your own Debate club!

08/31/2026

Be honest with your argument.

Intellectual honesty is the willingness to follow an argument wherever it leads, even if it contradicts what you believed before.

But we know that can be hard, because our brains are wired to protect our existing beliefs. When we're assigned a side in a debate, it becomes harder and harder to see anything that goes against that side.

Which is where confirmation bias comes in and soon becomes default.

Intellectual honesty is, on the other hand, the override.

Skilled debaters are routinely assigned to argue positions they personally disagree with, which forces them to genuinely engage with the other side.

The result? Students who can realistically, empathetically consider a perspective that isn't their own.

A skill that's rarer and more valuable than you think!

08/29/2026

For students beginning to think seriously about university, scholarships that provide more than financial support can be transformative and the Wolf Scholars Program at the University of Toronto is an opportunity worth knowing about!

The program selects a small cohort of exceptional students and provides comprehensive support throughout their undergraduate education, including:

• Full undergraduate tuition and ancillary fees
• Annual living stipend
• Fully funded domestic & international travel
• Internship opportunities
• Mentorship & leadership development
• Academic seminars through the Munk School
• A network of Scholars, alumni, and mentors plus so much more!

So, who can apply? The program is designed for students entering their first year of university who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, have a 90%+ academic average, have not previously attended post-secondary education, and are applying to an eligible U of T program.

But Wolf Scholars isn’t just about grades. The program looks for students who demonstrate curiosity, leadership, resilience, collaboration, and a desire to make an impact.

The application deadline is November 2nd 2026 11:59 ET for the 2027 entry cycle so make sure to apply!

For more information or to schedule an information session, head to https://www.wolfscholars.com/apply

08/26/2026

Nervous for the new school year?

September nervousness is a real thing. And it's actually quite common!

It's a minor type of anticipatory anxiety, which means it's formed in the lead-up to a significant event. In this case, the event is the first day of school for students here in Canada.

It's not a bad thing. It just happens because you care!

Part of what we do at S&DCF is create clubs, communities, and confidence. We help students harness their nervousness and turn it into excitement. By doing so, they can own their energy and use it to stand in front of their peers with their heads held high.

So let's start this new school year together with this tip:
Before any high-stakes moment, name what you're nervous about. Be specific. Are you worried about new teachers, new dynamics, or new expectations? Once your fears are identified, it makes it that much easier to properly address them!

08/24/2026

Are new adults ready to vote?

Millions of Canadians will vote this year. And with them, those who have just become legal voting age.

But the gap between students and their understanding of how government operates grows wider each year, especially given how civic education curricula vary from province to province.

Which means, unfortunately, that many students graduate without understanding how Parliament functions. So when it becomes time to vote, it can be harder for them to understand what information is realistic and true, and what might be misleading them.

Debate activities give students context. They give them guided space to research real policy positions, argue both sides, and come to understand the complexity behind any government decision.

It's important because an informed vote is a powerful one!

Learn more about the intersection between speech, debate, and schools on our website. Link in bio!

08/22/2026

You don’t need a political podium to see world-class speech and debate tactics in action. Look no further than Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address.

Jobs anchors his entire speech around a simple premise: trust that the dots will connect. By establishing this idea early, every story he tells becomes evidence supporting his larger message. This is similar to how a strong debate case establishes a framework or lens through which the audience should understand the argument.

His structure is equally effective. Rather than delivering one long narrative, he explicitly divides his speech into three stories: connecting the dots, love and loss, and death. In debate, clear signposting helps the audience follow the progression of an argument. Jobs uses that same principle to make a deeply personal speech easy to follow.

Perhaps most importantly, Jobs demonstrates the power of reframing. When discussing being fired from Apple, he doesn’t present the experience simply as a failure. Instead, he reframes it as something necessary for his growth and creativity: “It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it.” A setback becomes evidence for his larger argument that seemingly disconnected experiences can eventually lead somewhere meaningful.

Persuasion isn’t necessarily about speaking quickly, using complex language, or overwhelming an audience with information. Sometimes, it comes down to three foundational skills: establishing a clear framework, structuring your ideas, and reframing experiences to support your argument.

So, which of these speech and debate skills do you rely on most in your own communication?

To watch the full speech, go to
https://youtu.be/UF8uR6Z6KLc?si=DhK0rEKTLGJ08r50

08/19/2026

Many of us spend years asking bad questions without realizing it.

Some people say that if an interview question can be answered with just "Yes" or "No", it's a bad question. But on the other hand, what about leading questions? Open-ended questions? Rhetorical questions?

How do you know what's considered good?

Debaters spend rounds asking questions designed to expose assumptions and gaps. Every second counts, as does every word. Which means useless questions have no place on the floor.

It's a trained skill, not a natural one.

In debate, the ability to ask a precise, purposeful question is just as valuable as the ability to construct an argument. It's a skill that transfers to every classroom, every meeting, every hard conversation.

Practice precise questioning this school year! Because how you frame a question really does change the answer.

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Toronto, ON
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