Introduction to Speech and Debate Competition

Are you interested in becoming a local, state, or national champion in speech and debate? If debating current events, public speaking, dramatic acting, or humorous monologues interest you, we guarantee you will thoroughly enjoy this course. This class is designed to introduce students to the world of speech and debate. Our curriculum allows students to try any and every genre they find intriguing. Then, each student will choose a focus and begin preparing to compete in their respective speech and debate events. This course intends to help students feel confident and comfortable speaking and presenting in front of an audience. And by the end of the session, students will be ready to compete on an extracurricular speech and debate team!

Session dates:
Session 2B: 6/30/25 - 7/18/25 (12:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.) (EST) - 0.50 credit IN PERSON BROWARD CAMPUS ONLY OR ONLINE - Closed 7/04/25
Session 3B: 7/21/25 - 8/8/25 (12:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.) (EST) - 0.50 credit IN PERSON PALM BEACH CAMPUS ONLY OR ONLINE

Mr. Bo Lint, Director of Speech & Debate on the Palm Beach campus, has qualified over 175 students to the Florida Varsity State Tournament and NSDA National Tournament in his tenure at AHS. His students have won tournaments at Yale, Nova Titan, Florida Blue Key, The Tradition, The Glenbrooks, George Mason, Sunvitational, & the Florida Varsity State Tournament, & have placed top-6 at tournaments like Bronx, Emory, Stanford, Harvard, & the NSDA National Tournament. Mr. Lint serves as Vice President of Middle School for the Florida Forensic League (FFL), is the Past President of the Palm Beach Middle School Forensic League (PBMSFL), & tabulates various tournaments across the country. This service has earned him the NSDA’s Distinguished Service Award. During the year, Mr. Lint teaches all the high school Speech & Debate courses & AP Comparative Government & Politics.

Mr. Joele Denis, Director of Speech & Debate at the Broward campus, is a seasoned coach with over 15 years of experience. He has coached state champions in New York, California, Kentucky, Iowa, Alabama & Florida. Since joining AHS Broward, Mr. Denis has guided the team to five Florida Forensic League (FFL) Varsity State Team Championships and has coached more than 20 individual state champions. Mr. Denis’s students have also excelled on the national stage, earning individual championships at prestigious tournaments such as Emory, Yale, Harvard, the Tournament of Champions & the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament. In 2024, AHS Broward was the only team in the country to earn the top team award - the NSDA School of Outstanding Distinction - for both the middle & high school divisions. Beyond coaching, Mr. Denis serves as an executive board member and communications director for the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions, and plays an active role on the Broward NSDA District committee. His innovative contributions include developing the curriculum for fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade elective classes. This summer, he is excited to further enhance the program, fostering skills and confidence in young debaters.

A class may be canceled if fewer than 6 students enroll, and a specific teacher is not guaranteed. It is the parents’ responsibility to check with their child's school when seeking credit for a course. For online courses, the students’ cameras MUST be turned on at all times, and attendance is mandatory. To protect the privacy rights of all, there is absolutely no videotaping or recording by students during the course. Students must be age appropriate for the course, and all students must adhere to proper online etiquette. For online courses, young children must be supervised by a parent at all times.