Virginia’s Premier Speech & Debate Tournament Draws Nationwide Attendance

WILLIAMSBURG, Va./RICHMOND, Va. (Nov. 3, 2025) – The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, in partnership with The Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative and Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, will once again bring history to life this fall with Virginia’s second Revolutionary Rhetoric Speech & Debate Invitational, held November 7–9, 2025, across the Foundation’s 18th-century campus.

Timed to coincide with the nation’s upcoming Semiquincentennial in 2026, the invitational will immerse top high school students from across the country in the debates that helped define America’s founding. Participants will speak and argue in the same spaces where Virginia patriots once deliberated independence, examining issues such as boycotting British goods, organizing militias, and the colony’s participation in the First Continental Congress.

“There is incredible power in place, which is why Colonial Williamsburg has spent nearly a century preserving the spaces and stories connected to the birth of American democracy,” said Cliff Fleet, president and CEO of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. “We hope that Revolutionary Rhetoric once again provides students with the unique opportunity to experience the past in the present, ultimately inspiring them to apply what they learn to the future.”

Building on the success of its inaugural year, which welcomed 38 students from eight Virginia schools, the 2025 tournament has expanded dramatically to include 194 students from 28 schools nationwide. Competitors will participate in 14 events spanning debate, interpretation, and public speaking, hosted in some of Colonial Williamsburg’s most storied sites, including the Capitol Building, where the cornerstone Student Congress competition will take place, and venues throughout Colonial Williamsburg and William & Mary’s campus.

Events include Student Congress, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, Dramatic and Duo Interpretation, Extemporaneous and Impromptu Speaking, Original Oratory, Poetry, Prose, Storytelling, and more, all adapted to reflect the era between 1770 and 1775. All mock legislation and performances must connect to this Revolutionary period, blending historical research with rhetorical artistry.

“The American Revolution was inspired by discussions and debates that took place in Colonial Williamsburg 250 years ago,” said Heather Crislip, executive director of The Richmond Forum. “The memories of those formative times remain alive today to inspire new generations and encourage new debates about how best to strive for a more perfect union. This October, with Colonial Williamsburg, the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative will host promising high school students to debate as our founders did, fulfilling our promise that the future will learn from the past.”

The invitational is generously sponsored by Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. “Supporting Revolutionary Rhetoric reflects our firm’s commitment to civic education and the next generation of leaders,” said Randall Park, partner and Chairman of the Executive Committee at Hunton. “These students aren’t just honing competitive skills, they’re learning the values of discourse, empathy, and civic responsibility that underpin a healthy democracy.”

CONTACT: Maggie McVicar, Director of Communications, The Richmond Forum, 804-330-3993, maggie@richmondforum.org

About the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative

Founded in 1986, The Richmond Forum is America’s largest nonprofit speakers series. Recognizing the absence of speech and debate programs at many of the region’s public schools and the inadequate funding for the teams that did exist, the organization launched the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative (RFSDI) in 2018 to start, grow, and support these vital academic programs. 

In seven short years in existence, RFSDI has:

• Engaged more than 3,000 students in speech & debate in the region.
• Grown from 9 teams to 43, with 75 coaches.
• Created a tournament circuit with nearly 1,500 student registrations last year.
• Built a robust volunteer list of over 170 community members.
• Attracted the National Speech & Debate Tournament to be hosted in Richmond in 2026. The tournament will bring more than 11,000 visitors to Virginia’s capital.

About The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation preserves, restores and operates Virginia’s 18th-century capital of Williamsburg. Innovative and interactive experiences highlight the relevance of the American Revolution to contemporary life and the importance of an informed, active citizenry. The Colonial Williamsburg experience includes more than 600 restored or reconstructed original buildings, renowned museums of decorative arts and folk art, extensive educational outreach programs for students and teachers, lodging, culinary options from historic taverns to casual or elegant dining, the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club featuring 36 holes designed by Robert Trent Jones and his son Rees Jones, a full-service spa and fitness center, pools, retail stores and gardens. Philanthropic support and revenue from admissions, products and hospitality operations sustain Colonial Williamsburg’s educational programs and preservation initiatives.