"Charter membership" is the highest honor schools can receive from the National Speech & Debate Association.
The National Speech and Debate Association, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, is the largest interscholastic speech and debate organization serving middle school, high school, and collegiate students in the United States.
Over the past three years, Notre Dame Prep has earned more than 50 degrees for outstanding participation in speech and debate activities. Degrees are earned by students and coaches through speech and debate competition, community service and leadership activities.
Charter school membership is the highest school honor you can achieve as a part of the National Speech & Association.
“Participation in speech and debate changes lives,” said J. Scott Wunn, Executive Director of the National Speech & Debate Association. “We are extremely proud of our charter schools, coaches and students for their hard work and dedication to this transformative activity.”
According to NSDA, charter status is earned by building a team that is heavily involved in the NSDA honor society, wherein they earn points and distinction through speech and debate competition, as well as community service, public speaking, and leadership activities.
"Earning a charter is a remarkable achievement, placing your program among the best and most stable in the nation," added Wunn. "This designation demonstrates that under your school's leadership, not only is the team growing and competing at a high level, but your students uphold the highest standards of integrity, humility, respect, leadership and service in our organization."
From left, Notre Dame juniors Evan Wells, Taylor Ross joined senior Joe Joppich at the 4th Annual Model United Nations Conference, which was held March 15-17 at Oakland University. MUN activities played a role in Notre Dame Prep’s ”charter” designation from the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA).
Notre Dame's middle school debate team recently was ranked 22nd among the top 100 school teams nationwide, a list shared with 99 high schools. Schmidt said that in general, NDPMA students participate in an unusually high amount of public-speaking opportunities, and it's only right that they get proper acknowledgment for them.
"For NDP, the NSDA has included our kids' participation in school plays, Model United Nations, and even mass for several years," she said. "This year, we took some extra steps in an attempt to record all speaking activities within our school community."
From building confidence, improving communication, and increasing critical thinking skills, to better preparing students for college, speech and debate activities, says NSDA, provide life skills vital to a young person’s success in the future.
"Schools that sponsor vibrant speech and debate programs report increased attendance, higher test scores, rise in college acceptance, and reduced drop-out rates," Wunn said. "The NSDA charter school designation reflects a sustained commitment to these values."
About the National Speech & Debate Association
The National Speech & Debate Association is the largest interscholastic speech and debate organization serving middle school, high school, and collegiate students in the United States. The Association provides competitive speech and debate activities, high-quality resources, comprehensive training, scholarship opportunities, and advanced recognition to more than 150,000 students and coaches every year. For 90 years, the National Speech & Debate Association has empowered more than 1.5 million members to become engaged citizens, skilled professionals, and honorable leaders in our society. For more information, visit www.speechanddebate.org.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three Notre Dame schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org