Students are invited to participate in the 2025 Speech Contest, in celebration of America’s Semiquincentennial! 

The contest is an individual student competition, where students will compose a speech of two to three minutes on an assigned topic. Students will record and submit their speech virtually, and the top three speeches from each category will be invited to deliver their speech in person to a panel of judges who will select the winners.

Any XCS student in grades K-12 can participate in this optional event. Only one speech per student will be considered. Speeches must be about the assigned topic, and less than three (3) minutes in length.

2025-26 TOPIC: America’s Semiquincentennial
Students who are in grades K-12 will write and present a speech using one of the age-appropriate prompts.

K-5 Prompts (choose one)

Option #1: What does independence mean to you?
Option #2: Why are you grateful to live in America?
Option #3: If I could celebrate the 4th of July from anywhere in America, I would go to... and why?

6-12 Prompts (choose one)

Option #1: My American Landmark 
The Semiquincentennial is about celebrating the whole country. If you could create a new national monument, park, or memorial in your town or state to represent the next 250 years of American history, what would it be? What idea, person, event, or value would it honor, and why does that matter for the future of the United States? 

Option #2: If I Could Talk to an American Revolutionary...
Imagine you could travel back to 1776 and talk to an American involved in the Revolution—whether a soldier, a farmer, a political leader, or a shopkeeper. What would you tell them about the America of today, 250 years later? What do you think would surprise them most about how their actions shaped the country we live in now, and what part of their struggle are we still fighting for?

Option #3: Revisiting 'We the People'
The U.S. Constitution begins with the powerful words, 'We the People.' The Semiquincentennial is a moment to ask: Who did those words originally include, who do they include today, and what work remains to make sure 'We the People' truly represents every American? Discuss how the interpretation of this phrase has changed over 250 years and what responsibilities your generation has to define it for the future.

2025 TIMELINE

• November 1-30: Speech Contest Open for Submissions
• November 30: Deadline to submit speech virtually
• December 12: Three finalists from each grade level band will be selected
• December 18: All finalists will compete in person at Central Office. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will be announced

HOW TO SUBMIT
Upload your video & share it to speechcontest@XeniaSchools.org 

FOUR AGE-LEVEL CATEGORIES

• Elementary K-2 
• Elementary 3-5
• Secondary 6-8
• Secondary 9-12

SCORING 
All speeches submitted virtually will be scored using a rubric to assess speech content, presentation style, body language, and more. Three finalists per category will be scored by a panel of judges in person on December 19 at 12:00 p.m. to determine the winners.

View the two age-appropriate rubrics that will be used in judging: 

• K-5 Rubric 
• 6-12 Rubric

QUESTIONS? 
Contact Tara Palmer 

 

⤵️ DOWNLOAD the print-friendly flyer.