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Located in Plantation, Florida; a beautiful, family-oriented suburb just west of Fort Lauderdale and north of Miami.

Located in Plantation, Florida; a beautiful, family-oriented suburb just west of Fort Lauderdale and north of Miami.

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Historic Title at National Speech & Debate Tournament

Historic Title at National Speech & Debate Tournament

2026BCSpeechDebateHarvardHistoricTitleHERO

The Speech & Debate team from American Heritage Schools, Broward Campus, achieved a historic national milestone at the 2026 Tournament of Champions (TOC) held in Lexington, Kentucky. Competing against the absolute highest tier of specialized public and private speech programs from across the country, the Broward delegation secured a prestigious national championship title, adding a monumental first to the school's Speech & Debate legacy.

The Tournament of Champions is widely recognized as the most selective and rigorous secondary school debate championship in the United States. To secure an invitation to this elite multi-day event, students must earn multiple qualification "bids" by reaching the final rounds of premier national circuit tournaments throughout the academic year.

This year, the Broward campus advanced 22 elite student qualifiers to the national stage in Kentucky. Over the course of three days of intensive argumentation, cross-examination, and parliamentary procedure, our debaters faced off against thousands of top-ranked competitors representing the most well-funded and established programs in the nation.

The historic results from the national competition include the National Championship Title (First Place Overall):

  • Elizabeth Xiao – Grade 12 – Presiding Officer Champion in Congressional Debate
    • Outperformed a highly selective field of 172 top-ranked qualifiers from coast to coast to secure the championship title, marking the first time a student from either American Heritage campus has captured the TOC crown in this technical discipline.

The Presiding Officer division in Congressional Debate demands an exceptional command of parliamentary procedure, absolute constitutional literacy, and authoritative leadership. Rather than simply delivering speeches, a Presiding Officer must manage complex, fast-paced legislative chambers while maintaining structural decorum under intense scrutiny from panels of expert judges.

By capturing this national title, Elizabeth Xiao has validated the rigorous preparation and strategic training that define the American Heritage Speech & Debate Program. This victory continues a tradition of top-tier academic performance, preparing our students to command executive platforms at elite universities and future corporate arenas.