Welcome

Stoneleigh-Burnham School (SBS) will host a public speaking competition on October 1, 2023, in partnership with Northfield Mount Hermon School. The event is closed to the public, but the local press is invited to cover the awards ceremony at 4:00 PM.

The tournament will focus on four public speaking genres: Interpretive Reading, After-Dinner Speech, Persuasive Speaking, and Impromptu Speech. Students from SBS and other prep schools, including Phillips Exeter, Phillips Andover, and Deerfield Academy, will compete.

"Preparing for a speech competition teaches students to think critically," says Karen Suchenski, the faculty coach for SBS's Speech and Debate team. "It also teaches how to have empathy and how to support your ideas to promote understanding."

The Stoneleigh-Burnham tournament is a world-qualifying event for the Debating Association of New England Independent Schools (DANEIS).

About DANEIS

The Debating Association of New England Independent Schools (DANEIS) provides opportunities for public speakers and debaters to compete both regionally and internationally. Founded in 1978, DANEIS now includes 30 member and affiliated schools.