Classical Conversations + Stoa Speech & Debate

Stoa is a national Christian homeschool speech and debate league. It’s organized into local clubs which are small communities, where coaches, parents, and alumni work together to train students. While Stoa organizes the annual National Tournament of Champions known as NITOC, local clubs plan their individual meetings, host and attend regional tournaments, and utilize training resources as they see fit.

Coaches and parents use club time to guide students as they learn the skills needed for competition at speech and debate tournaments. Clubs provide opportunities for teamwork, fellowship, and friendships that last a lifetime while upholding Stoa’s motto: Speaking Boldly and Changing the World for Christ.

Stoa and Classical Conversations are rooted on the same foundation. Both programs emphasize the importance of students knowing God and making Him known. This partnership brings together the dialectic and rhetorical skills for students, giving them an opportunity to advance their skills in reasoning, speaking, and analysis. Skills learned in a Classical Conversations community transfer beautifully into the speech and debate arena. Stoa and Classical Conversations form a synergy that gives students the confidence, ability and desire to speak boldly and make Christ known.

Ande Geer
Foundations Tutor and Challenge I-IV Director, Arkansas

“In CC we not only practice the art of rhetoric, but we also spend time studying the great orators that shaped thinking and history. It is beautiful how Classical Conversations and competitive speech and debate complement each other. CC projects such as interpretive recitations and research papers flow naturally into the competition year. Stoa takes the five canons of rhetoric that CC teaches us and adds layering to those tools. This layering, when set into the competitive lens, heightens their skills. My children stretched themselves in organizing their thoughts, research, speaking, and writing through competition. They still note that the skills they built competing are used almost daily in their lives. Honing the art of speaking and writing are two of the essentials in knowing our God and making Him known.”

Laurie Heiney
Area Representative Southeast Georgia
Challenge IV Director

“Stoa and Classical Conversations are a perfect combination for your child. The same skills are learned in both organizations but Stoa allows the student additional practice with the skills which in turn makes the course work in Classical Conversations easier. Many assignments in Classical Conversations can also be used as speech events in Stoa. We have loved our involvement in both Stoa and Classical Conversations and enjoy the benefits of both programs. Our students learn to know God and make Him known in Classical Conversations. Then they can use this knowledge to practice speaking boldly and changing the world for Christ with Stoa.”

For more information, check out “What is Stoa Like?” and our FAQ.