Imagination by: Denise Montgomery

Denise Montgomery has a passion for literature, speech and debate, and English. Which is why she created Creativity for English and Beyond – one of the CLASSES offered through Lasting Impact! this fall. Did you know Lasting Impact! offers over 20 different opportunities to connect through classes and clubs? Check them all out in the SHOP. I hope you hear Denise’s heart in this article…

Being creative can be duck soup if we allow ourselves to be free. Ah, and therein is placed the stumbling block: free.

Imagine this: you wake up and see the day through a child’s eyes, experiencing everything of the day in the miraculously free way a child can. Wow! Sign me up for that day of days gone by…

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Storytelling: The Beginning Speaker’s Greatest Weapon by: Anna Fox

I was the first of my siblings to enter the daunting world of public speaking. For me, it happened as it has happened to many others: my mother informed me that I would be doing Speech and Debate, and no amount of terror and pleading on my part could convince her otherwise. Of course, like so many before me, I soon fell in love with the activity and the deep friendships that were ripe to be formed in this environment.
I joined in mid-December, and in January headed off to the first tournament armed with a Lincoln-Douglas case and an After-Dinner Speech. As a beginner speaker thrown into the deep end, I was forced to learn quickly how to stop my knees from shaking, and how to think on the fly. Nowhere was this more evident than in the category of impromptu. Over a year, I learned how to go from fifth-and-below in impromptu to winning a tournament.

The secret? Stories.

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TP or LD? – A Parent (and Coach and Judge) Perspective by: Stacy Edmond

Arne Duncan, then Secretary of Education, said in 2010, “debate is uniquely suited to build skills required of a modern citizen, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.”

Most of us in the world of education would agree that competitive debate is a valuable activity for students of all skill levels, however, the style of debate preferred or which format a student new to debate should begin with, is, well, up for debate…

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The Need for Observation by: Denise Montgomery

Lasting Impact’s fall line up of online clubs and classes is going to be better than ever! All of the classes are listed HERE. One of the classes will be taught by my dear friend, Denise Montgomery. I believe her class will directly influence students, their observations, and of course their journey with speech and debate. After years of teaching (at the collegiate level and at home) Denise aims to fill in the gaps that many English programs leave. To think critically, effectively communicate, problem-solve, and experience life more fully, people must look through a new and wider lens…

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Sign Up NOW for Lasting Impact! Fall Online Classes and Clubs

Are you ready? This is our biggest and best fall line up of online classes and clubs to date. Each year, it seems, the need grows. We are happy to be able to provide such excellent resources to the speech and debate community. This year we will be offering two types of Online Apologetics, four different debate clubs, a variety of options for younger students, plus a whole lot more! Check out all of our Clubs HERE. Check out all of our Classes HERE. And coming soon – news about our Fall Tournament Circuit, as well as our Fall Online Tournament Schedule! Be sure to stay up on the latest- SUBSCRIBE (right hand side of our home page), follow us on Insta or Facebook.

Questions to ask before signing up for online camps and classes

It is awesome to live in a world with so many opportunities! Our youth have so many options to explore and with protocols still up in the air throughout the country, it’s only natural that everyone is moving online. Summer School, Camps, and Classes, what do you choose? What will be the best fit when it comes to learning online? The Speech and Debate community is growing and it’s awesome to have so many options! As a parent for over 25 years, home educator for over 20 years, and an online business leader for almost four years, these would be the questions I would ask before signing up my students for an online camp or class…

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Online Summer Classes Start Next Week – Last Call

Have you seen Lasting Impact’s summer line up of online classes? (Check them out here– https://lastingimpact.info/product-category/online-classes/ ). We have a plethora of options for your students age 10-college bound to explore! All of our classes take place in the comfort of your home, by experienced coaches, teachers, and educators. The classes meet weekly. Questions you may be wondering….

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College Application Season – Tips for Mastering the Marathon by: Missy Fox

Applying to college ain’t what it used to be!

Your parents had it easy. When we were seniors, most took the SAT once, then applied to precisely three schools: a reach, a target, and a safety. Bing, bang, done. Scholarships? Plop down on the floor of the guidance counselor’s office and dig through a filing cabinet to find a Fraternal Order of Eagles application. (Internet? What internet?)

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Memorial Day Weekend – Membership Prices – ALL Summer Classes

Have you seen Lasting Impact’s summer line up of online classes? (Check them out here- https://lastingimpact.info/product-category/online-classes/ ). We have a plethora of options for your students age 10-college bound to explore! All of our classes take place in the comfort of your home, by experienced coaches, teachers, and educators. For Memorial weekend only, we are offering membership prices on all Summer Classes. Just use the code – WORKSHOP1519 Members receive approximately $15 off per class, making class sessions as little as $10 a class period.

Classes include …

  • All about Parliamentary Debate
  • Advanced TP with Joel Erickson
  • FUN damentals of LD with Michael Tant
  • Debate Readiness with Amy Eichholz
  • All about Interp
  • Basics of Platform Speaking with Heather Neumann
  • Order in the Court – the law through Fairy Tales
  • College Application Prep
  • College Resume
  • Biblical Thematic with Heather Neumann
  • Biblical Worldview and Mars Hill Impromptu

And more!! Check out all the classes HERE

Testimonials…

“My daughter loved the Biblical Thematic Class. I was pretty clueless going in and now I feel confident on how to help her do one next year. This class was so great!” – Christy, parent

“I can’t believe I gave my first Apologetics speech. Annie helped me break down all of the pieces and doing it with my class made me feel much more ready to tackle the season.” – Ben, student

“These online classes have been just what my students needed. Thank you for offering them. Not only are they growing, they are building their community.” – Alyson, parent

Remember, class size is limited. More classes and camps will be added through the summer! Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to our blog to get the latest information. We will have our fall line up announcements in June! We hope you decide to explore the possibilities with Lasting Impact! Please be sure to comment if you have taken a class with us, and what your experience was. Or contact us, if you would like to see us offer a class – heather@lastingimpact.info

Continue Growing Your Skills Over the Summer

Summer is quickly approaching. Do not let this quarantine thing stop your speech and debate progress! I know a lot of summer events have been canceled, but that doesn’t mean you should just sit on the couch a binge the next season of whatever is trending. There are a ton of things that you can do to promote growth and build your speech and debate skills. I get that students feel the need for a break, and being on Zoom can be exhausting. But there are tons of ideas to explore! First let’s go over reasons why you should make the most of your summer, then we will give you options for growth….

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The Foundations of Apologetics: Why It’s Important to Start With the Basics by: Annie Rogers

Tomorrow kicks off our Spring Quarter Classes – 5 weeks of coming together to grow, grow, GROW (and of course have some fun!!). Having a good foundation is essential in any endeavor. Annie Rogers will be teaching our Foundations of Apologetics Class, specifically geared for Speech and Debate students. She is about to complete her Bachelor of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies, and received her competency certification in Biblical Hebrew last December. She is excited to share the treasures she has learned with her students! To sign up, Click HERE… or continue reading about the importance of a solid foundation in Apologetics…

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How to Engage Younger Students in Speech and Debate

I often get asked the questions… what age is best to start Speech and Debate, how do get my younger students engaged, what things can I do to help my child explore these areas? I love these questions!! I love working with students who think they will have no interest in Speech and Debate. Honestly, this is part of our jobs as Speech Coaches, Club Leaders, Teachers, and Mentors (and even parents). Over the next few weeks, we will be digging deeper on the subject of how to encourage growth for our children and students during these unique times…

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