Frankly Speaking Debate Competition

A Benjamin Franklin House debate competition in collaboration with the US Embassy London and the DAR Walter Hines Page Chapter.

Benjamin Franklin exemplified Enlightenment beliefs like the primacy of reason and critical thought. In his role as a colonial agent, and later as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Franklin regularly had to advance his opinions in the face of challenge and criticism, which he did with careful argument and wit.

In that spirit, and to encourage tomorrow’s thinkers today, Benjamin Franklin House proudly holds the annual Frankly Speaking Debate Competition for upper secondary school students, in collaboration with the US Embassy London. The winner joins students from across Europe and the United States at the Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute.

Applications for the 2024 competition will open in late 2023. 

The 2023 competition took place on Friday 24th February. The heats, semi-finals, finals and awards ceremony will all be held at the United States Embassy London. The debates follow an ‘Extended Mace’ format with 2 students in each team. There is a Year 10/11 category and a Year 12/13 category.

The individual winner of the Year 10/11 category will receive a private tour of the Houses of Parliament with The Right Honourable Baroness Anelay of St Johns. The individual winner of the Year 12/13 category will join students from across Europe and the United States for an all-expenses-paid Summer school at the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute. In 2022 this was held at Purdue University, Indiana, over 4 weeks in June-July.

For information about the 2024 competition please contact our Education Manager.