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Welcome to the Soapbox Challenge

The Soapbox Challenge is an English speech contest for students in bilingual education (TTO 1-3). This event provides students with the opportunity to showcase their presentation skills and speak about current affairs. On this page you can find more information about the competition as well as ready made lesson templates that you can use in your classes to help students improve their public speaking skills!

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Road to the finals

  • Phase 1: Sign up!

    Limited spots available, don't miss the opportunity—sign up your school now to secure your spot!


    To help you get started, we will upload customized lesson templates designed to teach your students the fundamentals of public speaking. 


    Additionally, you’ll find assignments for the speeches in the SBC manual, along with example materials to guide you further. 

  • Phase 2: Selecting participants

    Every school is allowed to have two delegates participate in the Soapbox Challenge. The method of selection is up to you. You could organize your own internal competition, choose the best students in class, or simply ask who would like to participate. The choice is yours. 

  • Phase 3: Regional preliminary rounds

    We organize two preliminary rounds.  Unlike last year, students will not only give a prepared speech but also deliver two impromptu speeches. More information about the format can be found here.


    At the end of the day, the top students will proceed to the finals round, which will be organized on a later date.

  • Phase 4: Finals ' Day

    In April the best students will compete in Wassenaar! More information about Finals' Day will follow.  

Road to the Finals

A diagram showing the phases of a project.
A diagram showing the phases of a school competition

Important Dates

Tentative SBC 2025 dates:

  • Preliminary Round 1: February 25th in Helmond
  • Preliminary Round 2: March 3rd in Hengelo
  • Final: April 12th in Wassenaar


Resources

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Finals' Day Short-prep

The Finals' Day Short-prep assignment is: "The next Fundamental Right"! You'll find a list of topics you can use to practice with your class.

Download
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The Manual

In this manual you can find everything you need to know about the Soapbox Challenge 2025. From the rules and procedures to the topics that will be used.

Download
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Short-prep Assignment 1

An example of this year's first short-prep assignment: "It's not crazy, but brilliant!" works. You'll also find a list of topics you can use to practice with your class.

Download
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Short-prep Assignment 2

An example of this year's second short-prep assignment: "Time to roast..." You'll find a list of topics you can use to practice with your class.

Download

What's new?

Building on last year's insights, we have decided to make several changes to the Soapbox Challenge to enhance the learning experience, foster a more equitable environment, and more effectively integrate public speaking with global citizenship.

Improved format

In the new SBC format, we will integrate both short and long prep rounds to create a more balanced competition and alleviate student stress. These rounds will challenge students' rhetorical abilities while also encouraging them to engage with current events and develop their perspectives.

Learning experience

By incorporating multiple rounds and dedicating time for feedback, we aim to help students enhance their skills as the challenge progresses. Instead of scoring a single, heavily-prepared speech, we challenge them across various aspects of oracy and public speaking.

Additionally, we are introducing a mentor system where experienced students from the National Debate League will coach the Soapbox participants, further supporting their development.

Download the SBC Manual

Frequently asked questions

  • How many of my students are able to participate?

    Each school can send maximum two students.

  • What are the participation costs?

    Each participating school pays a fee of 160 euros (excluding 21% VAT), regardless of whether they send one or two students.

  • I still have questions, who should I reach out to?

    Please reach out via schools@debateleague.nl

  • What are this year's themes?

    This year, there are two types of speeches: long-prep and short-prep.


    For long-prep speeches, the theme has already been announced: "The most underestimated problem I know." Students should prepare their speeches around this theme.


    For short-prep speeches, a list of topics has been shared in advance. However, these topics are not the ones that will be used during the Soapbox preliminary round. In that round, students will receive a new list of topics to choose from. They will have 30 minutes to prepare a speech based on one of those new topics. The general format of the assignment will remain the same as before.

  • What is the schedule for the preliminary round?

    Preliminary Rounds Schedule


    12:15 – Participant registration (bring your own lunch)

    12:30 – 12:45 Opening

    12:45 – 14:00 Round 1 (long prep) 75 min

    14:00 – 15:30 Round 2 (short prep) 90 min

    15:30 – 17:00 Round 3 (short prep) 90 min

    17:00 – 17:30 Award ceremony

  • What is the duration of each speech?

    Each speech will have a maximum duration of 3 minutes. After reaching the 3-minute mark, speakers will be given an additional 15 seconds to wrap up before being asked to stop by the judges. While we encourage all speakers to aim for the full 3 minutes, there are no penalties for speeches that are slightly shorter.

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Eline Hakvoort - Projectmedewerker TTO Nuffic


Student growth through public speaking. Our goal with the Soapbox Challenge is to give bilingual education students an extra opportunity to shine. We believe this event actively supports the TTO pillars of personal development, global citizenship, and language proficiency. Participants not only enhance their public speaking skills but also build confidence and engage with global issues in a meaningful way.

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