Seven high school student leaders from across the state have been selected to serve on the Arkansas Speech & Debate Student Advisory Board for the 2026-2027 academic year. The seven juniors and seniors were chosen for their outstanding leadership skills, achievements in academics and activities, and commitment to positively impacting their communities. The group will attend several meetings throughout the 2026-2027 academic year, being provided the opportunity to work with adult leadership of the Arkansas Communication & Theatre Arts Association (ACTAA) to grow leadership skills, bring youth perspectives to speech & debate, and support inter-program camaraderie and community within the Arkansas speech & debate high school circuit.

“Promoting student involvement and leadership training within our learning community is one of the organization’s most important initiatives,” shared Zackery Tucker, ACTAA President. “As ACTAA continues to support educators to invest and train Arkansas’ next generation of leaders through speech & debate, I am excited to gain the insight and perspectives of the students we ultimately serve on how speech & debate can be more than just competition but a valued experience in every school in the state.”

2026-2027 Student Advisory Board:

The Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts Association (ACTAA) is a non-profit professional organization serving educators. Its purpose is to promote communication, debate, forensics and theatre as an essential discipline, life skill, and art form. Additionally, ACTAA is the official sanctioning organization authorized by the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) to govern interscholastic speech, debate and theatre competition in Arkansas.