A man in a red hat stands between two young men with curly hair. They are holding a large white sign with the phrase "WE ARE CHARLIE KIRK" written on it in bold, red paint. They are standing near a body of water under a partly cloudy sky.
Jon, Joe and Jake Winowski each hold a sign at a Charlie Kirk vigil in Dunedin, Florida. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

The top student debaters in the state will hoist a trophy named for the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas announced Friday that the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative championship trophy will be named for Kirk, who gained notoriety for debating students on college campuses before he was assassinated last month during one of those events in Utah.

“The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk underscores the importance of civic dialogue rooted in respect and understanding. Mr. Kirk’s example as a champion of open civic discourse reminds us that disagreement can and must remain peaceful, principled and constructive,” Kamoutsas said in a letter to district superintendents.

The civics and debate program began in 2020 with 59 teams across 11 school districts at that that time.

Today there are 330 times in all 67 counties.

The competitions include declamation, dramatic performance, extemporaneous debate, impromptu speaking, informative speaking, legislative debate, and public forum debate.

There are 30 tournaments in the state each year “focusing on developing civic dispositions and reinforcing what is taught in the classroom,” Kamoutsas said.

The championship is held at New College of Florida in Sarsasota, which announced last month it would commission a statute of Kirk on its campus.

The Florida civics and debate initiative was launched while New College President Richard Corcoran was serving as the state education commissioner.

“New College of Florida is honored to host the FDCI Championship next April. Can’t wait to see you all there!” the campus’ X account replied to Kamoutsas’ announcement.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.

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This article appears in Oct. 2 – 8, 2025.