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Welcome to the Coolidge National Declamation Contest. Our 2026 video-based preliminary competition is now open! Entries are due April 12, 2026, and we will announce the results in May. The top 12 finishers will be invited to compete in the declamation event at the 2026 Coolidge Cup speech and debate tournament, held at the Coolidge Historic Site in Plymouth, Vermont, July 2-4, 2026.

Instructions

To enter the preliminary round of the Coolidge National Declamation Contest, please record yourself delivering two texts: an excerpt of President Coolidge’s speech “The Inspiration of the Declaration” and an excerpt of the Declaration of Independence.The 2026 texts are located here; please use our versions. Familiarize yourself with the texts by reading and practicing in advance. Be sure to look up and practice any words with difficult pronunciations.

When you are ready, please record yourself declaiming both these texts in asingle video file that runs continuously (no stopping or editing). First declaim the excerpt of President Coolidge’s “Inspiration of the Declaration” speech, and then, after a short pause, declaim the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. Please state the title of each text before delivering it.Then, upload your video to the hosting service of your choice (e.g., YouTube). Complete the entry form below by the deadline: 11:59 PM PDT on April 12, 2026.Note that our entry form includes a media release that permits the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation to use your name, image, likeness, and video. We may, at our sole discretion, create and distribute a compilation video containing portions of contestants’ speeches.

Prizes

For the 2026 declamation competition, we will again offer an exciting set of prizes:

• The top 12 finishers will be invited to travel to Plymouth, Vermont, to compete in the declamation event at the 2026 Coolidge Cup. These 12 finalists will receive atravel assistance stipendand full coverage of hotel and meal expenses while at the Coolidge Cup. At the tournament, the students will compete for cash scholarship prizes as follows: 1st Place, $1,000; 2nd Place, $750; 3rd Place, $500; and 4th Place, $250.
• Students placing 13th-30th will receive a $100 prize via U.S. mail.

Video Dos and Don’ts

• Do speak loudly and clearly.
• Do record your video in “landscape” (i.e., horizontal) mode, not “portrait” (i.e., vertical) mode.
• Do title your uploaded videos with your name.
• Donotfurther edit or shorten the text of the speech provided in the packet.
• Donotdeclaim different texts from thosecontained on our site.
• Donotuse any props, or edit your video to enhance it with music, photos, graphics, etc.

Judging Criteria

Coolidge judges will score your declamation video. Our judges are looking for students to speak at an appropriate volume, with good articulation, and at a reasonable speed. Try to connect with the text and demonstrate an understanding of the material you are delivering. You do not need to memorize the entire speech, but we recommend that you practice to have a strong familiarity with the texts. Be certain you look up and practice saying words that may be challenging to pronounce. Although you may reference notes, we encourage frequent eye contact. Other elements of style include appropriate gesturing and good posture. There is no minimum or maximum in terms of time or the length of your video.We will share the competition’s final results in May via email, this web page, and our social media. Unfortunately, due to the volume of entries we receive, we cannot provide individualized feedback, coaching, or analysis.

Please ensure your video remains available either permanently or until we announce the competition results. If your video is marked as “unavailable” or the link you provide is broken, we will make one attempt to reach you to help resolve the issue (often, the video simply needs to be changed from “private” to “public” so that judges can view it). If your technical issue cannot be resolved after that one attempt, your entry will be removed from the competition. Remember that the view counters and statistics on video-sharing sites may inaccurately reflect total views.

Eligibility

This application is open to legal residents of the fifty United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia who are current high school students and who have received written permission from a parent or legal guardian. Students must be in grades 9-12 for the current school year. You do not need to be part of a school speech and debate team or club to participate in this contest. If you qualify for the Coolidge Cup in both declamation and debate, you must choose one. For scheduling reasons, it is not possible to compete in both events simultaneously.

If you have any questions, please contact Speech and Debate DirectorJonathan Peele.