We make speech & debate accessible to everyone.
Take the Mic is a student-led nonprofit expanding access to speech, debate, and public-speaking opportunities for students who might not otherwise have them.
Access isn't equal.
Speech and debate can be extremely valuable. But opportunities are not equally available to every student.
Access can depend on school funding, location, whether a school has a team, whether there's a coach, tournament fees, transportation, resources, knowledge about how speech and debate works, and family financial circumstances.
A student can be an excellent speaker and still never get the opportunity to participate because their school doesn't offer the activity. Take the Mic exists to help change that.
One student. One realization.
Take the Mic was founded by a high school student who spent years participating in speech and debate. It had a major personal impact, more confidence, clearer communication, sharper thinking, and the ability to listen to people they disagree with.
But the founder also saw that not every student gets the same opportunity. Some schools have established teams, experienced coaches, and tournament funding. Other students may have never even heard of competitive speech and debate.
Take the Mic was created to help close that gap, so that a student's access to speech and debate isn't determined by their school, ZIP code, income, or access to a coach.
Five things we know to be true.
Every student deserves access to communication opportunities.
Your school should not determine whether you get to participate.
Beginners belong in speech and debate.
Student leadership matters.
Communication skills should be accessible to everyone.
Student-led. Legitimate. Real.
Take the Mic is a student-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It's founded and led by students, and it's for everyone.
The organization is not gender-specific. It's not a girls-only organization or a gender-equality organization. It's for every student who wants a chance to speak.
We focus on teaching and creating actual opportunities for students, not simply asking chapters to complete unrelated service projects.
The goal: 5,000 students by April 2029.
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We've reached 55+ students so far. The vision is much bigger than where we are today, and we're building toward it.