Canadian Innovation Contests · Leadership 2027
Canadian Innovation Public Speaking & Debate Contest
Explore what makes leadership trustworthy and effective through persuasive speech and respectful debate. Students submit a recorded speech first; qualifying speakers progress to the live debate final.
2027 theme · Leadership
Voices That Lead
How does a speaker earn trust and move people towards a shared purpose? Voices That Lead invites students to examine leadership through persuasive speech and debate. They explore questions about influence, responsibility and the balance between taking charge and listening to others. By building an argument and engaging respectfully with an opposing view, students discover how a strong voice can encourage thoughtful action without closing down discussion.
What the contest develops
Develop persuasive speaking, careful listening and reasoned debate, with a clear position supported by evidence and examples.
Find the right level
Eligibility and entry levels
Published levels: Grades 5–8; ask about other entries
Enter the category for your current school grade. Contact CKSTEM if your grade falls outside the published levels or you need help choosing a category. The contest instructions will confirm placement and any accommodations before entry.
What students do
Contest format
Recorded speech · qualification-only live final
The preliminary round is a recorded persuasive speech, with level-specific topics supplied in advance. Published categories are Junior (Grades 5/6) and Middle (Grades 7/8). Qualifying students enter a live Zoom debate, assigned for or against a topic released in advance. Speakers prepare their argument and respond respectfully to the opposing case.
Supervision and equipment
Submit the speech in the format specified by the current brief. Finalists need access to Zoom and must follow the debate instructions supplied with their invitation.
Curriculum connection
The 4 Cs (and a 5th).
Public Speaking is the best way to become proficient in the 4 'Cs' of 21st-century skills — critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity — and a 5th: civic awareness.
It benefits students by improving poise, speech delivery, and public-speaking skills. It increases student retention of learned information, improves listening and note-taking, and builds self-confidence, critical thinking, and creativity.
Grouping by levels aligns well with student expectations to develop appropriate social-emotional learning skills, positive mental health and the ability to learn, build resilience, and thrive.
Help your child prepare
Explore the theme, practise the skills
Encourage your child to explain a view with a reason and a concrete example. Listen to a different position, ask a fair question and practise responding to the argument rather than attacking the speaker.
Preparation idea
Preparation idea: discuss whether a good leader should always seek agreement before acting. Build a case on each side and consider when the circumstances might change your view. This is a practice discussion, not an announced speech topic or final debate motion.
For teachers
Use short speeches and structured discussions to practise reasoning, delivery and listening. Help students understand the rules while preserving their own arguments and voice; coordinate recorded entries and support qualifying finalists.
The themes below describe the 2027 creative direction. Exact questions, grade-specific prompts, speech topics, artwork requirements and judging rubrics will be provided in the contest instructions. The preparation examples are ideas to explore, not official contest tasks.
Previous contest guide & practice resources (2026) · Explore CKSTEM’s learning resources
Achievement and participation
Awards and results
The published qualification route selects the top 20% in each category for the live debate final. Qualification and Zoom instructions are sent to invited finalists. A preliminary submission does not guarantee a final place.
The published CIC award framework includes Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honors recognition by contest level, with a participation certificate for each participant. Medal delivery and any Greater Toronto Area award-ceremony arrangements are communicated separately; CKSTEM does not cover international award shipping.
| Recognition | Placing |
|---|---|
| Gold | Top 1% |
| Silver | Top 2–3% |
| Bronze | Top 4–6% |
| Honors | Top 7–10% |
For families and school coordinators
Registration and fees
2027 registration details and any individual-entry fees to be announced. Final participation is by qualification and invitation.
School entry
A coordinator can register a group, confirm categories and organise the supervised sitting or submission process. Contact CKSTEM with the participating grades and approximate student count.
Individual entry
Ask CKSTEM for the current individual registration route, fee and supervision instructions before entry.
Email [email protected] or send a contest enquiry. Dates and registration deadlines are listed below.
Contest advisory board
Debra Miko, CIPC Advisory Board.
Debra Miko is the Executive Director of Speech and Debate Canada Foundation, bringing decades of expertise in public speaking education and competitive debate to the CIPC Advisory Board.
Plan your year
CIPC · Speaking dates & deadlines
Dates below are for CKSTEM’s Canadian entries. ET means Toronto time; PT means Vancouver time. Use “Other time zones” for your location.
2 calendar entries
| Contest & round | Date & start time | Duration / format | Register by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Speaking · SubmissionsOpen entry | Mar 1, 2027 – Mar 15, 2027 Submission window | Prepare and submit work within this window | Feb 15, 2027 |
| Public Speaking · FinalQualification required | Sat, Mar 27, 2027 12 pm–3 pm ET / 9 am–12 pm PT Other time zones | 180 minutes | By invitation |
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For a fixed-date contest, registration closes three weeks before the sitting. For a submission or sitting window, registration closes two weeks before it begins, except Math, Science, Computing and Writing: their confirmed deadline is March 15, 2027. Finals require qualification and a separate invitation or registration.
Download contest calendar (CSV) · Academic calendar and class schedule