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Welcome to the Soapbox Challenge

The Soapbox Challenge is an English speech contest for students in bilingual education (tto 1-3). This event provides students with the opportunity to showcase their presentation skills and speak about current affairs. On this page you can find more information about the competition as well as ready made lesson templates that you can use in your classes to help students improve their public speaking skills!

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Road to the finals

  • Phase 1: Sign up!

    Limited spots available, don't miss the opportunity—sign up your school now to secure your spot!


    Information from last year can be found in the in the SBC 2026 manual, along with example materials to guide you further. 

  • Phase 2: Selecting participants

    Every school is allowed to have maximum three delegates participate in the Soapbox Challenge. The method of selection is up to you. You could organize your own internal competition, choose the best students in class, or simply ask who would like to participate. The choice is yours. 

  • Phase 3: Finals ' Day

    On the 17th of March the best students will compete in Amster at Sint-Nicolaas Lyceum! There will be no regional preliminary rounds. Schools will send their selected students directly to a single, larger Finals’ Day. 

    Because of feedback, we have decided to move the event to a weekday. 

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When & Where?

17th of March @ Sint-Nicolaas Lyceum

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Resources

Theme and assignments for 2027 will be announced in November.

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Theme 2026

The theme for 2026 is 'Dear Prime Minister..’.   You can find more information in the SBC Manual.

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The Manual 2026

In this manual you can find everything you need to know about the Soapbox Challenge 2026. From the rules and procedures to the topics that will be used.

Download
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Short-prep 1 2026

An example of this year's first short-prep assignment: "Skills for life"  has been uploaded! On Finals' Day students will receive a different list of topics to pick from.

Download
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Short-prep 2 2026

An example of this year's second short-prep assignment: "Unusual Dream Job"  has been uploaded! On Finals' Day students will receive a different list of topics to pick from.

Download

What's new?

Building on last year's insights, we continue in 2027 with the renewed Soapbox Challenge format to enhance the learning experience, foster a more equitable environment, and more effectively integrate public speaking with global citizenship.

Improved format

The SBC format holds both short and long prep rounds to create a more balanced competition and alleviate student stress. These rounds will challenge students' rhetorical abilities while also encouraging them to engage with current events and develop their perspectives.

Learning experience

By incorporating multiple rounds and dedicating time for feedback, we aim to help students enhance their skills as the challenge progresses. Instead of scoring a single, heavily-prepared speech, we challenge them across various aspects of oracy and public speaking.

Additionally, we are introducing a mentor system where experienced students from the National Debate League will coach the Soapbox participants, further supporting their development.

Download the SBC Manual

Frequently asked questions

  • How many of my students are able to participate?

    Each school can send maximum three students.

  • What are the participation costs?

    Each participating school pays a fee of 200 euros (excl. 21% VAT), regardless of the amount of students they send. 

  • I still have questions, who should I reach out to?

    Please reach out via schools@debateleague.nl

  • What are this year's themes?

    There are two types of speeches: long-prep and short-prep.


    Long-prep speeches: The theme is “Dear Prime Minister.” Students should prepare their speeches around this theme. More details can be found in the manual.


    Short-prep speeches: The two assignments have already been announced ('Skills for life' and 'Unusual dream job'). A list of practice topics will be uploaded soon, but please note that these will not be the topics used in the Soapbox preliminary round. During that round, students will receive a new list of topics to choose from. They will then have 30 minutes to prepare a speech on one of those topics. The general format of the assignment remains the same.

  • What is the schedule for the Finals' Day?

    The Schedule for the Finals Day on the 28th of March 2026 will be announced as soon as possible. 

  • What is the duration of each speech?

    Each speech will have a maximum duration of 3 minutes. After reaching the 3-minute mark, speakers will be given an additional 15 seconds to wrap up before being asked to stop by the judges. While we encourage all speakers to aim for the full 3 minutes, there are no penalties for speeches that are slightly shorter.

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Eline Hakvoort - Projectmedewerker TTO Nuffic


Student growth through public speaking. Our goal with the Soapbox Challenge is to give bilingual education students an extra opportunity to shine. We believe this event actively supports the TTO pillars of personal development, global citizenship, and language proficiency. Participants not only enhance their public speaking skills but also build confidence and engage with global issues in a meaningful way.