The Palo Alto High School "Paly" Speech & Debate Program (PASD) is a community of 150+ students competing in 15+ forensics events. Membership in our National Championship-winning program is open to all Palo Alto High School students; there are no tryouts and no fees to join.

OUR MISSION 

To develop critical thinking, public speaking, and debating skills; to create an inclusive and supportive forensics community; and to promote the values of intellectual inquiry and competitive integrity.
No matter who you are, as long as you are respectful & kind, you’re welcome on our team."
– Jennie Savage, Program Director Emeritus

Featured on NPR

​Palo Alto Speech & Debate Featured on Bay Area KQED's MindShift Podcast with Nimah Gobir
KQED recently featured students Kyle Greenberg, Holden Lee, Motoko Iwata, Tessa Berney, and Head Coach, Kyle Hietala, on the MindShift podcast by Nimah Gobir, In Debate Club, Teens Are Learning the Skills Adults May Have Forgotten from July 28, 2025. 

Record-Breaking
​Summer Camp

417 Campers, 65 Counselors attend 2025 
​Palo Alto Speech & Debate Camp
In June and July, PASD students taught a record-breaking number of campers the art of speech and debate, under the steadfast leadership of Student Directors, Joseph Sun, Motoko Iwata, Ean Hsiung, and Tessa Berney.  PASDC is tentatively scheduled for June 8-12 & 22-26 or summer 2026. 

All-of-The-Above Excellence

Palo Alto named NSDA School of Excellence in 2024
In Des Moines, Iowa, Palo Alto Speech & Debate earned an NSDA School of Excellence Award for the first time ever, a recognition of collective achievements. Individual highlights included: Isabella Bian & Rohan Bhatia breaking to Quarters in Congress; Samarth Sethi breaking to Triples in Big Questions; Holden Lee reaching top 32 in Lincoln Douglas; Christopher Choi reaching top 32 in Extemporaneous Debate; Kashi Tuteja (pictured right) placing 3rd in Lincoln Douglas; and Karthi Gottipati (pictured left) placing 2nd in Extemporaneous Debate.
Picture
Boneh salutes the audience in Louisville, Kentucky, with a finger heart after receiving his trophy.

Ethan Boneh '23
NSDA National Champion

"I say this for our team, for our school, for our coaches, for my friends, for myself, for our community: WE win these."

Ethan Boneh (Palo Alto High School, ‘23) made history in June 2022, by becoming the first National Champion member of the Palo Alto High School Speech & Debate program. Held in Louisville, Kentucky, The National Tournament hosted by the NSDA is among the most competitive in the country, including over 6,000 students representing 1,500 schools.

Support Us

To learn more about our program, email Kyle Hietala, Program Director at [email protected].
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