Washington-Arlington Catholic Forensic League

The Washington-Arlington Catholic Forensic League (WACFL) is a speech and debate league open to all schools in the greater Washington DC Metropolitan area. We welcome participation from both public and private schools.

Student participation in speech and debate through coursework and as an extracurricular activity can transform lives. The benefits are substantial and proven by research. Students learn to express their opinions confidently, respond to challenges, and analyze complex issues from multiple perspectives. This increased confidence improves self-esteem and social skills. Participating students often perform better academically in other subjects such as history, English, and social studies.

Speech and debate encourages students to become active citizens, engage in public discourse, and advocate for issues they care about. These skills can translate into meaningful civic engagement and community involvement throughout their lives. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson specifically credited her high school speech and debate experience as "the one activity that best prepared me for future success in law and in life."

Explore this website to learn more about WACFL. If you have any questions, feel free to drop us a note. We look forward to hearing from you!