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Stoa USA
Stoa USA, also referred to as Stoa, is a Christian homeschool forensics organization in the United States. It is one of the four major national high school forensics organizations: the others are the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA), National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL), and the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA).
Stoa is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “an ancient Greek portico usually walled at the back with a front colonnade designed to afford a sheltered promenade.” The Stoa was a common fixture of many towns in Ancient Greece and was used as a place where people could debate and discuss their ideas.
Stoa was created in 2009 to serve the needs of the growing homeschool speech and debate community. Its website explains that its objective is “to train Christian home schooled youth in speech and debate in order to better communicate a Biblical worldview.”
Stoa USA is a non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers. It is governed by a board of directors who oversee its day-to-day operations and propose rule amendments which affect competitors nationwide. Members vote on important issues, such as debate resolutions and significant rule changes. Judges are usually parents, coaches, alumni, or members of the community.
Stoa sanctions only one tournament each year, the National Invitational Tournament of Champions (NITOC) (referenced below). Stoa exists to support state and local organizations in running tournaments, but recognizes the autonomy of those at the state and local level to operate in a manner that best serves their particular needs. Some locally-run tournaments attract hundreds of Stoa competitors each year, such as the one typically held in the spring at Concordia University in Irvine, CA.
Because homeschooled students are not typically associated with schools, most affiliates belong to member “Clubs.” Most club members live in the local area around where their club is based.
The National Christian Homeschool Speech and Debate Rankings, also known as Speechranks, was a comprehensive website that ranks Christian homeschooled speakers and debaters around the country who are in high school or middle school. Speechranks was created in 2010 for promoting transparency and fairness in the Christian homeschool forensics community. As of October 2025, Speechranks.com has been discontinued for the 2025-2026 season and replaced by StoaHub.com, a website that combines registration and rankings together. Results from Stoa tournaments are uploaded to the ranking database by tournament administrators. The website is monitored to ensure the integrity of the information entered. Viewers may also “Flag” results they believe to be in error. According to its website, there were 1,716 active competitors on Speechranks during the 2024-2025 season.
There are two ways that Stoa measures student participation: Points and Green Check Marks. Points are awarded to competitors based on the student's percentile finish in each event. Students achieving the same percentile finish in any event and any tournament will be awarded the same number of Points. A student's three best finishes in a particular event are used to sum their total Points for that event. Overall ranking on Speechranks is determined by the total number of Points a competitor has accumulated. Green Check Marks recognize consistent excellence throughout the competitive season. There is no limit to the number of Green Check Marks a student may earn. In general, Green Check Marks are awarded to any competitor who achieves a top 38% finish in debate or finishes in the top 40% of an individual event (IE). The only exception to this is impromptu speaking, which requires a top 25% finish as of the 2023-2024 season. Green Check Marks are unique to each event and students may not transfer checkmarks from one event to another.
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Stoa USA
Stoa USA, also referred to as Stoa, is a Christian homeschool forensics organization in the United States. It is one of the four major national high school forensics organizations: the others are the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA), National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL), and the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA).
Stoa is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “an ancient Greek portico usually walled at the back with a front colonnade designed to afford a sheltered promenade.” The Stoa was a common fixture of many towns in Ancient Greece and was used as a place where people could debate and discuss their ideas.
Stoa was created in 2009 to serve the needs of the growing homeschool speech and debate community. Its website explains that its objective is “to train Christian home schooled youth in speech and debate in order to better communicate a Biblical worldview.”
Stoa USA is a non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers. It is governed by a board of directors who oversee its day-to-day operations and propose rule amendments which affect competitors nationwide. Members vote on important issues, such as debate resolutions and significant rule changes. Judges are usually parents, coaches, alumni, or members of the community.
Stoa sanctions only one tournament each year, the National Invitational Tournament of Champions (NITOC) (referenced below). Stoa exists to support state and local organizations in running tournaments, but recognizes the autonomy of those at the state and local level to operate in a manner that best serves their particular needs. Some locally-run tournaments attract hundreds of Stoa competitors each year, such as the one typically held in the spring at Concordia University in Irvine, CA.
Because homeschooled students are not typically associated with schools, most affiliates belong to member “Clubs.” Most club members live in the local area around where their club is based.
The National Christian Homeschool Speech and Debate Rankings, also known as Speechranks, was a comprehensive website that ranks Christian homeschooled speakers and debaters around the country who are in high school or middle school. Speechranks was created in 2010 for promoting transparency and fairness in the Christian homeschool forensics community. As of October 2025, Speechranks.com has been discontinued for the 2025-2026 season and replaced by StoaHub.com, a website that combines registration and rankings together. Results from Stoa tournaments are uploaded to the ranking database by tournament administrators. The website is monitored to ensure the integrity of the information entered. Viewers may also “Flag” results they believe to be in error. According to its website, there were 1,716 active competitors on Speechranks during the 2024-2025 season.
There are two ways that Stoa measures student participation: Points and Green Check Marks. Points are awarded to competitors based on the student's percentile finish in each event. Students achieving the same percentile finish in any event and any tournament will be awarded the same number of Points. A student's three best finishes in a particular event are used to sum their total Points for that event. Overall ranking on Speechranks is determined by the total number of Points a competitor has accumulated. Green Check Marks recognize consistent excellence throughout the competitive season. There is no limit to the number of Green Check Marks a student may earn. In general, Green Check Marks are awarded to any competitor who achieves a top 38% finish in debate or finishes in the top 40% of an individual event (IE). The only exception to this is impromptu speaking, which requires a top 25% finish as of the 2023-2024 season. Green Check Marks are unique to each event and students may not transfer checkmarks from one event to another.