SARASOTA, Fla. — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference Monday, announcing that the statewide speech and debate championship trophy will now be renamed in honor of Charlie Kirk.

This is a part of the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative, which was created in order to encourage students to debate and civic discourse. The FCDI, launched in 2019, includes a civic literacy exam for high school students enrolled in U.S. Government courses, revised civics and government standards for K-12, creation of Civics Seal of Excellence Endorsement, provided Regional Civics Literacy Directors and Coaches, and required all post-secondary students enrolling in Florida’s college and universities to demonstrate civic competence.

The FCDI has grown from 59 teams and 11 districts across the sta

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