DeSantis announces $50,000 Charlie Kirk scholarship prize for Florida high school debate champion – Florida’s Voice
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Published Oct. 27, 2025, 1:34 p.m. ET | Updated Oct. 27, 2025
SARASOTA, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative State Championship will award a $50,000 scholarship and name its top prize in honor of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, to underscore the importance of civic education and discourse.
The competition’s highest honor, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Debate, will now be named the Charlie Kirk Prize. The FCDI State Championship will be held on April 5, 2026, at the New College of Florida in Sarasota.
“We have worked hard to make Florida the national model for civics education,” DeSantis said, adding that Kirk “embodied the principles of patriotism, civil discourse, and open debate.”
The significant scholarship awards were made possible by a generous 10-year commitment from philanthropist Patricia Duggan of Clearwater, with the funding matched by the Florida Prepaid Foundation, doubling the impact.
The prize breakdown is as follows:
Additionally, the winner and runner-up will receive invitations to attend the National Ronald Reagan Presidential Debate in California, thanks to the Ronald Reagan Foundation.
The FCDI has seen significant expansion under Gov. DeSantis’ administration, establishing teams in all 67 school districts across the state.
The program has grown from just 59 teams in 11 districts in 2020 to more than 330 teams today.
Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas stated that the FCDI, along with the Civics Literacy Excellence Initiatives, is “ensuring the next generation understands our founding principles and is equipped to preserve them through active civic participation.”
DeSantis also announced a new partnership with Turning Point USA to ensure that all high schools across Florida can establish Club America chapters without administrative impediment.
BREAKING: @GovRonDeSantis just announced a partnership with @TPUSA to allow ALL high schools in the state of Florida to establish Club America chapters WITHOUT impediment pic.twitter.com/fcd0TnFici
Club America is a student-led organization designed to mobilize high schoolers to advocate for American values, free enterprise, and limited government.
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