TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — As Florida high school students gear up for their annual debate and speech competition this spring, the first-place award just received a new name: the Kirk Award, honoring the life of Charlie Kirk, the late conservative activist who was murdered on a Utah campus in September 2025.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said the change was an effort to stimulate speech and debate across the state, something Kirk was known for on college campuses. But not everyone is praising the move.
“The winner of the next Florida Civic and Debate Initiative State Championship will take home the Charlie Kirk Award, renamed in honor of a young man who exemplified the principles of patriotism, civil discourse and public debate. The generous scholarship awards to the winner and other top contestants will be a wonderful memorial to Kirk’s accomplishments,” said DeSantis.
The winner of the 2026 contest will not only receive the “Kirk Award” but also a $50,000 scholarship.
Runners-up will receive a $25,000 scholarship, two semifinalists will each receive a $15,000 scholarship, and four quarterfinalists will each receive a $10,000 scholarship.
The name change for the first-place award comes after Kirk was shot and killed while hosting a debate on the University of Utah campus last month.
“Name someone who wakes up every day and says they’re going to dedicate their life to fighting for free speech on college campuses. I’ve driven across the country to campuses that will accept them, some of whom don’t want to accept them, and I’m going to sit there and put a microphone across from me and say, prove me wrong and do it in a great civil way,” said New College of Florida President Richard Corcoran.
The changes come as the Florida Department of Education is already looking at the state’s educators after “vile comments” about the assassination were posted on social media after Kirk’s death.
“That can’t be tolerated. It’s completely unacceptable. Our students are watching, and the model we’re going to represent for these kids will be one of civil discourse and civility, just like Charlie Kirk,” Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamousas said.
But critics question the decision, saying it creates a polarized environment.
State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) said the award should not be named after a politician on one side of the aisle when the goal is really to embrace diverse perspectives.
Eskamani, who has served as a judge for such competitions in the past, said the move could lead to parents withdrawing their children from debates.
“Debates should be balanced. Debate should be able to hear all sides of an argument. I don’t think it’s appropriate for strong debaters who may have different political positions and viewpoints to be awarded and recognized by awardees with whom they disagree,” Eskamani said.
Next year’s debate will be held at New Florida College in Sarasota on April 5, 2026, and preparations are underway to install a statue of Kirk on campus.
