Events

2026 UConn Public Speaking Competition

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Presented by the UConn Department of Communication

Image of a Microphone

COMPETITION INFORMATION

  • When: Monday, March 30th 5-7 p.m.
  • Where: Storrs Hall, Widmer Wing (WW) 16
  • Who: Four undergraduate contestants, three judges, two hosts, and a live audience.
  • Submission Deadline: Wednesday, March 11th at 5:00 PM.
  • Finalists Notified: On or before March 20th. A preproduction meeting will be held via WebEx on Monday, March 23rd. Contestants who are selected are expected to attend this meeting!
  • Contact: Stephen.Stifano@uconn.edu

Theme for 2026: The Future of Work and Technology: How automation, AI, and remote work are reshaping daily lives and career paths.

Submission Rules and Guidelines

Do you have what it takes to be crowned UConn’s best public speaker? Do you want to showcase your public speaking skills on the big stage? If so, create and submit an audition video that will put you in the running to be one of our top 4 contestants!

Who’s eligible: Only UConn undergraduate students.
How you can submit: Send us a video that shows you’ve got what it takes!
Guidelines:

  • Submission videos must include an unlisted or public YouTube link and be submitted via email to Stephen.Stifano@uconn.edu before 5 p.m. on Wednesday March 11th to be considered an official entry.
  • Submission videos must be a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 5 minutes to be considered an official entry.
  • Speakers may not use props or other presentation aids in their submission videos or live performances.
  • Video submissions should be focused on the speaker and their speech. Post-production edits or enhancements are discouraged.

EVENT FORMAT

1st Round: Prepared Speaking. Each contestant will deliver a prepared speech. Contestants will speak about the future of work and technology from their own personal perspectives. 5 minutes maximum.

2nd Round: Question and Answer. Following the completion of the first round, contestants will answer a short question based on their first speech. The contestant will have a maximum of 2 minutes to provide their answer.

3rd Round: Impromptu Speaking. Upon completion of the 2nd round, contestants will be presented with an impromptu topic by the hosts. The contestants will have 12 minutes to formulate their responses before presenting their final speech. 4 minutes maximum.

Submission Suggestions for an Effective Speech

Step 1: Brainstorm

The theme of the competition is: The Future of Work and Technology: How automation, AI, and remote work are reshaping daily lives and career paths. This topic speaks to everyone, and gives you a chance to share your views about what can make – or break – our careers and industries in the years to come.

Contestants should consider answering the following questions in their speech:

  • Which issues with technology are most important to address in the coming years? Are they practical issues? Social issues? Economic issues? Environmental issues?
    • What should the University of Connecticut  – and we as a society – strive to address in our immediate future? What we avoid to help us prepare for the future?
    • How can – and how should – college graduates prepare to cope with our technological and career futures?

Step 2: Create

All video submissions should follow the 3-5 minute time constraints. Presentation aids and/or props may not be used. In addition to these guidelines, here are some production tips for your submission:

  • Be sure that you are visible on the video and that your audio playback is easy to hear.
    • Pick a quiet environment for your video that helps us focus on your speech; be sure that your space is not distracting and does not impede your delivery.
    • Double-check your final video before uploading to ensure appropriate quality.

Step 3: Upload your video to YouTube and submit the link

If you do not have a YouTube account, you will need to create one. Once your video has been uploaded, double check to make sure the video share settings are set to “Unlisted”. Email the link of your YouTube video to Stephen.Stifano@uconn.edu; set the subject line as “Public Speaking Competition Entry.”

***Be sure to double check your link to ensure it is working correctly even when not logged into your personal account***