“Today, we announced that April’s debate competition winner of the Charlie Kirk prize will receive a $50k scholarship, with runner-up ($25k), semi-finalists ($15k) and quarterfinalists ($10k). We expect more than 600 students in the competition and look forward to awarding the newly-named Kirk prize to the winner,” DeSantis posted on X.
DeSantis emphasized the connection between the initiative and civic responsibility. “Free speech and civil discourse are essential to the survival of a democratic republic,” he wrote. “Today, those ideals are under threat: One-third of college students believe violence is acceptable to silence speech they find objectionable. Nothing illustrates this threat more clearly than the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who was killed on a college campus while trying to have a conversation with the other side.”
He continued, “In Florida, we’re working to turn the tide by instilling the importance of the American civic tradition in the next generation. Six years ago, we launched the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative (FCDI) to create opportunities for all students to become responsible, well-informed citizens who will preserve our constitutional republic.”
The Florida Civics and Debate Initiative, launched in partnership with the Marcus Foundation in 2019, has grown from 59 teams in 11 districts to more than 330 teams across all 67 counties, with over 4,200 students participating.
DeSantis has repeatedly linked Florida’s civics initiatives to the broader lessons of Kirk’s life and death. Following his assassination in September, the governor said the killing “flows from this intolerance to opposing ideas,” describing it as the most extreme example of hostility toward free expression on college campuses.
In later remarks, DeSantis noted that “tens of millions” of Americans share Kirk’s values, praising Kirk for entering environments where his views were often challenged, saying he “really believed in what he was doing” and he exemplified how “robust debate” prepares students to think critically beyond academia.
As Breitbart News previously reported, memorial efforts for Kirk across Florida have continued to expand. In Lake County, officials unanimously approved designating a section of roadway as the “Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway.” The City of Melbourne is also considering renaming part of Cypress Avenue “Charlie Kirk Lane.”
At New College of Florida, plans are underway to install a privately funded statue depicting Kirk at a debate table, representing his commitment to free speech and civil discourse. Meanwhile, at Ave Maria University, renowned Catholic sculptor Timothy Schmalz is casting a bronze sculpture of Jesus comforting Kirk, marking the first installation of his memorial series.
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