The fourth annual SPEAK (the Speech Professional Education Alliance of Kentucky) conference for middle and high school speech and debate educators will be held Sept. 26 at the University of Kentucky.

Kentucky High School Speech League Hall of Fame coach Mark Etherton will speak on Kentucky Speech and Debate, Past and Future, which will lead into a conference-wide roundtable discussion about the role of speech and debate in today’s educational climate. Attendees will address Program Reviews, the Kentucky Core Academic Standards for Speaking and Listening, and how speech and debate classes and competitions can fulfill new needs raised by these educational advances.

After lunch, attendees will choose two of nine seminars on such topics as teaching the communication standards in content areas, teaching the basic speech class and coaching new and established speech and debate teams.

The $40 fee, due upon arrival, includes a catered lunch. The deadline for online registration is Sept. 22.

Information about registration, seminars and discounted hotel rates, as well as support materials for educators, can be found on the SPEAK website.

Any middle or high school teacher of speech, debate, communications, or who is helping teach the Kentucky Core Academic Standards for Speaking and Listening or who is involved in the Program Reviews for Writing or Arts and Humanities is urged to attend.