Advantage Communications

"Now, instead of acting out in school, I do it on stage." Students, families, and educators are demonstrating that speech and debate can be the intervention kids need. As Marvin P. explains, "If more kids and schools get the program, then think of the lives you can change." Special thanks for Superintendent Dr. Desmoulin-Kherat and Peoria's Board Members for your years of support!

Peoria school board renews speech and debate program backed by Caterpillar funds The Peoria Public Schools Board of Education gathered Monday evening for a meeting that stretched well over two hours, marked by a student showcase, a contract debate, and a bittersweet goodbye to outgoing Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat.

“Speech basically saved me because being loud and extra isn’t a behavior problem. It’s a skill,” Marvin Polnitz, humorous interpretation champion who won in his first appearance as a 5th grader at the NSDA Middle School Championship. "Teachers were asking Ms. Mariela to kick me off the team. I felt like everyone was ready to give up on me, so I gave up on them first, but she didn’t."

Seventh grader Folanda James said the program changed how she views herself.

“Speech and debate changed my life. I was known as the girl with the big mouth now I’m a speech and debate poet. It gave my personality a definition,” James said.

Our Peoria staff, lead by Mariela Garcia-Alvarado (director), Raul Ruano (manager), and Emily Trader (manager) are changing lives in Central Illinois. Advantage Communications has one core mission: turn today's learners into tomorrow's leaders; and our Peoria students and families are rising to the occasion with our staff's support. Great job students and parents! Thank you Peoria Public Schools District 150 for continuing this partnership; and thank you Caterpillar for your investment in Peoria's Speech and Debate programs.

Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/mw4djapn

Watch our students present here: https://www.youtube.com/live/aZLCa_G6eR8?t=2933&si=UTMkT54BqCBO53x5

‘Speech basically saved me’: Caterpillar invests $300K in Peoria speech and debate program Company puts $300,000 into Peoria speech and debate program for nearly 400 students.

We are proud to support an organization that helps students continue their education 😊

THANK YOU to Advantage Communications!

2026 BALL SPONSOR
6th Annual Emilio Rivera Celebrity Golf Classic

On behalf of the Hispanic 100 Foundation, we would like to thank Advantage Communications, Inc and the Hon. Sal Tinajero for their generous support of our upcoming 6th Annual Emilio Rivera Celebrity Golf Classic!

See you on the course!

For more information on this year's event,
please contact:

Michelle Rose, Executive Director
[email protected]

Emilio Rivera
Advantage Communications

🎭 WOW! What a weekend! Our 2026 Mardi Gras Speech and Debate Tournament in Peoria, IL was a massive success! 💜💚💛

This past Saturday, February 21st, the hallways of Trewyn Middle School were buzzing with energy as hundreds of dedicated volunteers and families packed the classrooms to support over 300 of Illinois brilliant young minds for a full day of public speaking and interpretation. Beyond their oratorical talent, their genuine passion for these critical social issues truly resonated with the audience!

🌟This tournament marked an exciting milestone for our program: our first official regional expansion! A total of 12 schools joined us for this tournament, including our most recent partners in the Chicago area. Lincoln Elementary 156 represented Calumet City with absolute excellence, confidence, and professionalism. Competing in an event of this size takes courage and teamwork, and Lincoln showed exactly what they are made of, bringing home 9 total recognitions (3 semifinalists, 6 finalists, and 2 runners-up)!
A special shoutout to Principal Donald, Vice-Principal Turner-Wingba, Board Member Danielle Rivera, and Coach Seneres for working tirelessly to prepare these students for this event!

🏆 Overall Individual Champions of the Tournament
Elementary Declamation: Justice D. (Annie Jo Gordon)

Elementary Informative: Barbie A. (Liberty)

Elementary Original Oratory: Nova B. (Whittier)

Elementary Poetry: Marley H. (Franklin)

Elementary Prose: Langston F. (Trewyn)

Elementary Storytelling: Treasure F. (Trewyn)

Middle School Interpretation: Marvin P. (Trewyn)

Middle School Public Speaking: Lucero Miguel R. (Annie Jo Gordon)

Spanish Interpretation: Virginia Rua G. (Annie Jo Gordon)

Elementary Royal Rumble: Adonis Mozell P. (Von Steuben)

Middle School Royal Rumble: Martin R. (Annie Jo Gordon)

🏫 Team Sweepstakes Results

Elementary Champions:
🥇 1st Place: Trewyn
🥈 2nd Place: Whittier
🥉 3rd Place: Lincoln
🏅 4th Place: Maude Sanders

Middle School Champions:
🥇 1st Place: Annie Jo Gordon
🥈 2nd Place: Sterling
🥉 3rd Place: Glen Oak
🏅 4th Place: Ford Allen

A huge thank you to the families, judges, and school staff who provided such an encouraging environment for our students. Thank you for continuing to support opportunities like speech and debate that build literacy, confidence, critical thinking, and student voice. It takes a village, and we are so grateful for you! 🤝

📸 Check out some highlights and photos from the weekend below! 📅 Mark your calendars: We can’t wait to finish the season strong at our District Championship at Manual High School on April 25th!

Our FSD speechies recently competed in the online Mardi Gras competition 💜💛 Huge congratulations to the Pacific Drive elementary students for their team spirit and awards! 🥳 Next up…. District Champs!

This past Super Bowl Sunday 🏈, WCUSD touched-down in Claremont, CA and competed at the Wolfpack! See how we did below!

🏆Amanda Parra, 3rd Place in MS DEC
🏆Giselle Flowers, 4th Place in MS DI
🏆Salvador Acosta, 5th Place in MS DI
🏆Ayanna Patel, 7th Place in MS OO

Stay tuned to see how the other half of the squad did over in Denver, Colorado! 😉

🎭ALL HANDS ON DECK👫🤓!!READERS THEATRE SCHOLARS PREPARE THIS 2026 SPRING SEMESTER FOR OUR AESD DISTRICT CHAMPS ON APRIL 11TH 🎭!

Our AESD RTE Scholars are back from winter break and more determined than ever to showcase their talents at the tournament. Here’s a look at the dedication and effort from our scholars to better prepare themselves for competition and their futures 🗣️😎!

Stay tuned for more AESD updates as we get closer to the big day! 👀

This year, our HLPUSD High School team’s kicked off the season at the Palos Verdes Peninsula Tournament, our first major and large-scale competition of the new year. Competing against deep and highly competitive fields, our students delivered strong performances across multiple events.
Varsity Programmed Oral Interpretation
• Allison Hernandez – 1st (Los Altos)
• Sarai Daley – 2nd (Los Altos)
• Vianney Rivera Miranda – 5th (Los Altos)

Varsity Dramatic Interpretation
• Sean Gapuzan – 1st (Wilson)
• Sarai Daley – 2nd (Los Altos)
• Brianna Justo – 3rd (Workman)
• Allison Hernandez – 5th (Los Altos)

Varsity Original Oratory
• Samira Daley – 4th place out of 91 entries (Los Altos)
The largest pool at the tournament, making this an especially strong finish.

Great job to all of the students who competed! A strong start to the season and clear momentum moving forward. Now we prepare for Harvard!!