San Antonio, TX, August 28th, 2013 – Prepd, dedicated software for Extemp, launched today in public beta. Prepd has already been working with about a dozen, private beta partners. As of today, any high school or college debate team, or individual competitor, can join Prepd.
Extemporaneous Speaking (or “Extemp”) is a speech and debate event that requires competitors to give speeches on current event topics, with limited preparation.
In the past, extempers would prepare by printing out and filing thousands of news articles from the Internet. However, rule changes by the National Forensic League and many local circuits now allow students to use laptops and tablets to access articles in competition.
These rule changes present an exciting opportunity: Merging the powers of the World Wide Web with Extemp! Today, Prepd is proud to announce its first-to-market status as the only dedicated software solution built specifically for the Extemp community.
Prepd helps extempers research, practice, and compete with a range of features that include the Article Catcher (a Chrome browser widget that saves articles from the Internet), the Dashboard (a web application that organizes articles), the Round Manager (a feature that helps students organize their articles while competing), and the Offline App (essential for use in competition). Moreover, applications for iPads and Android tablets will be available later in the fall.
For coaches, Prepd facilitates learning by serving as an educational supplement. It’s easy for coaches to create and manage their Team. An advanced analytics panel to monitor individual student activity, and a Team Dashboard, will be available in the near future.
Prepd was founded by Ian Panchèvre, a former high school extemper and college debater. During his senior year, Ian placed first at St. Marks, The Glenbrooks, and The University of Texas. Additionally, Ian competed at the MBA Round Robin, placed 4th at the Extemp TOC, and was a semi-finalist at NFL Nationals. Upon graduating high school, Ian enrolled at Yale College. For the past three years, Ian has been managing various technology startups.
“I can’t express how excited I am to build Prepd,” Ian explains. “Extemp taught me about the world, refined my critical thinking and public speaking skills, and lead to lifetime friendships! For me, building Prepd is an opportunity to give back to the community.”
So far, early users of Prepd have enjoyed the product.
“I am very impressed with Prepd,” notes Joseph Johnson, an administrator at the Northeast Independent School District, in San Antonio. “The app addresses several issues associated with building and maintaining a competitive Extemp digital filing software.” Describing the software as “convenient” and “intuitive,” Johnson concludes that Prepd “is a great tool for any Extemp program looking for a better way to manage its files.”
Andrew Adames, an extemper at MacArthur High School, shares Johnson’s sentiment by describing Prepd as “an extemper’s Paradise” that is “smooth, quick, and easy.”
Interested coaches and students should visit www.prepd.in to learn more and to sign up. Questions can be directed to extemp@prepd.in.