What is the National Memory Master Competition?
National Memory Master is a nationwide competition for Classical Conversations students, ages eleven to thirteen, to encourage and celebrate achievements in Foundations memory work each year. This culminates in a national championship between sixteen finalists with the chance to win $10,000. The 2025 championship will be held in Southern Pines, North Carolina, on May 16, 2025.
At the national championship, finalists compete for the title of National Memory Master by reciting memory work from all three cycles, crafting and presenting story prompts, and drawing a world map from memory.
To be eligible for the national competition, students must:
- be twelve years old by September 30, 2025 and in their final year of Foundations,
- have successfully proofed as Memory Master for the current academic year and at least once during a previous year,
- submit a video using the 2025 prompt (available January 23rd) and instructions found in the 2025 NMM Rule Book,
- fulfill additional requirements listed in the 2025 NMM Rule Book.
National
Memory Master
2025 SCHEDULE
- January 23rd, 2025: Director Deadline
Directors’ deadline to complete the standard Memory Master proof for prospective competitors. - January 23rd, 2025: Prompt Release
The official prompt is released at 10:00 a.m. EST on the Classical Conversations website, NMM page. - January 30th, 2025: Submission Open
Entry video upload period begins at 10:00 a.m. EST.
- February 6th, 2025: Submission Close
Entry video upload period ends at 10:00 p.m. EST. - February 20th, 2025: Finalists Notified
Sixteen finalists will be chosen to advance to the championship. All entrants will be contacted. - March 6th, 2025: Finalists Announced
The sixteen finalists will be announced at 10:00 a.m. on the Classical Conversations website, NMM page.
- May 16th, 2025: Competition Day
The finalists compete at the championship preceding the 2025 CC National Commencement in North Carolina. The 2025 champion will be announced, and all finalists will be recognized during the Family Celebration evening.
How does your student compete in NMM?
- Read the 2025 National Memory Master Rulebook and view the National Memory Master schedule.
- Determine if your student meets the eligibility requirements.
- Complete the proofing requirements by January 23, 2025.
- Students wishing to compete in the National Memory Master competition must complete a proof of the current Foundations cycle with their local licensed community Director.
- Unlike the standard Memory Master proof which takes place around Foundations week 24, students must proof by the scheduled deadline, closer to week 12.
- Create your student’s video using the official NMM prompt.
- The 2025 prompt will be released on January 23, 2025.
- Video Guidelines can be found in the 2025 NMM Rule Book and must be properly followed.
- For examples of entry videos, visit the NMM 2024 Finalists page.
- Submit your student’s video and entrance form.
- Prerecorded videos are submitted to our private launch pad site during the video submission period (January 30–February 6, 2025).
- Submissions should be accompanied by the “National Memory Master Entrance Form,” which can be found on the National Memory Master website upon the opening of the submission period.
- More submission details can be found in the 2025 NMM Rule Book.
- Wait for notification.
- A panel of judges reviews each video submission, specifically assessing clarity in speech, creativity, accuracy, and adherence to video guidelines. Sixteen finalists will be chosen to advance to the championship.
- The sixteen finalists will be publicly announced on March 6, 2025, at ClassicalConversations.com/NMM and on the Classical Conversations social media accounts. Only first names and states will be shared.
- The National Memory Master team will contact all competitors not advancing to the championship by email.
- The National Memory Master team will contact the sixteen finalists via phone call and send more information by email.
Congratulations to the 2024 National Memory Master Champion, Ewan from Texas!
Humorous, informative, and inspirational describe the entries for this year’s competition. The hard work and effort of each student and parent were evident in every submission we received. From the exceptional pool of entries, the judges carefully chose our top 16 student competitors to attend the Championship.
On May 2, 2024, these outstanding students competed for the title of National Memory Master Champion. Following a tough competition, Ewan emerged as the winner!
Ewan and his family have participated in the Foundations program for ten years, and have dedicated many hours to memorizing facts and the timeline from all three Foundations cycles. Like our other 15 finalists, Ewan delighted us at this year’s Championship. He blew our judges away with his ability to recall information, recite the Timeline, however asked, and draw a detailed map of the world.
Congratulations to everyone who entered this year’s competition! In our eyes, you are each a winner in your own right, having achieved Memory Master this year. Whether you proofed for Memory Master, submitted a video entry, came to the 2024 Championship, or won, we’re cheering you on from the whole Classical Conversations community!
General Questions
