Free Speakers Chicago is a pro bono speakers bureau. These Educational presentations are given free by local guest speakers to Rotary clubs, public libraries, schools, senior living communities and businesses across Chicagoland. There are no fees, no honorarium and no mileage costs.
If you thought the student loan bubble was only a Millennial problem, think again! The trillion dollar student loan bubble is bursting. This eye-opening program details the depth of this country’s student loan crisis, how it is spreading beyond the millennial generation, and why it is becoming your problem as well.
The US Supreme Court is not just ensuring the laws are applied properly, and that they are constitutional, but the court is enacting policies they think are useful for our country - whether they are based on our constitution or not. Presidential Immunity and Accountability: One of the most consequential rulings was the Court's decision on presidential immunity. In a
The program will highlight the three key areas of opportunity to reduce the overall cost of a college education. The presentation will focus on strategies to maximize need-based financial aid eligibility, target the right colleges for merit-based financial aid, and exploit tax-saving opportunities.
Right-wing populism is rising in many western nations, but here in the US it is beginning to actually threaten our democracy. This presentation points out why this is happening uniquely here in the US: Because the country is becoming a true multi-racial democracy, a transformation that no other country is undergoing. And the US constitution actually empowers the minority that
Learn about your energy choices and ways to save money on your utility bills. During this presentation we will go over: Understanding your utility bills, Your energy choices, Energy efficiency programs that can help consumers save energy and money, and Solar options.
Selling your home now or in the future. When you’re ready to put you house on the market will you know where to start? Do you think the Realtor will do everything for you? Does the thought of getting your home ready for the buyer’s critical eye scare you? Are you willing to take a price reduction rather than investing
Professor McGarvie describes the development of pragmatism in the early 19th century as a critique of the individualistic and rights-oriented ideology of the Enlightenment. Pragmatism served as the basis for the first progressive movement, which was ultimately repudiated in the ascension of the Coolidge, Harding, and Hoover Republicans in the 1920s. How are today's progressives repeating the political errors of
This presentation is for individuals, teams and/or organizations that want to explore careers with a social impact. The presentation is a combination of Matt’s social impact journey and an interactive workshop for participants. Participants will engage in the following: • 1-2 things you hope to get out of today’s presentation • Matt’s social impact career journey • What are you
Join Terry as he takes you on a journey to another place and another time. The place is the Four Corners region of the U.S. and the time is a thousand years ago. On this journey we will visit such storied places as Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Hovenweep. Discover how this remarkable culture flourished, changed, and survived in the
"10 Secrets for Raising Innovative Children" describes what parents can do to help their children build upon their natural tendencies to be innovative while offering a buffer to the potential damage they'll experience when they begin their formal education at age 5. There is significant evidence that from age 5 to age 20 the typical person experiencing the traditional US
The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 or HIPAA is a federal law that sets rules about who can view and receive your Protected Health Information or PHI. This law gives you rights over your health information and when it can be shared. In addition, HIPAA requires your physicians, pharmacists and other health care providers, and your health
Learn to master a multitude of little-known, super-shortcut computational methods involving addition, subtraction, fractions, squaring and multiplication. Unfortunately, our country consistently finishes among the bottom third of industrialized countries in the annual mental math competition for students. Learning these strategies and methods will leave your calculator-dependent friends in the dust!
"Live fast and hard, die young and have a good looking carcass!" Noel Duba, my father. It really does seem as though no one plans for what may happen as they age. If you have ever cared for an aging parent, then you know how important having a plan for aging can be. This fun, somewhat irreverent talk will provide
In the early days of the 20th century, New Women caused a media sensation in newspapers and magazines by threatening standards of sexual propriety, living alone while single, pursuing careers, and engaging in politics even before given the right to vote. These college-educated young women in their 20s forced a reconsideration of sexual roles in America that contributed to women's
School leaders are often asked to attend one more training, one more initiative, one more workshop—while already running on empty. This is different. A restorative, practical experience designed to help school leaders exhale, reconnect with themselves, and leave feeling lighter than they arrived. Through reflection, nervous system reset tools, meaningful connection, and realistic strategies for boundaries and sustainability, participants receive
The presentation will focus on strategies to target colleges for merit-based financial aid. Armed with this understanding and knowledge of the college aid process, a college education may become more affordable.
For years, warnings about democratic erosion could feel abstract. Under Donald Trump, authoritarian tactics — attacks on institutions, personal rule through decree, aggressive tariff wars, and now the extreme deployment of military force — have become concrete. That concreteness is frightening many citizens, elites, and institutions into action, both in the US and in Europe. Come learn how this is
European colonialism recently has been presented, both popularly and scholastically, as an evil that decimated native populations, destroyed native cultures, precipitated extensive wars, and caused irreparable environmental harm. Avoiding judgment in favor of understanding, Professor McGarvie will develop the context for European discovery of the New World in the intellectual, technological, political, and cultural contexts of both the Native Americans
this presentation addresses the problem of unlimited political money corrupting our democracy. We explain the problem clearly, and discuss the causes and possible solutions, including steps that we can take in our own communities to begin addressing this structural problem in our country. The presentation is non-partisan and brings issues to light which are of concern across the aisle.
A presentation about your cable options and reducing robocalls. During the program, a CUB representative will discuss: The different choices in the TV market, ways to cut your cable costs, streaming services available to consumers, how to avoid common robocall scams, call-blocking services and what they mean for your pocket, and new federal legislation passed helping to reduce robocalls.
Every decade, increasing gerrymandering has created more and more "safe seats", which have resulted in more and more extreme legislators on both sides of the aisle - creating a legislature where compromise is impossible, and very little legislative progress ensures. This presentation shows why this happens, and what we can do about it, using the recent example of the Alaska
CUB will dive into ways renters and homeowners can access energy efficiency and cost-saving programs and appliances. During this presentation, you will receive information on: Building Decarbonization, The benefits of building electrification, New tax credits and rebates for home energy improvements available through the Inflation Reduction Act, Alternatives to gas appliances, and Free programs designed to save you energy and
There's been a lot of discussion lately about tighter regulations on assault weapons like the AR-15. If we are going to regulate these weapons, we will need a legal definition describing them. And instead of a definition that depends upon specific configurations or cosmetic appearance, we propose a definition based on the factors that make this class of weapons so
Professor McGarvie is considered one of our leading authorities on the separation of church and state. His ground-breaking thesis articulated in 2004 with the publication of One Nation Under Law has gained tremendous support and led to invitations to write successor volumes and essays for both Oxford and Cambridge University Presses and to speak on the subject across the country.
In "Deportation Nation: America's Immigration Crossroads," Ed will analyze unprecedented changes in federal immigration policy, shedding light on how these actions impact families, communities, and the very fabric of our society. The Trump administration's approach to immigration marks a sharp departure from historic norms. With an enormous escalation in funding directed at enforcement measures, the federal debt continues to rise
A presentation on solar and the benefits of clean energy. Listen to a CUB expert explain different solar programs and incentives you can get involved in, why clean energy is more affordable and reliable, and how policies like CEJA (Climate and Equitable Jobs Act) and the Inflation Reduction Act benefit consumers. During this presentation, you will receive information on: how
This presentation focuses on Trump's tariffs and their impact on our country - not only the economic consequences, but also how they play out in the larger picture of trade, manufacturing, and everyday costs for families. In addition to exploring the topic of tariffs, Ed Spire will be sharing a look "behind the scenes" at how he use social media
Ever choose the perfect paint color only to realize it does not look the same on your walls? Why? Understand more about color, the new light bulbs and how they effect color. Discover how light outside and inside you home effects paint color.
Economic inequality has been rising in the US for decades, damaging our economy and society in the process. This presentation will discuss how high it has become, why it happens, how it damages our country, and what we can do about it.
For most families college tuition is the largest expense they will face. Unfortunately, many families go into this stage in life uninformed and unprepared. Learn strategies that enable families of all income levels (not just low or moderate‐income) to make a college education more affordable and less of a financial burden.
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