Free Educational Topics in Chicago
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3: Browse for a topic, Click the orange request button, Fill out the contact form.
Now the speaker will contact you in the next few days to coordinate details.
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Democracy Under Duress
Ed Spire, Co-lead, Restore our Democracy Project, NWSOFA-Indivisible
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 wishes to stop this transition. MORE >
We will discuss why this is happening, and what we need to change in our governmental structures to alleviate this attack on our democracy.And we must address these very thorny issues, starting now. Because the US will become a multi-racial democracy - or it won't be a democracy any more.
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Don’t Pay the College Sticker Price!
Joseph Orsolini, President, College Aid Planners, Inc.
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.
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Why the Student Loan Bubble is Now Your Problem
Joseph Orsolini, President, College Aid Planners, Inc.
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.
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Exploring Careers with a Social Impact
Matt Kinnich, CEO, Roland, Ruth & Mitchell
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: MORE >
• 1-2 things you hope to get out of today’s presentation
• Matt’s social impact career journey
• What are you Passionate about?
• What are your Strengths?
• Passions & Strengths – what’s the intersection?
• How do I explore options & opportunities?
• Individual/Group questions
• What actions am I willing to do next? -
Home Energy Savings Presentation
Ivonne Rychwa, Director of Outreach, Citizens Utility Board (CUB)
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.
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Our Culture Wars: Intellectual Roots and Historical Precedents
Mark McGarvie, J.D., Ph.D.,, Retired Professor of History and Law, College of William and Mary
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 their predecessors? MORE >
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Planning for Old Age is Fun! Said No One Ever.
Renee N. Duba, Founder, Sonder Private Wealth Management
"Live fast and hard, die young and have a good looking carcass!" Noel Duba, my father. MORE >
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 audience members with a complete guide to establishing a plan for aging that will support family and caregivers should the time come. We will cover the legal, financial and other issues that make up the components of a good plan. -
Rethinking the Colonizing of North America
Mark McGarvie, J.D., Ph.D.,, Retired Professor of History and Law, College of William and Mary
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 and the European explorers in the 16th - 18th centuries. MORE >
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How to Create Resilient Equitable Communities in a COVID-19 World
Kelwin Harris, Urban Planning, Race, Civic Engagement Speaker
Our cities face serious threats; growth is uneven; neighborhoods are struggling; and streets are erupting in protest as COVID-19 has made existing inequalities worse. Now more than ever, we must address racial equity and provide strategies for prosperity for the good of everyone. Drawing from his experience as a community leader on the South Side of Chicago and as an urban planner, Kelwin Harris uses an equity lens to discuss multiple facets of systemic racism that persist and offers strategies and interventions for the road ahead. MORE >
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Cable Options and Reducing Robocalls
Ivonne Rychwa, Director of Outreach, Citizens Utility Board (CUB)
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.
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