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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Rethinking the Colonizing of North America
Mark McGarvie, J.D., Ph.D.,, Retired Professor of History and Law, College of William and Mary
Request This Free SpeechEuropean 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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Creating A Private Sector: Contract Law & The Constitutional Protection of the Right of Conscience
Mark McGarvie, J.D., Ph.D.,, Retired Professor of History and Law, College of William and Mary
Request This Free SpeechProfessor 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. MORE >
In this presentation, Professor McGarvie will explain how the separation of church and state resulted from the Founders' creation of a private sector through the contract clause of the Constitution. Contract law revolutionized the relationships between citizens and their governments. Placing religion in the private sector required its separation from government and the removal of churches from performing public functions in education, poor relief, and record keeping, for which they had responsibility in the colonial era. -
The New Women: From Gibson Girls to Flappers in the early 1900s
Mark McGarvie, J.D., Ph.D.,, Retired Professor of History and Law, College of William and Mary
Request This Free SpeechIn 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 suffrage and the free expression existing several years later in the flapper movement. MORE >
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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
Request This Free SpeechProfessor 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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Navigating Solar Options
Ivonne Rychwa, Director of Outreach, Citizens Utility Board (CUB)
Request This Free SpeechA 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. MORE >
During this presentation, you will receive information on: how solar panels work with your home and the grid, an overview of state and federal incentives, how consumers can benefit from renewable energy, and programs like Community Solar and Illinois Solar for All. -
Cable Options and Reducing Robocalls
Ivonne Rychwa, Director of Outreach, Citizens Utility Board (CUB)
Request This Free SpeechA 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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Decarbonizing Your Home
Ivonne Rychwa, Director of Outreach, Citizens Utility Board (CUB)
Request This Free SpeechCUB 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 money
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Home Energy Savings Presentation
Ivonne Rychwa, Director of Outreach, Citizens Utility Board (CUB)
Request This Free SpeechLearn 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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Understanding Project 2025
Ed Spire, Co-lead, Restore our Democracy Project, NWSOFA-Indivisible
Request This Free SpeechProject 2025 is a huge document. It's very difficult to consume and understand. This presentation makes details available, but focuses more on HOW they intend to implement these unpopular policies, showing that their methods themselves are a direct attack on our Democracy.
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The Shifting Balance: Supreme Court Rulings and Their Impact on American Democracy
Ed Spire, Co-lead, Restore our Democracy Project, NWSOFA-Indivisible
Request This Free SpeechThe 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. MORE >
Presidential Immunity and Accountability: One of the most consequential rulings was the Court's decision on presidential immunity. In a 6-3 judgment, the Court ruled that former President Donald Trump could be tried for actions taken as a candidate, but not for those taken while in office.Federal Regulatory Authority: In another significant ruling, the Court limited the regulatory authority of federal agencies. By overturning a precedent that had guided federal regulations for decades, the Court has made it easier for regulations to be challenged in court.
Gun Control and the Second Amendment: The Supreme Court also made headlines with its decision to send several gun control cases back to lower courts for reconsideration. This move followed a major ruling that expanded Second Amendment rights, allowing for broader interpretations of gun ownership and use.
Implications for American Democracy: These rulings collectively reflect a shift towards a more conservative interpretation of the law. The impact on American democracy is profound; will undoubtedly shape the future of American democracy for years to come.
This presentation details the problems that SCOTUS is causing for our nation, and discusses what we can do about it.