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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Long Term Care: Don’t Go Broke!
Tom Kedzie CFP®, MBA, Financial Planner, RetireWell
In this presentation you will learn:
* How to protect your house and income.
* What Medicare and Medicaid cover.
* Types of care: home, assisted living, and nursing home.
* How to pay for long term care without paying annual premiums. -
Energy Efficiency, Utility Bills, & Your Home
Kate Shonk, Sustainable Communities Liaison , Citizens Utility Board (CUB)
Wouldn’t it be great to do your part to save the environment, and save money at the same time? Here in Illinois, it’s possible--thanks to a number of statewide policies that CUB fought long and hard for. In this talk, I’ll give you the lowdown on how you can benefit from cost saving energy efficiency programs. MORE >
CUB is a non-profit, statewide utility watchdog organization created in 1983 to work for lower gas, electric and telephone rates. CUB has been on your side for 30 years—blocking utility rate hikes, winning consumer refunds and helping to pass important consumer protection laws. Our outreach team has spoken at hundreds of community meetings across Illinois and would love to come to yours!Please note that depending on my availability, another one of our trained outreach staff may take my place as speaker at your meeting, but I will confirm when you contact me.
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Rising Economic Inequality: how much, why it happens, why it matters, and what we can do about it.
Ed Spire, Co-lead, Restore our Democracy Project, NWSOFA-Indivisible
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.
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Section 3 of the 14th Amendment – how it applies today
Ed Spire, Co-lead, Restore our Democracy Project, NWSOFA-Indivisible
What does section 3 of the fourteenth amendment to the US constitution say? Why was it created? Does it apply to Trump?, Why and how are states applying it?, Defenses:, Legal opinions, How will SCOTUS respond?, What does it mean to us? These are the topics covered in this very timely presentation.
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How To Think and Act Decisively!
Will (William) Ramey, President, ABBA Teaching Institute
A leader that is respected by his peers demonstrates phenomenal qualities. Normally a leader that garners such attention is respected in and outside of the organization in which they lead. My program will show leaders the various leadership styles available then help them craft an effective leadership style. MORE >
Participants will learn: the four common leadership styles, surefire solutions to end timid behavior, and several reasons leaders fail at decisiveness. -
Teaching civics – how are we doing – how can we do better
Ed Spire, Co-lead, Restore our Democracy Project, NWSOFA-Indivisible
Our national report card shows that we are not doing a good job teaching US history and civics, and that is not preparing our students to be active citizens, helping to guide our nation in directions that are useful for them. MORE >
This presentation looks into these issues, and focuses on the newly created Educating for American Democracy Roadmap, which points the way to improving this important area of education. -
A Consumer’s Guide to Going Solar
Kate Shonk, Sustainable Communities Liaison , Citizens Utility Board (CUB)
Are you interested in going solar? Learn if solar is right for your home and how to get the most value out of your solar system from consumer advocate experts. In 2019, CUB staffers gave over 70 solar presentations, and we are excited to answer all your solar questions! MORE >
CUB is very excited about new solar incentives available to homeowners in Illinois. However, we know that with all the new advertising and high pressure sales pitches it can be confusing to know what is best for you. At this presentation we will go over solar basics, including:
---why now is the best time yet to go solar,
---how solar panels work with your home and the grid,
---an overview of state and federal incentives,
---why it is almost always better to purchase, rather than lease solar panels.Please note that depending on my availability, another one of our trained outreach staff may take my place as speaker at your meeting, but I will confirm when you contact me.
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Get it SOLD with Home Staging
GraceAnn Simoni, President & Premier Home Stager, Staging Redesign Group Inc.
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 a little into the house? MORE >
Staging a home results in fewer days on the market and a higher selling price. Be one step ahead of the competition. Learn how to stage your home today! Get it ready now before even calling the Realtor!What can be done to get your house ready for little or no money?
From the curb to the back door!
What home Staging is and what it is not.
What are buyers in this market looking for in their new home?
How to shorten the time on the market and get the best offers. -
Increasing Political Polarization and what we can do about it
Ed Spire, Co-lead, Restore our Democracy Project, NWSOFA-Indivisible
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 special election, utilizing a nonpartisan primary and a ranked choice voting general election, as an example of how to promote more moderate legislators and a more productive legislature. MORE >
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Demonstrating and Teaching Mental Math Methods
Cliff Petrak, Retired Teacher, Brother Rice High School
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!