Program Overview
You don’t need to be a student or live near a college to hear an intriguing talk from a scholar or expert. In communities throughout Washington State, Speakers Bureau presenters give free public presentations on history, politics, music, philosophy, spiritual traditions, and everything in between.
Our roster of 35 Speakers Bureau presenters is made up of professors, artists, activists, historians, performers, journalists, and others—all chosen not only for their expertise, but also for their ability to inspire discussion with people of all ages and backgrounds. Hundreds of Speakers Bureau events take place each year. Each talk lasts about an hour.
To reach as many Washingtonians as possible, we partner with a wide range of organizations, including libraries, schools, museums, historical societies, retirement homes, community centers, and civic organizations. These organizations host and publicize the events.
Find a Speakers Bureau event near you. We also encourage nonprofit organizations to host a speaker.
Speakers Bureau is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the State of Washington via the Office of the Secretary of State, the Satterberg Foundation, the Women’s History Consortium, The Boeing Company, the Norcliffe Foundation, and generous contributions from other businesses, foundations, and individuals.
Upcoming Events
H2OMG! Making Sense of Water Scarcity in an Insecure World
It feels like not a day goes by without a story in the news that relates to some water issue. Whether it’s lead in schools, drought in California, or dwindling snowpack in Washington, water scarcity is a challenge that needs our attention—now. In this talk led by economist and former Gates Foundation policy maker Rachel […]
- When
- 1:00 pm, Tuesday
November 27, 2018 - Where
- Wesley U / Wesley Homes
816 South 216th St, Terrace Building, Suzanne McCarthy Classroom
Des Moines, WA 98198 United States
This talk is not about the old leftovers in the fridge. It is about food that is so old, so unusual, or so meaningful, that no one dares throw it away. Discover the foods archeologists have found buried with mummies, the petrified banana so appealing it sparked a Banana Museum, the 350-year-old fruitcake handed down […]
- When
- 7:00 pm, Tuesday
November 27, 2018 - Where
- Pacific Science Center PACCAR IMAX Theater
200 2nd Ave N
Seattle, WA 98019 United States
This talk is not about the old leftovers in the fridge. It is about food that is so old, so unusual, or so meaningful, that no one dares throw it away. Discover the foods archeologists have found buried with mummies, the petrified banana so appealing it sparked a Banana Museum, the 350-year-old fruitcake handed down […]
- When
- 10:00 am, Wednesday
November 28, 2018 - Where
- Olympia Senior Center
222 Columbia Street NW
Olympia, WA 98501 United States
What Our Teachers Never Told Us about the American Revolution
Discover the American Revolution you never learned about in school. Why did Native Americans and African Americans support the British? How did a Muslim general come to fight the British with a French ally named Admiral “Satan”? Why did the fighting spread around the world, from Hudson Bay to South America, India to Africa, Arkansas […]
- When
- 3:30 pm, Wednesday
November 28, 2018 - Where
- Skyline Retirement Community
725 9th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104 United States
Emerald Street: Race, Class, Culture, and the History of Hip Hop in the Northwest
From its beginnings in 1979, to Sir Mix-a-lot’s “Posse on Broadway,” to Macklemore, Northwest hip hop has been informed by local history as well as the diversity that defined the scene. Discover the history behind not only the Northwest’s Grammy-winning rappers, but its world champion break dance crew, its internationally read hip-hop magazine, the producers […]
- When
- 12:00 pm, Thursday
November 29, 2018 - Where
- Green River College, Salish Hall Room 110
12401 SE 320th St
Auburn, WA 98092 United States
The Long Haul: Stories of Human Migration
For more than 200,000 years, Homo sapiens have been moving around the planet, sometimes drawn and sometimes driven by a host of natural and man-made forces: drought, floods, crop failure, war, the quest for survival, or the hope of a better future. Examine the roots and the routes of human migration from our beginnings in […]
- When
- 11:00 am, Saturday
December 1, 2018 - Where
- Issaquah Depot
78 First Avenue SE
Issaquah, WA 98027 United States
This talk is not about the old leftovers in the fridge. It is about food that is so old, so unusual, or so meaningful, that no one dares throw it away. Discover the foods archeologists have found buried with mummies, the petrified banana so appealing it sparked a Banana Museum, the 350-year-old fruitcake handed down […]
- When
- 6:00 pm, Monday
December 3, 2018 - Where
- Arlington Library
135 N Washington Avenue
Arlington, WA 98223 United States
This talk is not about the old leftovers in the fridge. It is about food that is so old, so unusual, or so meaningful, that no one dares throw it away. Discover the foods archeologists have found buried with mummies, the petrified banana so appealing it sparked a Banana Museum, the 350-year-old fruitcake handed down […]
- When
- 3:00 pm, Tuesday
December 4, 2018 - Where
- Oak Harbor Library Meeting Room
1000 SE Regatta Dr
Oak Harbor, WA 98277 United States