Program Overview
We are currently offering both online and in-person Speakers Bureau events. Find an event near you, or learn how to host a Speakers Bureau event.
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 over 30 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.
To reach as many Washingtonians as possible, we partner with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, including libraries, schools, museums, historical societies, community centers, and civic organizations. Any nonprofit organization is welcome to apply 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, and the Thomas S. Foley Institute of Public Policy and Public Service at Washington State University, and generous contributions from other businesses, foundations, and individuals.
Upcoming Online Events
ONLINE: Should We Build “Better” Humans?
Should we use biotechnology to make humans “better?” Gene editing, pharmaceuticals, and computer tissue implants, among other interventions, will soon be used not just to treat problems, but to enhance human abilities. Everything from our physical capacities to our emotions, intelligence, and personalities could soon be enhanced or altered according to our wants—or the wants […]
- When
- 6:30 pm, Wednesday
July 28, 2021 - Register
- Click here to register
ONLINE: Drag Culture: Beyond Entertainment
Typically held at bars and nightclubs, drag is a form of entertainment in which a performer uses clothing and makeup to impersonate a particular gender identity, usually of the opposite sex. Yet drag is so much more than nightclub entertainment—it provides community, instills self-confidence, and can even save lives. Join drag king performer Ceasar Hart […]
- When
- 12:00 pm, Thursday
July 29, 2021 - Register
- Click here to register
ONLINE: After the Blast: Mount St. Helens 40 Years Later
On May 18, 1980, the world watched in awe as Mount St. Helens erupted, killing 57 people and causing hundreds of square miles of destruction. Everyone thought it would take ages for life to return to the mountain, but scientists who visited soon after were stunned to find plants sprouting up through the ash and […]
- When
- 11:00 am, Friday
July 30, 2021 - Register
- Click here to register
ONLINE: Humanity in Print: Literature and Human Rights
We don’t extend human rights to people we don’t see as fully human. So how do we develop empathy for those we view as alien or inhuman? One way is through literature, which takes us inside the lives and actions of others. By instilling empathy, and by giving voice to cries for justice, literature forms […]
- When
- 11:00 am, Saturday
July 31, 2021 - Register
- Click here to register
Why write about uncomfortable experiences? And why share them with others? Writing a collection of poetry about trauma was never a dream of Chelsey Richardson’s, but she did want to be a writer, and expressing her pain through writing gave her a tool for self-love, joy, and liberation. In this writing workshop, Richardson fuses the […]
- When
- 2:00 pm, Tuesday
August 3, 2021 - Register
- Click here to register
ONLINE: Tell Your Story: The Power of the Personal Essay
Our life stories are a means for connection—a tender offering in a troubled era. Part reportage and part reflection, personal essays can reveal hidden truths about ourselves, our families, and our societies. In this interactive and generative writing workshop, Kristen Millares Young will help participants tell their own stories. Available in English and Spanish, each […]
- When
- 4:00 pm, Tuesday
August 3, 2021 - Register
- Click here to register
ONLINE: One Second of Hate: A Story of Forgiveness
“Where are you from?”, his attacker asked before shooting Rais Bhuiyan during a killing spree in Texas shortly after 9/11. The attacker, a white supremacist, had been hunting for “Arabs” and perceived Muslims, though not one of his victims turned out to be from the Middle East. Despite being shot in the face, Bhuiyan survived, […]
- When
- 6:30 pm, Tuesday
August 10, 2021 - Register
- Click here to register
ONLINE: How Audio Technology Changed the World
Although we live in a visual world, audio still has the power to create intimacy and spark the imagination like no other medium can. Veteran broadcaster Ross Reynolds explores the impact that audio transmission has had on society and storytelling, beginning with the first century of radio up to the modern age of audiobooks, internet […]
- When
- 6:00 pm, Wednesday
August 11, 2021 - Register
- Click here to register