Speakers
Speakers

Speakers in the Schools

The New York Council for the Humanities’ Speakers in the Schools program offers FREE top-notch lectures by a renowned and diverse group of scholars on a wide variety of humanities subjects to high school communities across New York State.

If your application is successful, the Council will cover all costs associated with the program, including the Speaker’s honorarium and travel expenses.

Commemorative Lectures

Explore the Council's list of lectures commemorating the anniversaries of:

How to apply to host a lecture

Select a Lecture/ Speaker
Browse lecture listings to find the right topic for your students, school community and curriculum.
Find a Lecture/Speaker >

Contact the Speaker to arrange a date and time
Directly contact the Speaker you have selected to establish a mutually agreed upon date and time for the lecture presentation.
Browse Speaker directory >

Apply to the Council
Once you have selected a lecture and confirmed a date and a time with the Speaker, submit the Speakers in the Schools application.
Apply >

Plan your event
As soon as you receive notice of Council approval, start planning your event, including pre- and post-lecture activities.
View Planning Tips >

Submit Follow-Up Evaluation
It is required to submit an online evaluation within three (3) weeks following your event.
Program Evaluation >

Need more information about Speakers in the Schools?
View answers to Frequently Asked Questions >

 

Speakers in the Schools is made possible by funding from the New York State Legislature.

The Council is proud to partner with the New York State Historical Association's New York State History Day to support the humanities and education in schools and cultural institutions statewide.

Celebrate the Fourth of July with an American History Topic

Let Loose the Dogs of War: New York in the American Civil War

Robert W. Arnold III
New York supplied more men, money and material in the Civil War than any other state. New Yorkers went to war in many ways.

The Need for Civility in Contentious Times

Timothy J. Madigan
How can people with differing opinions engage in respectful discussions with each other in a society that seems to be increasingly polarized?

Offer a series of Medicine, Science and Technology lectures in August

Antonio Meucci, True Inventor of the Telephone

Tony De Nonno
Antonio Meucci (1808-1889), an Italian immigrant to New York, has been denied his rightful place in history as the true inventor of the telephone.

Life Speeds Up: Robert Fulton and a Changing New York

Robert W. Arnold III
When Robert Fulton docked his steamboat in Albany in 1807, he hadn't made just a voyage; he'd made history. The advent of steam-driven machinery meant that people need no longer rely solely on "natural" forces - muscle, wind, and water - to power their lives.