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.
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 >
Follow-Up
Submit your Lecture Coordinator Evaluation.
Access Coordinator Admin >
Speakers in the Schools is made possible by funding from the New York State Legislature.
Prepare a May lecture series in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Longing and Belonging: The Idea of Home in Asian American LiteratureLuis H. FranciaAsian-American writers often explore the tension of being both an American and an outsider.. Learn more about how contemporary authors including Maxine Hong Kingston, Chang Rae Lee, and Jumpa Lahiri re-imagine notions of home, tradition, sexuality, history, and memory in their stories and novels, to forge a unique place for Asian-Americans in American culture. |
The Ethnic Musicals: Assimilation and IntegrationMarc CourtadeSome musicals of the 1960's and 1970's feature ethnic groups and weave them into the American Musical format. Do they hold up over time? |
Map out a series in June on New York State History
Only a Pond: The Story of Earth in a Drop of Still WaterMatthew C. AllyIt’s just some water in the woods. But look carefully and you might see a reflection of our place in nature. Look a little deeper, and you may catch a glimpse of a sustainable future. |
Life Speeds Up: Robert Fulton and a Changing New YorkRobert W. Arnold IIIWhen Robert Fulton docked his steamboat at the Watering Place in Albany in 1807, there was suddenly and for the first time in history a motive power in addition to muscle, wind, and water – steam power. Fulton didn't just make a voyage. He made history. |
Don't see what you're looking for? Apply for funding to create your own program. Read more >
Become a humanities supporter! Your generous contribution to the New York Council for the Humanities will help benefit over one million New Yorkers eager to engage with ideas that shape who we are and how we live.
