The City of Indianola Parks & Recreation will host historian John Liepa on February 23, 2026 at 1 p.m. for an engaging look at Iowa’s immigration history. From the state’s earliest Indigenous peoples to waves of European settlers, African Americans, Hispanics, and more recent immigrant communities, Liepa traces the diverse stories that have shaped Iowa’s […]

O.J. Fargo dresses in full Union Army regalia and focuses the first person presentation on an individual Iowa soldier’s Civil War experience. After a brief overview of the state’s involvement, the audience is introduced to a returning Civil War veteran (played by O. J. Fargo). He will detail the experiences of an Iowan during the […]

Join Storm Lake High School for Open Book, a dialogue-centered program that invites participants to reflect on history, culture, and civic life through conversations with culture bearers from their own communities. This program is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. […]

The Polk County Conservation Board will host Larry Stone on March 3, 2026 for a Humanities Iowa Speakers Bureau program. A longtime journalist, author, and nature photographer, Stone draws on decades of experience exploring Iowa’s outdoors to share the beauty and history of the state’s natural resources. His presentation, Iowa: Portrait of the Land, is […]

Join the Jesup Public Library for the Speakers Bureau presentation AI and the Human Future by Scott Samuelson. This presentation focuses on the big moral and political issues surrounding artificial intelligence. What exactly is AI? Can it make our lives and our communities better, or is it going to take all our jobs and kill […]

Join Grinnell College for Open Book, a dialogue-centered program that invites participants to reflect on history, culture, and civic life through conversations with culture bearers from their own communities. This program is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative […]

Join the Coralville Public Library for an Open Book program featuring Stefanie Kaylor and Sylvia Nemmers, two Iowans sharing powerful personal stories about identity and living authentically. In Life on Two Spectrums, Stefanie Kaylor reflects on recognizing and embracing her identities as both autistic and queer, weaving together the challenges of self-acceptance with the joy […]

The Greene County Historical Society will host Civil War historian O.J. Fargo on March 8, 2026 at 2 p.m. for a first-person presentation that brings history to life. Appearing in full Union Army uniform, Fargo portrays an Iowa soldier returning from the war, sharing vivid stories of battlefield experiences and the challenges of daily life […]

Old barns are more than just functional farm buildings—they’re living symbols of Iowa’s agricultural heritage. In this engaging Humanities Iowa Speakers Bureau presentation, Rich Tyler explores the stories our barns tell about community, craftsmanship, and change. Drawing from his own experience restoring the historic Secrest farmstead and octagonal barn near West Branch, Tyler delves into […]

Join the Historical Society of Marshall County on March 10, 2026 for a Speakers Bureau program featuring author Beth Hoffman. After leaving a career in San Francisco to take up farming in Iowa, Hoffman experienced firsthand the challenges facing today’s farmers. Her book, Bet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America, […]

Join historian and Simpson College professor Chad W. Timm for a fascinating look at a little-known chapter of Iowa history. During World War II, thousands of German, Italian, and Japanese prisoners of war were housed in the United States—including at two Iowa camps in Algona and Clarinda. Dr. Timm explores how these POWs came to […]

Join LACES at the Independence Public Library for the Speakers Bureau presentation “Response to Coop, the Story of an Amish Conscientious Objector” by Mary Swander. Mary Swander will discuss her writing process and the research that went into her new drama called Coop. She will explain object theatre and why she embraced it for this work. […]