Program Spotlight: Speakers
August 27, 2025
by Rebecca Olsen, PhD, Senior Programs Officer
“The humanities” are difficult to succinctly define. It’s a perpetual—and frustrating—problem for state humanities councils, humanities scholars and students, and anyone working in a humanities field aiming to communicate what unites us. How do we use just a few words to describe something that encompasses so many subjects, so many ideas?
Our Speakers program doesn’t try to define. It demonstrates. Or, rather, it celebrates the broad array of subjects and knowledge that fall under the “humanities” umbrella. Do you want to learn something new? The possibilities are endless! Whether you have specific interests you seek out, you’re open to anything, or you’re hoping to encounter something unexpected, our Speakers program has you covered.
Attend one of our Speaker programs and you might learn about the origins of the Star-Spangled Banner, or the impact of pollution on river ecosystems. You might hear an artist discuss the cultural traditions of folk art and demonstrate her painting techniques. You might hear a poet read his work and walk attendees through the rich history of Black leaders and philosophers upon whom he draws.
There’s no shortage of programs where you might learn Delaware-specific history, if that’s your goal, and some of that history might surprise you. You can learn about how Route 40 is connected to Cold War tensions and the Civil Rights movement, or about how a murder-by-mail plot that poisoned Delawareans through chocolate lead to a scandal, a complex legal case, and changes to the postal system. And this is just a tiny fraction of the offerings.
Our Speakers program (once called the Speakers Bureau) is our longest-running, most popular program. Close to two hundred Delaware Humanities Speaker programs take place each year, at libraries, community centers, senior centers, K-12 classrooms, and other organizations across Delaware. Speakers give presentations on (to list just a few of the many subjects) history, culture, literature, ethics, anthropology, language, civics, the environment, and everything in between. There’s something for everyone.
Working with our Speakers is one of the joys of my position. Our Speakers are authors, educators, historians, scholars, artists, anthropologists, even scientists whose work intersects with the humanities. Each Speaker’s own work experience, research skills, and individual perspectives add richness to the topics they share. I learn something new every time I hear one of our Speakers present.
Nancy E. Lynch, whose current programs “Vietnam Mailbag” and “The Real Women: Veterans of Vietnam” (inspired by Kristin Hannah’s historical fiction novel The Women) are among our most popular Speaker programs in the last two years. Nancy shares:
“As a Speaker with Delaware Humanities for the past 16 years, I have traveled the First State extensively, from Claymont to Selbyville, Lewes to Laurel. I have connected with hundreds of Delawareans on this journey, hopefully imparting knowledge and clarity in my subject area as they continue to gift me their support and share their experiences.”
Nancy touches on the other side of the program’s impact—what audiences bring to each event. Vibrant discussion at Speaker programs connects audience members in ways that are both organic and a testament to our Speakers’ abilities forming connections with audiences of different ages, backgrounds, interests, and experiences.
In April, we were forced to pause all requests for programs due to the sudden loss of our National Endowment for the Humanities funding. All summer, we heard from our community partners, asking if the Speakers program would be coming back, when it might reopen, how soon they could begin hosting programs again. They shared with us how important the program has been to their community—messages that served as buoys in a difficult year for humanities work.
Carla Grygiel, Executive Director at the Newark Senior Center, shared that the program has allowed the center “to provide informative, educational and entertaining programs to broaden the horizons of members of our community.” By her estimate, “hundreds of individuals have attended these presentations over the years to try to gain a better understanding of both historical and present-day events.” Katie Rivera, their Program Director, called the program “a treasured resource” whose speakers “are knowledgeable and passionate about so many topics that our community members find interesting.” Lauren McCauley, Director at the Rehoboth Beach Public Library, emphasized that “with the cost of living going up, it is especially important that people have access to free educational opportunities.” We couldn’t agree more.
In evaluating our capacities after this huge funding change, we prioritized reopening our Speakers program as soon as we were able. Its broad array of subjects, wide-reaching impact across our state, and longstanding popularity made this an easy decision. Thanks to funding from the State of Delaware’s Grant in Aid program and a generous private donation, we were able to reopen the program in mid-August. And we’ll soon be announcing new programs that will join our catalogue for 2026—we can’t wait to share them with you. Even when the humanities are deprioritized and defunded, the hunger for learning does not wane.
Browse Speaker programs or request a Speaker program for your site.
Interested in becoming a Delaware Humanities Speaker? We hold auditions annually. The next call for applications will go out in spring 2026.