Click here to submit your application online!

If you prefer to mail it, download the writeable PDF here. 

"...several years ago I performed for a small library in Marshall, IL. Marshall is a very small town in Eastern Illinois that faces the same economic hardships that many rural communities do these days. I was told that this was the first live programming this library ever presented...I knew that this could be a fairly bleak situation, with tiny attendance. Much to my surprise, the library was filled to well over capacity with the audience spilling outside the building. People had come all the way from Indiana...On that day, I felt that I and the IHC had accomplished something very important." 

 -Chris Vallillo, IHC Road Scholar

About our Speakers: 

 At the IHC Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, our scholars are musicians, professors, story-tellers, historians, actors; sometimes they're just everyday people with a grand hobby. But, the one thing they all have in common is that their passion for their interests is palpable, inspiring and lends itself to the curiosity of an audience.

Road Scholars topics range from American culture and Illinois history, to literature and sports. What makes these topics distinctly "humanities" programs is that in their exploration, each speaker seeks to help the audience understand a little more about what it means to be human. No program is without an opportunity for the audience to leave curious about the world around them and the people in it.

Speaker Contracts: 

IHC Road Scholars are contracted for 2 years, during which they present up to 8 times per year around the state of Illinois. All programs should be roughly 45 to 60 minutes in length and should include some form of audience participation. Speakers recieve an honorarium. If necessary, meals, lodging and mileage are reimbursed after the program (limits in place for each).

How it Works:

Host organizations are encouraged to view our online speaker roster and contact the speaker directly to inquire about availability and agree upon a program date. The organization then submits an application to the IHC offices, which we review for approval. Once you are notified of the program's approval, the event is considered official and will be promoted on our website.  

Please note that the National Endowment for the Humanities guidelines under which we operate prohibit support of presentations directed at persuading an audience to a particular political, philosophical, religious, or ideological point of view.