Cook County and University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement to offer a second round of Open Lectures for Residents

CHICAGO — Today, Cook County and the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement are excited to announce an additional seven weeks of Open Lectures for Residents, curated educational content for the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We were pleased to see so much interest and engagement with our first seven weeks of Open Lectures for Residents and I am excited that we’re able to extend this partnership for another round,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, an alum of the University of Chicago. “I know that I’ve certainly enjoyed listening to the lectures and I’m glad that we can provide this unique opportunity for residents during a difficult time.” 

The free, curated educational content will be organized around seven themes: COVID-19 and Health, Economics, Elections, History, Philosophy, Environment, and Racial Bias. The content will feature a combination of past lectures and interviews by University of Chicago faculty and staff in audio and video formats. 

“We are proud to partner with President Preckwinkle to extend this educational content to residents of Cook County” said Derek Douglas, Vice President for Civic Engagement and External Affairs.  “As winter approaches and the pandemic worsens, our goal is for residents to be able to explore lectures and interviews from a variety of disciplines from across the University.  The topics featured are on the minds of many as the country contends with a public health crisis, the racial justice movement and a change in presidential administrations. Our faculty and staff are thrilled to share their research and perspectives with learners in our shared community of Chicago and suburban Cook County.”

While new content will be published each week, participants can enjoy the lectures and interviews at their own pace.

The courses will be available on the University of Chicago’s civic engagement website and linked from the County’s website.

For more information and the full content schedule, please visit the Open Lectures webpage.