Sense of Place is Looking for Lecturers for Upcoming Fall/Winter Season

Speakers are invited to submit proposals for lectures that foster a deeper connection to place.

The Sense of Place Lectures, a program of Mt. Adams Institute, has announced a request for lecture proposals for its 12th season, which will run during the fall/winter, 2021-2022. The popular program connects people through place and storytelling, using the Columbia River Gorge as its common ground. Presentations generally run 45-60 minutes and cover topics that relate to the cultural, natural, or political history of the Columbia River Gorge.

Proposals will be reviewed and selected by a volunteer committee led by Sense of Place Host & Curator, Sarah Fox, a Hood River resident and producer of Hear in the Gorge, the podcast partner to Sense of Place.

Sense of Place, Season 12 is expected to return to a live, in-person event in Hood River, Oregon. Should pandemic restrictions prohibit this, presentations will be made via Zoom webinar.

Sense of Place lectures occur between October and April and have historically attracted 1,000 people annually, with speakers regularly presenting to sold-out audiences. For more than a decade, historians, authors, scientists, tribal members, and local experts among others have presented on a variety of topics including Gorge wildlife, Black pioneers on the Oregon Trail, a geologic history of the Gorge, the evolution of Gorge breweries, Hanford’s nuclear legacy, Native American first foods, and many more. An archive of stories can be found here at: https://mtadamsinstitute.org/sop-archives/

For more information or to respond to the Request for Proposals, please go to mtadamsinstitute.org/sense-of-place or email sop@mtadamsinstitute.org.

What they’re looking for:

• Presenters with expertise on a topic related to the cultural, natural, or political history of the Columbia River Gorge.

• Skilled public speakers who enjoy sharing their knowledge and have the ability to present in a way consistent with the Sense of Place format.

• Availability to present in Hood River, Oregon. (If pandemic restrictions exist, availability to present via Zoom webinar*.)

• Lectures happen on the 2nd or 3rd Wednesday of the month, October – April. Speakers are asked to arrive by 6pm, lectures begin at 7pm and run 50mins-1hr, followed by a Q&A.

What they offer:

• Event marketing to 4,000 e-newsletter subscribers and via social media, local newspapers and partners in Oregon and Washington.

• Book sales facilitated by a local bookshop (optional).

• A chance to be a part of a popular and meaningful lecture series with a loyal audience.

• A digital recording of your presentation will be shared/archived online via the Sense of Place web page.

• Lodging for out-of-town presenters.

• Honorarium.

*PLEASE NOTE: It is expected that all Season 12 lectures will be presented live, in-person in Hood River, Oregon. However, if pandemic restrictions prohibit this, presentations will be made via Zoom webinar.

To apply ONLINE:
Please answer the proposal questions online here.

To apply via MAIL:
Mail your proposal with answers to these questions (click here).
Sense of Place ℅ Mt. Adams Institute
2453 Highway 141
Trout Lake, WA 98650

Applications must be received by end of day MAY 28, 2021.
Questions? Contact Sarah Fox, Sense of Place Host & Curator sop@mtadamsinstitute.org

Sense of Place is a program of Mt. Adams Institute whose mission is to strengthen the connection between people and the natural world through education, service learning, career development, and research.