• November 12 | The Heartland at a Crossroads: Bold Voices on America’s Rural Future

    Tom and Ruth Harkin Center 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, United States

    Pulitzer Prize winner Art Cullen has established himself as an essential witness to the transformation of rural America, thanks to his unique perspective as editor of The Storm Lake Times. His new book, We Crapped In Our Nests: Notes From the Edge of the World, offers an unflinching examination of how we’ve degraded our environment and communities, […]

  • November 13 | From DC to Iowa: How Policy Shifts Will Impact the Disability Community

    Tom and Ruth Harkin Center 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, United States

    Join the Iowa Disability Policy Alliance for a panel discussion, resource fair, and networking reception at the Tom and Ruth Harkin Center on November 13, 2025. Panelists will discuss the state of disability legislation at the federal, state, and local levels. Members of the Iowa Disability Policy Alliance will have tables with information and resources […]

  • 2026 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium

    The Olmsted Center at Drake University 2875 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, United States

    The 2026 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium will focus on a broader financial wellness theme supported by panels along the continuum of retirement security policy issues. The speakers will discuss policies supporting retirement savings access and accumulation, navigating Social Security and Medicare, and the intergenerational impacts of these programs, access to retirement planning, retirement income decisions, […]

    Free
  • 2026 Harkin on Wellness Symposium: The Treatment and Prevention of Cancer

    The Olmsted Center at Drake University 2875 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, United States

    Overview Please join the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement for an important event highlighting the challenges we’re facing and the progress being made across the nation in the fight against cancer, with a specific focus on environmental health and lifestyle medicine. The 2026 Harkin on Wellness Symposium will take place on March […]

    Free
  • 2026 Sussman Spring Lecture: Social by Nature: Environmental Photojournalism for a More Hopeful Future

    Tom and Ruth Harkin Center 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, United States

    Join us for the 2026 Sussman Lecture featuring photojournalist and educator KC McGinnis, whose work has been published by leading national outlets and takes him across Iowa and the country to document the complex relationship between people and the environment. In his talk, “Social by Nature: Environmental Photojournalism for a More Hopeful Future,” McGinnis explores the stories behind […]

    Free
  • 2026 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium

    The Olmsted Center at Drake University 2875 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, United States

    The 2026 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium will focus on a broader financial wellness theme supported by panels along the continuum of retirement security policy issues. The speakers will discuss policies supporting retirement savings access and accumulation, navigating Social Security and Medicare, and the intergenerational impacts of these programs, access to retirement planning, retirement income decisions, […]

    Free
  • An Evening with Charlie Cook: Spring 2026

    Sheslow Auditorium 2507 University Ave, Des Moines, United States

    An Evening with Charlie Cook will take place on Wednesday April 15, 2026. The event offers an opportunity to hear insight and analysis on the state of American politics from one of the nation’s leading authorities on the U.S. political landscape. As the country moves through another pivotal election cycle, Cook will share his perspective […]

    Free
  • Fall 2026 Sussman Lecture: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Brian Goldstone on the new American homelessness

    Sheslow Auditorium 2507 University Ave, Des Moines, United States

    Brian Goldstone, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America, will deliver the fall Sussman lecture, presented by The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement in partnership with Anawim Housing on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Goldstone’s presentation will highlight how the working poor have […]

    Free
  • Bolstering the System: Strengthening Social Security for All

    Tom and Ruth Harkin Center 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, United States

    Join the Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement for a policy discussion on the challenges for the Social Security program and reforms to strengthen it for future generations. The Social Security program is the main retirement security pillar for Americans, paying guaranteed lifetime income protected from inflation for everyone eligible for Social Security […]

    Free
  • AchieveABLE Futures: Using ABLE Accounts to Reach Your Financial Goals

    Tom and Ruth Harkin Center 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, United States

    REGISTER HERE Join us for a community event focused on financial wellness promoting awareness of IAble accounts, saving and investment accounts designed to help people with disabilities save for tomorrow and spend in the present. This event is co hosted by The Harkin Institute and the State Treasurer’s Office, and will include a financial wellness […]

    Free