The Harkin Institute

CANCELLED: October 3 | Meet the Author: John Dinges
2025-10-03 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Tom and Ruth Harkin Center, 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
Join The Harkin Institute and Beaverdale Books on October 3rd for a powerful conversation on history, mystery, and U.S. foreign policy. Author John Dinges will discuss his new book, Chile in Their Hearts: The Untold Story of Two Americans Who Went Missing after the Coup. The book provides a gripping account of Charles Horman and Frank Teruggi, two young Americans who lost their lives in Chile during the 1973 military coup.
This program will be moderated by Alejandro Hernandez, former dean of the Zimpleman College of Business at Drake University.
About the Author: John Dinges is an award-winning investigative reporter and author, who worked in Latin America for many years as a foreign correspondent. After receiving a master’s degree from Stanford University in Latin American studies, Dinges began freelancing in Chile, writing mainly for The Washington Post, during a six-year period that included the socialist revolution of President Salvador Allende, the violent military coup that overthrew him, and the first five years of the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet. He subsequently worked on the foreign desk of The Washington Post, traveling as a reporter to cover the civil wars in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. From 1985 to 1996 he worked at National Public Radio as deputy senior foreign editor, managing editor, and editorial director.

October 8 | Iowa Waterways Report: Training Session for Viewing Parties
2025-10-08 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | IA
The groundbreaking Central Iowa Source Water Resource Assessment (CISWRA) report provided the most comprehensive and unbiased analysis of water quality in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers to date, revealing that agricultural runoff is the primary source of dangerous levels of nitrates and other pollutants. A presentation of this report hosted by The Harkin Institute at Drake University gathered over 600 in-person attendees and was watched by nearly 3,000 people online. Though the report was focused on Central Iowa, it has implications for waterways across the state, as many Iowans are facing challenges posed by the high levels of nitrates and agricultural chemicals in their waterways.
The Harkin Institute and Iowa Environmental Council are now providing an opportunity for concerned Iowans to host their own discussions about the CISWRA Report and what it means for their community. Join us for this online training that reviews the contents of the CISWRA presentation, provides tools for hosting your own viewing, and describes an overview of a toolkit that has been developed for people interested in hosting their own discussions.
For those who can’t attend this training live, a recording will be available on The Harkin Institute’s YouTube channel.

October 16 | 2025 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium: Inclusive Long-Term Care Policies and Supports
2025-10-16 08:30 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Barbara Jordan Conference Center, 1330 G St NW, Washington, DC, 20005
The 2025 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium: Inclusive Long-Term Care Policies and Supports will convene policy-makers, researchers, and advocacy organizations working on long-term care policy. The program includes discussions on federal and state policies, and workplace policies supporting caregivers, caregiving experiences and their impact on retirement security, as well as other resources to support caregivers and their families.
The cost of care has nearly doubled from the early 2000s to 2024, both for at-home care and nursing home care. These costs are out of reach for everyone except the wealthiest households. Long-term care costs are internalized by caregiver families in some combination of the following: diminished or lost earned income, early retirement, direct caregiving expenditures, and mental and physical health issues. There are a variety of policy options to address this economic burden on families across the income distribution, which will be discussed as part of the program.

October 28 | Data in Action: New Findings from the National Training, Education and Workforce Survey (NTEWS)
2025-10-28 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | IA
Join The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement and the PROPEL (Promoting Resilience, Opportunity, and Progress in Employment and Learning) Center at the American Institutes for Research for a webinar on never-before-released analyses of what people with disabilities reported when participating in the National Training, Education and Workforce Survey (NTEWS).
This webinar will describe the experiences survey participants had with nondegree credential attainment and work-based learning, as well as their educational attainment and employment. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion about using these data in practical ways as you support career planning for people with disabilities, or identify talent for your business or government agency.
Survey data were collected by the US Census Bureau. The NTEWS is a nationally representative survey of individuals aged 16 through 75 that the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics sponsored.

November 8-9 | A Taste of ReelAbilities Des Moines 2025
2025-11-08 - 2025-11-09 | Tom and Ruth Harkin Center, 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, 50311, United States
Founded in New York City in 2007, ReelAbilities challenges stereotypes, celebrates authentic disability representation in movies, and expands opportunities for disabled creators worldwide. The 2025 Des Moines festival is “A Taste of ReelAbilities,” screening a combination of features and shorts over two days — first at The Harkin Institute, then at the Des Moines Art Center, showing different films each day. All film screenings will be followed by a conversation with individuals from the disability community related to the specific content of the films.
All films will provide open captions and have audio description capabilities.
In addition to films being shown at the Des Moines Art Center and The Harkin Institute, The Varsity Cinema will present a related film on Wednesday, November 5, leading up to “A Taste of ReelAbilities” on Saturday, November 8, and Sunday, November 9.
This program is supported by the Principal® Foundation.

November 12 | The Heartland at a Crossroads: Bold Voices on America’s Rural Future
2025-11-12 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Tom and Ruth Harkin Center, 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, 50311, 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, along with his vision for rural America’s future.
Cullen will be joined in conversation with Chris Jones, President of the Driftless Water Defenders and author of The Swine Republic. They will discuss topics including corporate agricultural dominance, water quality protection, rural community transformation, immigration and rural vitality, and more.
The event will include opening remarks from Senator Tom Harkin (retired). Books will be available for purchase before and after the event.

November 13 | From DC to Iowa: How Policy Shifts Will Impact the Disability Community
2025-11-13 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Tom and Ruth Harkin Center, 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA, 50311, 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 before and after the event. Light refreshments will be provided.
Senator Tom Harkin (retired) will provide opening remarks.
