The theme for the YMCA Spring 2017 Friday Forum Lecture Series is the “State of the State.” With many challenges facing the state of Illinois, the lecture series seeks to address state-level issues including the budget impasse’s effects on social services, funding for education, incarceration and more.
The series begins Jan. 27 at noon at the YMCA, 1001 S. Wright St., Champaign. The first speaker is Melissa Heil, a graduate student in geography and geographic information, regarding her project “The Illinois Atlas of Austerity” – a website that chronicles the effects of the ongoing budget stalemate.
Other speakers in the series include state elected officials, academic researchers and community advocates. The series schedule is available online.