By: Sarah Miller, Third-Year Student and Civic Journalist for Chicago Studies

The third annual Chicago Ideas Week (CIW) summit is scheduled to take place downtown from Monday, October 14 to Sunday, October 20. The summit will feature nearly 200 speakers, including astronaut Buzz Aldrin and "Meet the Press" moderator David Gregory, and will draw an anticipated 25,000 attendees. The majority of CIW events are open to the public, and tickets to each event cost $15.00. Most of the events are 90-minute panel discussions with three to six speakers who will discuss a certain topic or theme.

This year, the CIW talks will focus on 30 distinct themes, including environment, entrepreneurship, and education. Several of the talks have a direct focus on the city of Chicago and social justice, such as:

• "Chicago: Big Shoulders, Big Future" on Tuesday, October 15 at 4 p.m.
• "Education: State of the Student" on Thursday, October 17 at 4 p.m.
• "Witness: I Changed History" on Sunday, October 20 at 4 p.m.

In addition to the events above, the CIW will host exclusive, behind-the-scenes look into Chicago businesses and institutions and master classes that will feature hour-long conversations between two journalists in their field of expertise.

For additional information about Chicago Ideas Week, visit their website and click here for a complete schedule of events.