The English-Speaking Union
Kansas City

Celebrating 100 Years in Kansas City
1920-2020

The English-Speaking Union’s diverse educational programs are the hallmark of our mission. Our programs highlight the broad base audience we serve—students, educators, English-language learners, new immigrants, and members.

Join or Renew with the Kansas City ESU Branch

Announcements

EXTRA! EXTRA! The website page to join or renew with the ESU Kansas City Branch is online again!! To join now, click on the “Join or Renew with the Kansas City ESU Branch” button above and follow the prompts. Memberships are now on a rolling 12-month basis and members will be notified by email one month before memberships expire. We welcome members to renew their membership.

2026 Shakespeare Competition

All high schools in the Kansas City metro area (grades 9-12) are invited to participate in ESU’s 42nd Annual Shakespeare Competition. For your high school to participate in the Kansas City Branch Competition, a sponsoring teacher will need to organize a competition at your school.

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Educator Membership

We are proud to announce our new Educator Membership, offered exclusively to teachers involved in TLab, the National Shakespeare Competition, Middle and High School Debate, and other ESU education programs.

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Upcoming Events

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2026 Berkley Lecture

February 11 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm CST

ESU members and guests are invited to a special lecture program hosted by the International Relation…

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Jane Austen and You

February 11 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CST

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 • 4:00 PM ET Sponsored by the ESU Atlanta Branch After 250 years, why…

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Think & Drink: Black Kansas City from the Early Years to the Jazz Era and Monarchs

February 19 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm CST

Long before Kansas City became synonymous with jazz and innovation, African American leaders, artist…

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2026 Shakespeare Competition

March 1 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm CST

2026 National Shakespeare Competition Kansas City Branch Finals March 1,2026 • 2:00 – 4:00 pm CS…

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The 80th Anniversary of Churchill’s “Sinews of Peace” Speech

March 5 @ 8:00 am – March 7 @ 5:00 pm CST

Eighty years ago, on March 5, 1946, history was made when Winston Churchill delivered his iconic “…

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Happy Hour ESU Mongolia: How English Was Introduced in an East Asian Country

March 5 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CST

Sponsored by the ESU Mongolia and Central Pennsylvania Branches The English-Speaking Union is a worl…

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In the News

An ESU Blog about news of local interest in Kansas City

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ESU Educational Programs in Kansas City

What We Do

Shakespeare Competition

The ESU National Shakespeare Competition is a performance-based program. High school students develop analytical and communication skills by performing Shakespeare at the school, community (ESU branch), and national levels. Since 1983 over 425,000 students have brought the timeless works of Shakespeare to life. 2026 marks the 42nd year the ESU Kansas City Branch has participated in the National Shakespeare Competition.

English in Action

English in Action is a program that closely identifies with the needs of the growing immigrant population in Kansas City and throughout the U.S. English in Action pairs immigrant newcomers to the United States with fluent English speakers for one-on-one conversation sessions.

Evelyn Wrench Lecture Series

The ESU Kansas City Branch hosts many prominent authors and scholars including ESU’s own Evelyn Wrench Lecture Series named after our founder. These renowned British and American speakers present programs on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to, current events, history, language, literature, art, architecture, and travel.

Happy Hour Series

In response to the COVID-19 world, in July of 2020 ESU members got together to introduce the virtual Happy Hour Program, which has been met with resounding success. The Happy Hour Program brings guest speakers from locations all over the world, live and free of charge using the Zoom format. And to make it a real happy hour, a few of the speakers suggest signature cocktails to match the theme for the attendees to create and enjoy at home during their presentations. Many speakers also offer exciting participation opportunities with fun give-away books and products at the end of each program. All Happy Hour events are recorded and available for download to members and anyone interested to watch on-demand.

TLab: Teachers Learning Abroad

Since 1957, the ESU has provided summer study abroad scholarships to middle and high school teachers at Oxford, Edinburgh and Shakespeare’s Globe in London.

ESU National Educational Programs

What We Do

Scholarship Programs

The English Speaking Union offers a variety of scholarship programs for students, educators, and lifelong learners.

English in Action Across America

English in Action Across America is an opportunity where ESU branch members can volunteer to help new immigrants improve their English language proficiency. Through weekly online Zoom group discussions and one-to-one conversations, volunteers work with their students to give them the tools needed to build their new lives here in the United States. Branches and National work together to create groups. Branches provide the volunteers and National provides students from ARNIC. Contact Rona Weitz at rweitz@esuus.org for more information.

Debate & Public Speaking

The ESU’s middle and high school debate leagues provide students with the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills through public speaking at debate tournaments in the US throughout the academic year. Students from all over the world also have the opportunity to hone their skills during the International Public Speaking Competition in London.

International Public Speaking Competition

The International Public Speaking Competition brings together outstandingly articulate young people from all over the world for a week of public speaking competition and international cultural exchange with the ESU of the Commonwealth in London. The finalist contestants meet and learn with their peers of different backgrounds and cultures from some 50 countries. Through all its qualifying levels, the program engages more than 40,000 young people globally.

TLab—Travel and Learn Abroad

Study in the United Kingdom for an unforgettable immersive experience! Live and learn on the famed campuses of Oxford and Edinburgh or discover Shakespeare in the context that brought his works to life — exploring his hometown in Stratford or performing on the stage of the Globe Theatre in London.

Shakespeare Writing Competition

This program is designed for students who express their love of Shakespeare through creative and analytical writing. It will consist of competitive and non-competitive writing events for high school students.

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Get in touch with the Kansas City Branch
Email: kansascity@esuus.org
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Support Us

Donate to support the Kansas City branch

The ESU Kansas City Branch is always grateful for your kind donations of any amount. The English-Speaking Union of the United States Kansas City Branch LLC is a 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. All information is kept confidential.

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