Please join us Thursday, April 29, 2021, for the Beyond the Page virtual event. Special thanks to our sponsors and participants for making this event happen.

The keynote speaker for this event is travel guru Rick Steves. Rick is a popular public television host, a best-selling guidebook author, and an outspoken activist who encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel. But above all else, Rick considers himself a teacher. He taught his first travel class at his college campus in the mid-1970s — and now, more than 40 years later, he still measures his success not by dollars earned, but by trips impacted.

Rick is the founder and owner of Rick Steves’ Europe, a travel business with a tour program that brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. Each year, the company contributes to a portfolio of climate-smart nonprofits, essentially paying a self-imposed carbon tax. He also works closely with several advocacy groups and has been instrumental in the legalization of marijuana in states across the U.S.

Beyond the Page is the annual fundraising event in support of the Houston Public Library Foundation whose mission is to unite partners who value lifelong learning. Library programs enhance social inclusion, active citizenship, and personal development. Advancing personal skills improves self-sustainability as well as competitiveness and employability. The exceptional programs offered through the Houston Public Library remain free to the public because of your philanthropy.