Upcoming Events
Civic Season
Student Art Contest
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL ART CONTEST FOR STUDENTS IN HAMILTON COUNTY, TN – ACCEPTING ENTRIES NOW UNTIL MAY 21, 2026
The Tennessee Democracy Network (TDN), in partnership with ArtsBuild, invites Hamilton County middle and high school art teachers to participate in the Civic Season Student Art Contest. This contest is designed to celebrate student creativity while encouraging thoughtful engagement with America’s past, present, and future through visual art.
The contest is open to middle school and high school students enrolled in Hamilton County schools. Each student may submit one original artwork. All entries must be submitted by a teacher; student submissions will not be accepted directly. Teachers may submit multiple student entries, provided that each student submits only one piece.
Click on the image for more information!
Civic Season Student Art Contest
The Tennessee Democracy Network (TDN), in partnership with ArtsBuild, invites Hamilton County middle and high school art teachers to participate in the Civic Season Student Art Contest. This contest is designed to celebrate student creativity while encouraging thoughtful engagement with America’s past, present, and future through visual art.
The contest is open to middle school and high school students enrolled in Hamilton County schools. Each student may submit one original artwork. All entries must be submitted by a teacher; student submissions will not be accepted directly. Teachers may submit multiple student entries, provided that each student submits only one piece.
Artwork should connect to the Civic Season and America 250 themes, including history, democracy, liberty, patriotism, civic life and participation, and America’s future. Students are encouraged to reflect on their personal experiences, family history, or community stories, as well as to imagine what the next 250 years of American history might look like.
Empowering Your Participation Journey Webinar
Sign up for this free virtual event to learn more about how to participate in the election process!
2026 Tennessee Campus Civic Summit
The Tennessee Campus Civic Summit is a one-day conference for Tennesseans who are doing civic engagement work on their college or university campus.
First celebrated in 2019, the Summit is a non-partisan opportunity for college students, faculty, and staff to develop long-term strategies that promote civic literacy and participation in their campus communities.
It’s a chance to connect with other schools in the state, build relationships, and equip student leaders with the tools they need to make civic engagement a core part of campus life.
Stronger Together: How Coalitions Build Community
Join LWVNETN for a special program with Kayla Jones, Executive Director of the Tennessee Democracy Network, to learn how coalitions can expand voter engagement, strengthen local efforts, and amplify community impact.
We’ll highlight LWV’s Unite and Rise initiative and share lessons from United By Change in Hamilton County, the work that inspired our Tri-Civics Coalition, with LWVNETN as a founding member.
This event is open to members, partners, and friends; bring someone who cares about civic engagement and making a difference!
Civic Trivia Night - Winter Holiday Edition
The Tennessee Democracy Network’s One Vote Election Project is kicking off the season with a Holiday Civic Trivia Night - a fun, festive way to brush up on your civic knowledge, connect with community members, and celebrate the end of the year.
🗓 Tuesday, December 16th ⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM 📍 Tailgate Brewery, Downtown Chattanooga
Bring your friends, test your civic smarts, and compete for winter-themed prizes while enjoying great food and drinks. All ages welcome, teams encouraged, and holiday attire appreciated!
2025 TN Campus Civic Summit
The Tennessee Campus Civic Summit is a nonpartisan opportunity for schools across the state to learn how to develop long-term strategies to promote civic literacy and expand civic engagement on campus.
This year’s Tennessee Campus Civic Summit, taking place at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga on February 28th, marks our 7th annual event. With the theme, “Campus Civic Engagement in a New Administration,” we’ll dive into fresh ideas and tools to make civic engagement a central part of campus life. Plus, hear from leading experts in the field and inspiring partners like the Center for Artistic Activism, the ACLU-TN, and the Future of Free Speech Think Tank.
This free, 1-day conference is a chance to share engagement strategies with students, staff, and faculty statewide, and learn new ways to strengthen your campus’s civic culture.
Register for the 2025 Summit now at bit.ly/tnccs25
Empower Your Civics Journey: Understanding State and Local Government
Join Tennessee Democracy Network’s One Vote Election Project and the United By Change coalition for a fun night civic learning, trivia, games, with fun prizes! Learn about State and local governments as well as how these institutions impact your day to day life. FREE!
Past Workshops
A Crash Course in Making Political Change:
Katie Fahey’s Keynote Address from the 2026 Tennessee Campus Civic Summit
Katie Fahey delivered the keynote address at the 2026 Tennessee Campus Civic Summit, a one-day, nonpartisan conference designed to empower college students, faculty, and staff to develop long-term strategies that strengthen civic literacy and participation across campus communities.
The summit provided a collaborative space for students from institutions across Tennessee to connect, build meaningful relationships, and share ideas. Participants engaged in discussions and workshops aimed at equipping student leaders with practical tools to make civic engagement a lasting and integral part of campus life.
This event was made possible through a partnership with the Tennessee Democracy Network, Dialogue Vanderbilt, the Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund, Civic TN, and Vandy Votes. Video footage is courtesy of Vanderbilt University.
STRONGER TOGETHER:
How Coalitions Build Community
As part of their Unite and Rise national mobilization initiative, the League of Women Voters of Northeast Tennessee (LWVNETN) hosted President of the Tennessee Democracy Network, Kayla Jones, for a conversation about how coalitions can expand voter engagement, strengthen local efforts, and amplify community impact.
This webinar, which took place on January 25, 2026, highlighted LWV’s Unite and Rise initiative and shared lessons from United By Change in Hamilton County— the work that inspired the Tri-Civics Coalition— with LWVNETN as a founding member.
You can watch the recording from this event here, or on the LWVNETN YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@LeagueofWomenVotersofNortheast
Empowering Voters with Disabilities
This collaborative workshop was held on July 30, 2025 in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Special thanks is due to the Tennessee Disability Coalition for partnering with us on this session. For more information, check out www.tndisability.org/ada35