Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Launches Governor’s Civics Seal and Mini-Grants

Nashville, TN – On Thursday, October 10th, 2019, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the launch of the Governor’s Civics Seal and mini-grant program to provide support and recognize schools and districts that prioritize teaching our nation’s history and civic values.

“I am proud to launch this initiative to inspire our Tennessee students to be civically engaged,” said Governor Lee.

“By providing strong civics programming in our schools, we are ensuring that future generations will build upon the incredible progress our state and country has made,” stated Lee.

Having announced the Governor’s Civics Seal during his first State of the State address earlier this year, Governor Lee allocated $500,000 to support public schools and districts implementing high-quality civic education programs that result in readiness for college, career, and civic life. A portion of these funds will be used for the Governor’s Civics Seal mini-grants, which will be awarded to schools and districts across the state.

“Instilling strong civic values in our students is important to ensuring they are life-long learners and active citizens. I look forward to working with Governor Lee to award mini-grants to schools and districts that champion this initiative and provide opportunities for students to learn about our government,” said Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn.

The Tennessee Department of Education will be using the allocated funds in part to award mini-grants to schools and districts that provide programs, resources, and professional learning opportunities that emphasize civic learning. Schools and districts excelling at these initiatives will be able to earn the Governor’s Civics Seal in the 2020-21 school year.

At the school-level, the Governor’s Civics Seal mini-grants will be awarded to 20 rural and urban schools across Tennessee in the amount of $5,000 to $10,000. At the district-level, $15,000 will be awarded to 10 rural or urban schools across the state. The application window opens Friday, October 25th and closes on Friday, December 6th, 2019. The department will be offering an online training beginning October 24th to provide more information to districts and schools on the Governor’s Civics Seal and associated mini-grants. Visit the Governor’s Civics Seal web page for more information.

For questions about the Governor’s Civics Seal and mini-grants, please contact Kadie Patterson, social studies and world language coordinator, at Kadie.Patterson@tn.gov. For media inquiries, please contact Jennifer Johnson, director of communications, at Jennifer.Johnson@tn.gov.