Rally Day Activities

RALLY DAY ACTIVITIES!

Rally Day, is the Day on our TN State Capitol Hill hosted and sponsored by Tennessee Home Education Association - THEA, for Tennessee homeschooling families to bring the good report of home education to our elected lawmakers. It is very important for our legislators to see their homeschooling constituents and to learn about the strength & vibrancy of home education in Tennessee! Join homeschoolers from across our state on Capitol Hill for Rally Day! We’ll gather for our Rally at 8:45 AM in the historic House of Representatives Chamber (see below) in our Capitol Building for a celebration of home education.

Downtown Nashville Parking Lots & Garages

Tennessee State Capitol Building
600 M.L.K. Jr. Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37243

The street-level Capitol entry doors are the dark square seen over the top of the Legislative Plaza steps located in the center picture above and below the Capitol Building. Our State Capitol Building is directly across MLK, Jr Blvd. from War Memorial Plaza. This entry opens into the South Motlow Tunnel. As at all Capitol entrances, you go through security. Once through security at this entry, you go all the way down the tunnel to the elevators and up to the 2nd Floor, location of the House & Senate Chambers & the Legislative Lounge, where HS lunch is served.

The Legislative Plaza across the street from the Capitol Building, covered with fountains and bordered on one side by the historic War Memorial Auditorium and Office Building which was built to honor Tennessee's WWI veterans.

The Rally in Our Tennessee House of Representatives Chamber

Our Rally takes place from 8:45-11:00 in the beautiful and historic Tennessee House of Representatives Chamber on the 2nd Floor in our Capitol Building with access to the House Chamber floor and the two galleries on either side of the Chamber.

A High School Choir sings in the House Chamber during the Rally.

Lunch Available for homeschoolers in the beautiful Legislative Lounge just down the hallway

Following the Rally, Chick-Fil-A box lunches, which must be pre-purchased *here, will be available for families to share lunch down the hallway in the historic and gorgeous Legislative Lounge, formerly called the Senate Library.***

The Historic Legislative Lounge with its awesome staircase in the room where we serve lunch

After the Rally and lunch there is a Student Congress Tournament for students ages 8-18, which takes place in both the House & Senate Chambers of our Capitol! Check out the link for details of this activity!

If not participating in Student Congress after the Rally, we have 180 dozen signature gift bags for homeschoolers to take to our legislator’s offices to share with our legislators and their staff. This is a very important part of Rally Day and a significant activity for homeschoolers as you go to your legislator’s offices to meet them and their staff! You and your children make a positive impact by being polite and respectful and sharing with them our gift bags and our Rally Day Program! You bring the good report of home education to them!

THEA requests you & your family deliver our Gift Bags with treats & programs to our legislator’s offices in the Cordell Hull Building accessed from the 2nd Floor of the Capitol through the Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey Capitol connector, a 92’ below-ground tunnel. See below.

Our State Legislator's Offices and Committee Rooms are in the Cordell Hull Building, CHB.

On the 8th Floor of the Cordell Hull Building a group of homeschoolers and parents on behalf of THEA hosts a Luncheon Reception for 400+ legislators, their staff, and other state employees. In two connected rooms we host our reception line and have tables and chairs for eating lunch. Against the wall in the room with tables and chairs are our tables for your homeschool displays.

The deep Underground Tunnel between the Capitol and the Legislative Offices in the Cordell Hull Building

Your homeschool displays “speak” volumes to our lawmakers

You can prepare an exhibit, a display, of your homeschool activities to set up in our Legislator’s Luncheon Reception on the 8th Floor of their office Complex, the Cordell Hull Building, for all our TN lawmakers to see!

Your displays do “speak” volumes to our lawmakers of the vibrancy of the home school lifestyle & educational option, bringing the good report of home education!

So, make an exhibit with a trifold to show your children's activities or your co-op or tutorial events, such as Play productions, Science Fair displays, Sports activities & trophies, or any of all the other myriad activities of the home school community! Be creative & showcase what your homeschool is doing!

If you have a display to bring to the Rally Day Legislator’s Luncheon Reception, call THEA’s Display Organizer, Pam Archer at 615-516-6157. If you miss her, leave a message with your contact information, your request for display space, & whether you need a 3’ or 6’ space. She will contact you! The table spaces are first come, first served, so don’t hesitate! THEA reserves the tables for you & provides the tablecloth! You supply the display!

THEA’s Legislative Luncheon with yummy food & your displays for our lawmakers to see!

This is the great group of homeschoolers & their parents who served our legislators & their staff at our 2023 Legislative Luncheon Reception, many of whom will again be managing our 2025 Legislative Luncheon.