Civic Nebraska honors Toni Monette with the 2026 Champion of Learning Award for transforming civic learning into civic action and creating opportunities for people to discover their voices, recognize their power and become leaders in their communities.
Some people teach democracy from the front of a classroom. Toni teaches it by opening doors, between a university and its community, students and local organizations, and knowledge and meaningful action.
As Assistant Director of the Office of Engagement at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Toni leads university-wide initiatives focused on civic learning, democratic engagement, service learning and community partnerships. Her work gives students opportunities to learn alongside community partners, participate in meaningful dialogue and develop the skills and confidence needed to become engaged citizens and changemakers.
Toni Monette embodies the belief that learning is one of democracy’s most powerful tools.
For Toni, education becomes most powerful when it extends beyond the classroom. Whether she is mentoring students, strengthening campus-community partnerships or creating opportunities for people to participate in public life, she helps turn learning into something people can use to make a difference.
Her commitment to civic education reaches far beyond UNO. Toni serves as Secretary of the League of Women Voters of the United States Board of Directors and previously served as co-president of the League of Women Voters of Nebraska and co-chair of the national organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She also chairs Zetas in Action, the national advocacy organization of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Across these roles, Toni brings people together through collaboration, honest dialogue and shared learning. A frequent presenter at national conferences, she helps educators and civic leaders explore how higher education can prepare people not only for careers, but also for meaningful participation in their communities and democracy.
Toni’s work also demonstrates that civic learning can take many forms. As a poetry teaching artist with the Nebraska Writers Collective, she uses creative expression to help young people find and share their voices. Whether through public policy, service learning or poetry, the goal remains the same: helping people understand that their experiences matter and that their voices can create change.
That commitment is also reflected in Toni’s own educational journey. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in Spanish from UNO and is completing a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy.
For Toni, receiving the Champion of Learning Award is both an honor and a reflection of the many people who shaped her journey.
“While my name may be on the award, it also reflects the countless mentors, advocates, educators, colleagues and ancestors whose guidance, sacrifice and belief in me have shaped my journey and my commitment to this work. They taught me not only the importance of using my own voice, but also of helping others discover and use theirs.”
Toni views the recognition as an affirmation of her purpose: creating opportunities for others to lead, participate and make a difference. She also sees it as inspiration to continue building pathways for the next generation.
“As the saying goes, ‘I may stand as one, but I represent one thousand,’ I share this honor with my family, friends, colleagues, mentors and community partners. Thank you for believing in me—there is still much more work to do.”
At the center of Toni’s work is a belief in the humanity and dignity of every person. When civic engagement is understood as a shared human experience rather than only a political one, she says, more people can recognize that their participation has value and that they have a stake in creating a better future.
“I often describe civic engagement as service in action. Whether you’re an activist, an artist, an educator, a volunteer or simply a neighbor looking out for your community, everyone has a role to play in strengthening our democracy.”
Democracy, she believes, protects our rights and freedoms, but it cannot sustain itself. It requires people to learn, participate, listen and lead. It is made stronger by the diversity of cultures, perspectives and lived experiences that remind us of its essential promise: everyone belongs, and everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive.
Toni Monette is a Champion of Learning because she does more than share knowledge. She helps people recognize their own capacity to lead and turns learning into service, participation and lasting civic action.
Meet Toni and her fellow honorees at the Strengthening Democracy Awards on Sept. 17. RSVP today!
2026 Champion of Learning Honorable Mention
Shakur Abdallah