Oct. 16, 2025 | Livestock Exchange Ballrooms | Omaha
From neighborhood organizers to youth advocates, the 2025 Strengthening Democracy Awards honored those who show that democracy thrives when everyone belongs.
Relive the evening!
Featured Performer
State Poet Jewel Rodgers
Jewel Rodgers of Omaha is Nebraska’s 2025-29 State Poet. Jewel is a nationally touring interdisciplinary performer and spatial practitioner who blends art, storytelling, and placemaking to move and connect audiences across the country and around the world. She is a 2025 Academy of American Poets Fellow, a 2025 AIRIES Fellow, a three-time Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award nominee for Best Performance Poet, and a three-time TEDx speaker.