Youth Art Challenge

UNA-Nashville Cordell Hull, founded in 1945 as the first chapter of the United Nations Association-USA, sponsored its second annual UDHR Essay & Poster Challenge organized by UNA-Nashville K-12 Education Committee members Linell, Tena Bailey, Felicia Jackson, Shannon Linell, Jessica Peterson, Dana Stem and Amanda Dunning. This year’s competition was open to 5th graders in both the Murfreesboro City Schools District and the Rutherford County Schools District. The challenge was to connect one or more UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights articles in a 1-2 page handwritten essay and/or a hand-drawn 8.5″x11″ poster.

The challenge was featured at the Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2025, in Nashville. Finalists in each category were invited to attend the event, and the top three posters were displayed during the event. The 2nd place essay winner, Ms. Jaycee Henry, received a standing ovation after reading her essay to an enthusiastic crowd of human rights advocates and supporters.

Essay Winners
1st Place: Tala Khanafar – Teacher Jennifer Hickson of Discovery School
2nd Place: Jaycee Henry – Teacher Rebecca Hendricks of Rockvale Elementary
3rd Place: Jubilee Bauer – Teacher Jamiah Sisney of Discovery School

Poster Winners
1st Place: Atticus Todd – Teacher Jennifer Hickson of Discovery School
2nd Place: Esther Tran – Teacher Tamara Cosby of Overall Creek Elementary
3rd Place: Reece Summar – Teacher Tamara Cosby of Overall Creek Elementary