Get Connected: Find Your Chattanooga

Chattanooga is full of interesting people, hidden gems, great organizations, things to do, and ways to get involved—but how do you actually find them?

Find Your Chattanooga is for anyone who wants to feel more connected to the city they call home, whether you moved here six months ago or have lived here your whole life.

You’ll learn where to actually find new friends as an adult, how to discover events and experiences you might otherwise miss, ways to volunteer and connect with causes you care about, and how to get more involved in what’s happening in your neighborhood and across the city.

And this isn’t a class where you’ll just sit and listen. You’ll meet other people who want to be more connected, swap ideas and recommendations, and start building your own roadmap to the Chattanooga that fits you.

Come curious. Leave with new connections, a much longer list of things you want to check out, and a better idea of how to make Chattanooga feel like your Chattanooga.

About the instructor:

Kelly Valcarce, MBA is a connector of people, ideas, and opportunities—and someone who genuinely loves figuring out what makes a place feel like home.

Kelly has lived all over the U.S. (and a few places beyond it), worked across education, government, community development, and the private sector, and built community from scratch along the way. Today, she serves as Director of Community Engagement for the City of Chattanooga, where much of her work is about exactly what this class explores: helping people connect to their city and to one another.

Outside of work, Kelly is a mom, traveler, hiker, lifelong learner, enthusiastic event-goer, and the person who is always introducing two people she thinks should know each other. She loves a good conversation, an unexpected adventure, and discovering the people, places, and experiences that make Chattanooga interesting.

After years of building a life and community here, she’s learned that belonging doesn’t just happen—you find it, build it, and sometimes create it yourself. And she’d love to help you do the same.