America250 

• America250 is a nonpartisan initiative working to engage every American in commemorating the 250th anniversary; this is an opportunity to pause and reflect on the nation's past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward our future
  https://america250.org/

National Initiatives and Resources

Learn how your organization can celebrate

American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) resources

• Field Guide with broad themes (create a free account to download)
  • Making History at 250: The Field Guide for the Semiquincentennial (English PDF)
  • La guÍa de campo para el semiquincentario (Español) (PDF)
• Handbook with programming ideas
• 50th Anniversary Program Handbook (2024)(create a free account to download)

• More planning resources
  • https://aaslh.org/programs/250th/
• Reframing Toolkit with suggestions for having more productive public conversation about history
  • https://aaslh.org/reframing-history/

State and Territories Commissions

• Connect with your state and local commission
  In some states, each county also has a commission
• https://america250.org/state-and-territory-commissions/
• https://aaslh.org/programs/250th (Choose State Commissions in left navigation menu)

Made by Us 

• https://historymadebyus.org/
• Youth 250 Toolkit 
  Resources for designing programs ages 16-30 (Gen Z)
  https://historymadebyus.org/youth250/toolkit
• My Wish for U.S. 
  Submission of wishes for America’s future
  https://www.mywishforus.com/
• OnOur250th.org 
  Submit a wish online and explore other notes from across the country - share your hopes, dreams, and ideas for the future of America
  https://www.onour250th.org/

PBS Film 

• In conjunction with six-part film THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (coming November 16, 2025), PBS and PBS member stations across the country will build community partnerships to develop local engagement plans, centered around the film
  https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-american-revolution/
• Community engagement
• Education resources

Handwork: Celebrating American Craft

• Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026 is a national Semiquincentennial collaboration showcasing the importance of the handmade and celebrating the diversity of craft that defines America

  • https://www.handwork2026.org/about/

Two Lights for Tomorrow

• Display two lights at buildings and homes April 18-19, 2025 honoring the ride of Paul Revere, and to commemorate and remind ourselves that our history is about working together for a better tomorrow
  • https://va250.org/two-lights/

Additional National 250 Initiatives

• https://250initiatives.aaslh.org/

Ideas for Programming 

Program Ideas

• Time capsules - personal or community
  • American Museum of Natural History ArcheOLogy ideas for personal time capsules
    https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/archaeology/create-your-own-time-capsule2
  • Library of Congress advice for community time capsules
    https://www.loc.gov/preservation/resources/educational/timecapsule/
• Host a Birthday Party
  • Great for even very young children
• Commemorative tree plantings
  • National Wildlife Federation Trees for Wildlife Event Planning Guide
    https://www.nwf.org/Trees-for-Wildlife/Get-Involved/Request-Trees/Plan-an-Event
     

• Sharing local history and personal stories
  • Collaborating with local historical societies
  • Documenting oral histories
    • StoryCorps DIY advice https://diy.storycorps.org/
    • Oral history best practices https://oralhistory.org/best-practices/

• Creating a location-based tour with audio and images
  • Clio free platform https://theclio.com/
  • Clio free mobile app is free in iTunes and Google Play
  • Learn more https://theclio.com/about
     

• Civics Programs
  • iCivics resources https://vision.icivics.org/
  • Civic Learning Week resources https://civiclearningweek.org/
  • Educating for American Democracy
    https://www.educatingforamericandemocracy.org/
  • Exploring Civics through Historic Spaces: A Model for Civic Learning at Museums, Historic Sites, and Cultural Institutions from the Intrepid Museum
    https://intrepidmuseum.org/exploring-civics-through-historic-spaces-model-civic-learning-museums-historic-sites-cultural
  • Collaboration on voter registration drives 
    League of Women Voters resources https://www.lwv.org/]
  • America's 100 Docs
    • Game: https://100docs.vote/

    • Toolkit

       

Imagining Our Future

• Creating a Wall of Wishes
  • My Wish for U.S. submission of wishes created Made By Us
    https://www.mywishforus.com/
  • OnOur250th.org created Made By Us
    Submit a wish online and explore other notes from across the country - share your hopes, dreams, and ideas for the future of America
    https://www.onour250th.org/
• NISE Network futures thinking activities
  https://www.nisenet.org/society

Participating in Citizen Science

• Citizen Science with SciStarter
  Join us as we invite all people in America to embrace their inner scientist, involve every community, inspire scientific discovery, and imagine a better future. Citizen science is a way for anyone and everyone to take part in science and imagine a better future.
  https://pages.scistarter.org/citizen-science-month-2026/
   

Making and Creativity

• Making programs focusing on the importance of creative and handmade
  • Handwork: Celebrating American Craft https://www.handwork2026.org
  • MakerEd resources https://makered.org/
• Example: Ohio Creativity trail
  https://america250-ohio.org/ohio-creativity-trail/

Celebrating American Creativity, Inventions, and Innovations

• COSI American Innovation Kit
  https://cosi.org/connects/kits/american-innovation-kit.php
  • American Innovation Kit Activity Book (downloadable PDF)
  • American Innovation Kit Color of Science™ Passport (downloadable PDF)
• Example: Ohio Air & Space trail 
  https://america250-ohio.org/trails-and-tales/
• First humans landing on the Moon in 1969
  https://nisenet.org/moon
• Harnessing Radio Waves
  • National Radio Day https://www.nationalradioday.com
  • World Radio Dayhttps://www.unesco.org/en/days/world-radio
  • Making Waves with Radio kit https://www.nisenet.org/making-waves-radio-kit
  • Telescopes and the Electromagnetic Spectrum https://nisenet.org/telescopes
• Synthetic Biology
  • Building with Biology 
    https://www.nisenet.org/building-with-biology-kit
• Medical and health advances
  • Health resources https://www.nisenet.org/health
  • Genetics resources https://www.nisenet.org/genetics
• List of Inventors
  • National Inventors Hall of Fame list of inductees
• Airplanes and Aviation
  See Aviation Day (August 19) https://www.nisenet.org/seasons