National Initiative Tracker

The listings below offer a broad view of many of the national initiatives currently being planned by private nonprofits, federal agencies, and other organizations in the museum, history, civics, and education space. We hope this tool will help practitioners better understand the national context for the Semiquincentennial commemoration as they advance their own plans. You can filter the initiatives using the tags on the right and click any initiative title to get more information! Click here to return to the main AASLH 250 page.

Do you know of a project that should be included in the National Initiative Tracker? Send us information here!

America & Spain 250

Organization: Queen Sofía Spanish Institute
Provide a materials & events about the unknown Spanish Contribution to the American Revolution
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America & Spain 250

The initiative’s mission is to celebrate 250 years of the shared past, present and continued friendship between the United States, Spain, and the Spanish-speaking world.

Starting with the significant yet little-understood role of Spain in America’s War of Independence, Spain’s contributions to the history and development of the United States are many and diverse. They span numerous realms: science, medicine, agriculture and technology, along with language, literature, religion and the arts.

The initiative aims to increase public awareness of these contributions and celebrate their importance over the course of 250 years of Spain’s shared history with the United States. The initiative also seeks to enrich the understanding of the complex, changing, yet enduring tripartite relationship between Spain, Spanish-speaking America and the United States.

The QSSI is conducting a project our grassroots outreach with the goal of partnering with cultural and historical organizations in the U.S. to organize a joint program highlighting the connection of each state with the presence of Spain in the U.S.

Organization: Queen Sofía Spanish Institute

Resources Available for Planners: Yes

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America’s Field Trip

Organization: America 250
This nationwide scholastic competition will ask elementary, middle, and high school students to submit art, poems, essays or
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America’s Field Trip

This nationwide scholastic competition will ask elementary, middle, and high school students to submit art, poems, essays or videos responding to the prompt “What does America mean to you?” – the submissions will be judged by a panel of educators, and 25 students in each age group will be awarded airfare and hotel accommodations to experience once-in-a-lifetime / behind-the-scenes field trips provided by our federal and private partners at iconic American historic sites and destinations.

Organization: America 250

Resources Available for Planners: Yes

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Collecting 250

Organization: The Decorative Arts Trust
Collecting250 commemorates the Semiquincentennial with 250 historic objects from across the country.
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Collecting 250

The Decorative Arts Trust is pleased to share Collecting250.org, an interactive online resource that celebrates the importance of objects in narrating the history and evolution of the United States and the communities contained within. To commemorate the United States Semiquincentennial, the Trust asked museums and historical societies to submit images and information about objects in their collections that tell powerful stories about national, state, or local identity. Collecting250 showcases 250 objects from over 140 institutions, and all 50 states and the District of Columbia are represented. The ability to search for entries based on location, category, and keyword provides the chance to make exciting and enlightening discoveries in unexpected places. Collecting250 is free and open to the public. Visit Collecting250.org to start exploring.

Organization: The Decorative Arts Trust

Resources Available for Planners: No

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Declaration 250

Organization: National Archives and Records Administration
A multi-year celebration of the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.
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Declaration 250

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the National Archives launched “Declaration 250,” a multiyear celebration of the principles enshrined in the Declaration. The ambitious program of events are designed to commemorate 250 years of American resilience and the pursuit of happiness. As the home of the Declaration, the National Archives will host exhibitions, special programs, themed events, civic education initiatives, and other activities, culminating with a special Independence Day celebration in 2026. This will include:

Celebratory Exhibits
Celebratory exhibits include Road to Revolution, a rotating exhibition that opened in June 2024, highlighting National Archives records that document major milestones in the lead-up to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Spirit of Independence honors the enduring legacy of the Declaration of Independence, which will launch in February 2026. As part of the celebration, the National Archives will reopen newly renovated signature exhibit spaces, including a new discovery center where students and people of all ages can engage in educational activities to enhance their knowledge of civics and American history.

Special Programs
Special programs include both virtual and in-person informative, educational, and inspirational events designed to engage with Americans of all ages from across the country. A series of National Conversations, titled “In Pursuit,” will feature thought-provoking discussions by prominent public figures about the meaning and impact of the Declaration of Independence. Held in various locations across the United States, these events will also be available online.. Public programs related to the new exhibits and honoring veterans will take place throughout the celebratory anniversary. Finally, a challenging scavenger hunt featuring puzzles and clues from historic documents will entice visitors to channel their inner “treasure hunter” spirit and learn about America’s past.

Special Initiatives
Other special initiatives include “100 for 250,” a joint endeavor by the National Archives, the National Archives Foundation, and More Perfect to celebrate the most notable 100 documents from the Archives. The public will vote on document choices, and teachers can incorporate preparation materials, guides, and an online collection of documents into daily lesson plans. 100 for 250 will help classrooms across the country join the broader public for discussions and add their voice about our collective history. Another special initiative, called “Letters to the Presidents,” is a collaboration among all Presidential Libraries to feature letters to Presidents and First Ladies as a way to highlight the ongoing conversation between citizens and their government.

Organization: National Archives and Records Administration

Resources Available for Planners: No

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NPS Semiquincentennial Grant Program

Organization: National Park Service
The Semiquincentennial grant program funds the physical preservation of historic properties.
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NPS Semiquincentennial Grant Program

The Semiquincentennial grant program was created by Congress in 2020 to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States by restoring and preserving sites and structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places that commemorate the founding of the nation. Historic resources supported by this program may include those associated with the political ideas, well-known individuals, pivotal events, or sites of conflict typically thought of in conjunction with this period of American history. For the purposes of this grant program, the “founding of the nation” is defined as the period ending December 31, 1800. This end date corresponds to the election of 1800, as the peaceful transfer of power following the contested election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson represents a hallmark of democracy and a pivotal moment in American history. The founding of the nation does not have a defined starting period to be inclusive of the many cultures that combined to create the America of today.

Eligible applicants include non-profits, local, state and tribal governments. Non-federal match is not required. Congress has appropriated $7 million for the program in FY2024. Applications are anticipated fall 2024 and will be due winter 2025.

Organization: National Park Service

Resources Available for Planners: Yes

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Teaching the 250th with Historic Places

Organization: National Park Service
This guide contains lessons to help students evaluate the values of the Declaration of Independence.
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Teaching the 250th with Historic Places

Teaching the 250th with Historic Places: A Field Guide to Lessons for America’s Semiquincentennial contains lessons designed to give students both a sense of place and the big themes in American history. The lesson plans will help students evaluate the values of the Declaration of Independence through a diverse set of historical places. These lessons are inquiry-based, student-centered and built on primary source documents. Most of them will give students extensions to explore these themes in their own community.

The ideas from the Declaration or Constitution can often feel abstract to students. Here, four themes categorize the documents: liberty, equality, memory, and belonging. Anchoring these themes in specific places help students connect to the past. The guide will highlight specific lessons in different eras of American history that showcase these themes. Teaching with Historic Places lessons give a nuanced picture of the struggles and triumphs of different generations of Americans to form “a more perfect Union.”

Organization: National Park Service

Resources Available for Planners: Yes

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U.S. History at 250 Series

Organization: Organization of American Historians (OAH)
A magazine series and supporting programming from top U.S. history scholars.
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U.S. History at 250 Series

The Organization of American Historians has launched a multi-year project leading up to the 250th anniversary. The project, “U.S. History at 250,” will feature a signature magazine series and a range of programming from webinars to town halls. A foundational element of U.S. History at 250 is a nine-issue arc in OAH’s quarterly magazine, The American Historian, with free access articles. The project will culminate in Philadelphia on April 16-19, 2026, at the annual OAH Conference on American History. The Journal of American History, Process: A Blog for American History, and the JAH Podcast will feature special U.S. History at 250 content.

Organization: Organization of American Historians (OAH)

Resources Available for Planners: Yes

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Visions of America

Organization: Institute of Museum and Library Services
A video series exploring the places, people, and stories that shape the America we live in today.
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Visions of America

“Visions of America: All Stories, All People, All Places,” is a digital-first series created by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in partnership with PBS. Over several episodes and web specials, former IMLS director Crosby Kemper III explores the places, people, and stories that have contributed to the America we live in today. Each episode explores the cities our institutions call home to probe what makes each of these communities important to the our national identity. Additional resources, including a discussion guide and reading list, can help public history organizations and educators use these videos as part of their 250th anniversary programming.

Organization: Institute of Museum and Library Services

Partner Organizations: PBS Books

Resources Available for Planners: Yes

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Worlds Turned Upside Down

Organization: R2 Studios
Worlds Turned Upside Down is a podcast about the American Revolution.
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Worlds Turned Upside Down

Worlds Turned Upside Down tells the story of the American Revolution as a transatlantic crisis and imperial civil war through the lives of people who experienced it.

For many modern citizens of the United States, “the cause of America” that gave birth to a new nation in 1776 and the heroic stories we tell ourselves about its founding remains “in great measure the cause of all mankind.”

But for the people who lived through it, the revolutionary era upended their lives in ways they could have never imagined. The crisis that engulfed the Atlantic world in the late eighteenth century inspired British Americans, Indigenous nations, enslaved Africans and African Americans, Europeans, and other peoples to question their loyalties, challenge authority, seek freedom, and resist revolutionary change.

Worlds Turned Upside Down is a multi-season podcast series production of R2 Studios at the Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. The series is narrated, written, and created by Jim Ambuske, PhD. Jeanette Patrick is the executive producer.

Organization: R2 Studios

Resources Available for Planners: Yes

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