Celebrating 250 Years of Service and Beyond

“We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

How can museums across our nation participate in the 250th celebration in a way that unifies and inspires while strengthening our democracy for many years to come? The American spirit of service is fundamental to our character and essential to our democracy. By honoring the American spirit of service in ALL its forms, a spirit so powerfully expressed in the closing words of the Declaration. Service may be America’s best and most important story, but that story is not being told as it can and should be. Together, we can change that.

A national grass roots coalition of service organizations, museums, schools, and libraries is working to create inspiring, inclusive, and enduring exhibitions of service in nearly every community by 2026. Every community has three essential resources to make this possible:

1. People and organizations dedicated to service
2. Places, including museums, where people already go and exhibitions can be installed
3. Local skills and resources to tell the stories of and connect visitors with how they can participate.

In September 2024, live and online, we will share resources and examples demonstrating how state and local museums can co-create service exhibitions by the 2026 celebration and enduring for many years beyond.