The Only National Effort to Involve Gen Z in the Planning
December 20, 2024
Contact: y250press@teamdsb.com
Atlanta, Ga. — Made By Us, the national coalition of museums and historic sites connecting young people to our country through civic engagement, announced the creation of the Youth250 Bureau, a first-of-its-kind, free Gen Z “hotline” assisting museums and organizations in the planning of commemorative events for the 250th anniversary of the United States. The Bureau serves as a critical resource for our nation’s most revered institutions, ensuring semiquincentennial anniversary initiatives resonate with the future of our nation–its youth.
The Bureau’s 100 members are aged 18 to 30, from 45 states and territories and represent a diverse, non-partisan cross-section of our country. Bureau members are students, artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, and creators and all participants engaged in 20 hours of training and coaching in human-centered design, history, consulting, storytelling and more. As museums continue to transform into gathering places of civic engagement, making them “youth friendly” is critical.
The American story has always been written by young people. While only 39% of 18-29 year-olds think the “American Dream” is still possible, studies show that having an engaged youth voice is correlated with increased civic participation. Today’s youth want a better future as well as a say in planning it. The Youth250 Bureau enables members of Gen Z to lead discussions and drive change that will benefit young people across our nation.
“Members of Gen Z have the most at stake because they are the future of our nation and therefore have the biggest incentive to make their voices heard,” said Caroline Klibanoff, Executive Director of Made By Us and a New America US@250 Senior Fellow. “The Youth250 Bureau members are at the service of America’s most trusted institutions, putting their valuable creativity, input and experience into this moment in history.”
The Youth250 Bureau is supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services, and launched in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives Foundation, National Park Service, Teen Vogue, DoSomething, CoGenerate, PBS, American Association for State and Local History, and Pulso. The project builds on cross-generational workshops held this past summer at the Atlanta History Center, Conner Prairie, Eastern State Penitentiary and Utah Historical Society.
“The future of our nation is its youth,” states Anthea Hartig, Elizabeth MacMillan Director, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, “The Youth250 Bureau is a valuable resource for any organization planning commemorations for America’s 250th anniversary. Youth perspective and input is vital not only for programs, events and exhibits being considered, but to the future of our institutions.”
In addition to the creation of the Youth250 Bureau, other youth-centric events planned by Made By Us for Gen Z include:
Civic Season: An annual tradition from June 19-July 4 for learning history and civic upskilling, featuring events, celebrations and conversations at hundreds of historic sites, museums and communities across the country.
My Wish for U.S. Smithsonian Pop-Up: During Civic Season, a graffiti wall will be installed at Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History enabling thousands of visitors to answer the question: What’s your wish for America’s future?
For more information, please contact Caroline@HistoryMadeByUs.org.
Learn more at Youth250.org.
About Made By Us
Made By Us is a coalition of hundreds of history museums and historic sites joining forces to inform and ignite Gen Z civic participation, powered by history. We connect young people in every corner of the nation with our shared past, present and future. Made By Us is collectively led by Atlanta History Center, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Colonial Williamsburg, Conner Prairie, First Americans Museum, HistoryMiami Museum, National Archives Foundation, New-York Historical Society, Senator John Heinz History Center, and Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Learn more at: HistoryMadeByUs.org.
Our Declaration Convenes 60+ Young Leaders to Reimagine the Nation’s Next 250 Years Through Intergenerational Dialogue and Creative Expression
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Contact: y250press@teamdsb.com
Watch the event coverage on C-SPAN here
Philadelphia, PA – On February 17, more than 60 young adults from across the country gathered at the National Constitution Center to draft and sign a youth-written “Our Declaration” outlining their commitments and vision for America’s next 250 years.
Held steps away from where the Constitution was adopted, Youth250: Our Declaration positioned Generation Z not only as observers of history, but as co-authors of what comes next. The event, part of the national Youth250 initiative led by Made By Us, was broadcast in part on C-SPAN and marked a defining civic moment in the lead-up to the nation’s semiquincentennial.
Through facilitated workshops, intergenerational dialogue, and creative performance, participants reflected on what it means to inherit American democracy at a milestone anniversary. The day culminated in the signing of a large-scale Declaration scroll, visualized live (see attached photos). The physical document will now travel to museums and institutions nationwide, amplifying youth voices in the months leading to July 4, 2026.
Alex Edgar, Youth Engagement Manager at Made By Us and Co-Founder of Youth250, said, “Young people came to Philadelphia to write, sign, and claim ownership over a new Declaration that reflects the country we intend to build, and to be clear about who has been included and who has been excluded from the American story. Youth250 is about turning reflection into action and ensuring this generation is not just observing the 250th anniversary, but actively defining a future where more people see themselves in it.”
Panels explored the generational forces shaping Gen Z and featured a “Founder Mindset” spark talk by PolicyLink President and CEO Michael McAfee, who encouraged participants to see themselves as founders of the nation’s future. The program also included a response panel of national leaders who engaged directly with youth calls for accountability, imagination, and civic responsibility.
Youth250 is a first-of-its-kind national effort that includes a Bureau of 100 paid, trained youth advisors coaching hundreds of institutions nationwide, a science-backed Gen Z Scorecard taken by more than 400 organizations, and a broader campaign activating storytelling and public commitments across industries. The initiative continues through July 4, 2026 and includes Civic Season, the nationwide engagement period between Juneteenth and Independence Day.
More information about the effort and Our Declaration is available here.
Youth250 is led by Made By Us and made possible through generous support from PolicyLink, the Hearthland Foundation, the Bezos Family Foundation, and the National Constitution Center. The February 17 gathering was hosted at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, steps from where the Constitution was adopted.
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About Youth 250: Youth250 is a first-of-its-kind national effort placing young people at the center of America’s 250th anniversary. Through a Bureau of 100 paid, trained youth advisors, a science-backed Gen Z Scorecard adopted by more than 400 organizations, and nationwide creative activations, young leaders are advising institutions and co-creating how the Semiquincentennial is commemorated. At a moment of deep polarization, Youth250 offers a forward-looking counterpoint, with a youth-written Declaration that reframes what the next 250 years should stand for and will travel to museums and institutions nationwide ahead of July 4, 2026.
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