Washington, DC – The U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission today officially recognized My Wish For U.S. as an expression of the America250 vision to inspire the American spirit. America250 is the multiyear initiative leading to the commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of American independence in 2026. My Wish for U.S. is a virtual platform that invites Americans to join a nationwide conversation about our country’s past, present and future by asking each American, especially younger Americans who may not have access to traditional channels like voting or legislation, to share their vision for the next 250 years at www.MyWishForUs.com.
This is the first of what the Commission envisions as more than 100,000 America250 programs that it will officially recognize over the next six years. Currently, the Commission is only recognizing programs on a pilot basis as it establishes the policies and processes necessary to support the growing interest in America250.
My Wish For U.S. is the first in an anticipated series of programs from Made By Us, a broad coalition of more than 85 history and civics institutions that have joined forces to develop new tools and experiences that engage audiences in timely and relevant ways. At My Wish For U.S., Americans can explore wishes across the nation by location, demographic and topic – including famous wishes from prominent historical figures. Participants can also tweet their wishes to local elected representatives, ensuring their voice gets heard.
“America250 and Made By Us share the same vision of inspiring people from across the country to unite and engage with our founding principles of equality, liberty and democracy in meaningful ways,” said Dan DiLella, Chairman, U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. “My Wish For U.S. provides us with an incredible platform that allows people to have their voices heard and contribute to a national conversation around what we want the future of this country to look like in the next 250 years and beyond.”
“Fostering civic dialogue and discussion is a critical part of understanding where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are going as a nation,” said Caroline Klibanoff, Program Manager, Made by US. “Leading up to this important anniversary, we hope to reveal and share what we stand for as individuals and as a nation and inform how we engage the public in new and exciting ways.”
Officially known as the United States Semiquincentennial, “America250” will be the most expansive and inclusive milestone in our nation’s history. During the official commemorative period beginning this year, culminating on July 4, 2026, and extending through 2027, America250 has the opportunity to engage nearly 330 million Americans and millions more friends worldwide through programs, educational outreach, and signature events. My Wish For U.S. is the first of what the Commission anticipates will be over 100,000 officially recognized programs designed to educate, engage and unite the American people. More information about the Commission’s vision and approach to programming can be found in Inspiring the American Spirit, its report submitted to the President on December 31, 2019.
About the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission
America250 is a multiyear effort to commemorate the semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, of the United States. The purpose of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, created by Congress, and the corresponding America250 Foundation is to catalyze a more perfect union by designing and leading the most comprehensive and inclusive celebration in our country’s history. America250 represents a coalition of public and private partners all working to create initiatives and programs that honor our first 250 years and inspire Americans to imagine our next 250. The commemoration period began in 2020, culminates on July 4, 2026, and officially concludes in 2027. For more information, follow us on Facebook, Twitter , Instagram and visit www.america250.org.
About Made By Us
Driven forward by a coalition of more than 85 history and civics organizations nationwide, and led by nine of America’s leading history museums, including the Atlanta History Center; the National Museum of American History; the National Archives Foundation; the Senator John Heinz History Center; the Missouri Historical Society; History Miami Museum; the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Monticello and the Japanese American National Museum, Made By Us harnesses the power of the many to better connect younger generations with history for informed civic participation. Our vision for the United States at 250 is a vibrant country shaped by passionate guardians of our founding ideals – younger generations whose participation in shaping our country’s future is powered by rich historical perspective. Follow Made By Us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
###
America’s Field Trip Awardees!
Thousands of students from across the country submitted inspiring entries, responding to the prompt “What does America mean to you?” for the first-ever America’s Field Trip contest. A panel of current and former educators selected 150 students as awardees, hailing from 44 states and territories.