What is America 250?
America 250 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and offers a meaningful opportunity for educators to explore our nation’s history, ideals, and ongoing story with students. This page brings together classroom-ready resources, lesson ideas, and learning opportunities to support thoughtful, inclusive teaching and learning as schools engage with this historic milestone.
Background
America 250: The 250th celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)
Planning for the U.S. Semiquincentennial started in 2016 with the formation of the America250 Commission.
"America250’s mission is to celebrate and commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking America’s Semiquincentennial. We aim to inspire our fellow Americans to reflect on our past, strengthen our love of country, and renew our commitment to the ideals of democracy through programs that educate, engage, and unite us as a nation. America250 will foster shared experiences that spark imagination, showcase the rich tapestry of our American stories, inspire service in our communities, honor the enduring strength, and celebrate the resilience of the United States of America." About America250, Our Mission and Vision The America250.org, Inc is a non-profit, non-partisan group supporting the US Semiquincentennial Commission.
Special Events in Wisconsin
America at 250 Educator Summit
Join PBS Wisconsin Education, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and other partners in summer 2026 to explore civic learning, engagement, and inquiry with educators from all around the state.
Save the date: August 5-6, 2026 at the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Pyle Center in Madison.
America 250 Teacher Workshop: The Economic Thought of the Founders
Concordia University and EconomicsWisconsin join forces to offer a two-day workshop for teachers to develop classroom ready curricula that blend history, civics, and economics based on the United States' founding and economic principles. Speakers include Dr. Scott Niederjohn (Concordia), Dr. Mark Schug (UW-Milwaukee), and Dr. Marcus Witcher (WV University), with Keynote Speaker Wilfred McClay. Attendees will receive hotel accommodations at Tundra Lodge Resort (2 nights), a $300 travel stipend, breakfast and lunch both days, and registration fee refunded when you attend both days.
This workshop will be held on June 11 and 12, 2026 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI.
Independence Day Weekend July 3-4, 2026, Eagle WI
Celebrate America's Birthday at Old World! This special event will serve as a celebration of Old World Wisconsin’s 50th birthday as the site was opened during the Bicentennial in 1976. This will include a Children's Parade, a picnic, a spelling bee, a pie eating contest, and so much more!
"Suit up in your best patriotic gear and head to the Crossroads Village for an unforgettable Independence Day Weekend full of food, games, music, performances and more. Join a spelling bee, churn your own butter, watch (or deck out your stroller and take part in) a children’s parade, and enter our famous pie-eating event for a little healthy—or should we say sweet—competition."
Resources for Teachers - America 250
As our country approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, educators have a unique opportunity to engage students in learning about our nation’s history, founding ideals, and evolving democracy. Across the country, trusted partners are developing high-quality resources to support thoughtful, age-appropriate instruction and local curricular goals.
The links below highlight a range of instructional materials, lesson ideas, and learning opportunities that teachers and districts can use to explore America’s past and present in ways that are meaningful for their students and communities. These resources are intended to be flexible and adaptable, allowing educators to select what best aligns with their local curriculum and instructional priorities.
Civics Partners
The Wisconsin Civic Learning Coalition
The WCLC brings stakeholders from around the state together to strengthen non-partisan civics and government education.
WCSS is a non-profit professional organization who promotes and supports the professional growth and development of social studies educators.
America 250 Resources
The America250 Commission is the official site for the national America250 anniversary has information for the public and for educators.
- Learn about America's Field Trip, a contest for students
- Our American Story, a storytelling project, and
- America Gives, a goal to make 2026 a record setting year of volunteer service
The America250 Wisconsin Commission is a partner of the national Semiquincentennial Commission. It was formed by 2021 WI Act 95. The WI Commission and Act 95 requires that "each public elementary or secondary school*, including each charter school, shall provide at least one event or educational opportunity...to pupils in the 2025-26 school year." The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has been tasked with collecting that information and is building a survey that every school** will be required to fill out that outlines the event or educational opportunity that was held to satisfy the requirement. The survey will be available in spring 2026 and must be filled out by every public school (including charter schools) by July 17, 2026.
*Note that Wisconsin Statutory Rule defines "elementary" schools as grades K-8, and "secondary" schools as grades 9-12.
**Note that statute requires each school (not just each district) to fill out the survey.
The National Constitution Center offers teachers a toolkit for teaching the semiquincentennial, including an interactive Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, lesson plans, and multimedia resources, exhibits, and events.
America's Town Hall is a series of programs about constitutional issues in the news. You can join the programs for free or watch replays any time!
Center for Civic Education
Celebrating America's 250th Birthday with Civic Education
July 4, 2026, will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence's signing. Over the course of this year, the Center for Civic Education will join in celebrating this historic event. The ideas laid forth in America's founding document have continued to inspire and guide generations across the world. We can think of no better way to mark this occasion than with a national rededication to civic education and participation.
Find links to special programs and helpful webinars as well as other resources.
Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society has a public resource page that links to events planned in 2026, K-12 resources, publications, and general 250th resources.
Did you know that the Wisconsin Historic Site Old World Wisconsin opened during the Bicentennial in 1976? That means that next summer is also their 50th anniversary!
PBS is proud to support the release of The American Revolution, a new documentary from Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. The film is accompanied by educational materials for middle and high school classrooms. Resources will be available starting on November 12, 2025 on PBS LearningMedia. Check out a preview!
PBS Wisconsin Education produced two Revolutionary Era episodes of The Look Back, a classroom media history collection for grades 4-9:
- George Washington in Wisconsin? From Canvas to Icon (episode & educator guide)
- Sovereignty and Silver: Midwest Allies in the Revolution (episode & educator guide)
Civics education powerhouses iCivics and the Bill of Rights Institute have launched the Civic Star Challenge . Teach the themes from the Declaration of Independence with the support of trusted, reliable resources and primary sources, and have the chance to win over 400 prizes!
The NPS is commemorating America250 with a new field guide to their Teaching with Historic Places program for teachers.
"This guide 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 Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government is kicking off the America 250 celebrations with a series of webinars and podcasts for teachers about the Semiquincentennial. Their program and podcast "Civics in Real Life" and "Civics in Real Time" give just-in-time support to educators across the country.
The LFI also has a series of lesson plans "From Subjects to Citizens", including a general pacing guide. They will also be holding monthly webinars on the lessons on the second Thursday of every month (scroll down the page a little bit to see topics, dates, and times!)
The Jack Miller Center not only offers resources for teachers, but they are sponsoring a nationwide teaching awards program for America 250 (note the application deadline is November 16, 2025!).