ℹ️ Youth250 Press Kit

For press inquiries or interview requests, please reach out to Caroline Klibanoff, Executive Director at Caroline@historymadebyus.org.

About Youth250

Youth250 is the national effort to increase youth representation, visibility and input in the United States 250th anniversary, commemorated in 2026. Today’s teens and young adults are the future inheritors of our democracy, and are an important constituency to be included in and inspired by the events of this commemoration, the starting line for America’s next 250 years.

Some of our press coverage and media partnerships:

• Youth250 Open Letter to America | Teen Vogue, July 4, 2025
• Youth250 Letters for a Patriotic America | Washington Post, July 3, 2025
• How to Win Back Trust in Institutions | Associated Press, May 28, 2025

Youth 250 Fact Sheet

What are the elements of Youth250?

• Intergenerational workshops held in Fall 2024 in five U.S. cities.
• The Youth250 Toolkit, a self-service guide helping organizations engage youth.
• The Youth250 Bureau, America’s “Gen Z Hotline” providing free youth guidance.
• The Youth250 Content Corps, a volunteer effort of teens and young adults sharing perspectives on America’s past, present and future through:

• Youth250 Stories capturing the youth experience at this moment in a docu-series, social media, time capsule and Q&A series
• Youth250 Declaration, in which leaders and decision-makers pledge to include and increase youth representation in civic life.
• Signature 250th Programs, including America’s Potluck, Ken Burns’ American Revolution film and Youth250 Creative Showcase

What is the Youth250 Bureau?

• Borne out of the need expressed by institutions and historic sites to gain access to youth input in making plans to mark the U.S. 250th, the Youth250 Bureau is a group of 100 young people that acts as a “Gen Z Hotline” for museums, historic sites, communities and non profits by providing direct input on their plans from the perspective of Gen Z.
• 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.
• Youth250 Bureau members participated in 20 hours of training and coaching in human-centered design, history, consulting, storytelling and more – they are ready to help.

• Youth250 is the only nationwide, nonpartisan effort bringing youth input to how we commemorate the U.S. semiquincentennial in 2026.

How can organizations use the Youth250 Bureau?

• It is easy! Communities, organizations and nonprofits can assess their readiness with the Gen Z Engagement Scorecard found online.  
• Organizations request support using an online form.
• Afterward, they will be matched with the appropriate Youth Bureau member and a meeting will be scheduled.

What kinds of projects does the Bureau work on?

• The Youth250 Bureau can be requested to participate in focus groups; provide feedback on materials or language; ideate with organizations on new ideas; suggest partnerships, trends, celebrities or influencers; answer quick polls and review designs; and lend their voice to panels, Q&As, blog posts, video projects and more.
• The Youth250 Bureau will serve at least 100 organizations in 2025, providing 2 or more consultations per week. The service is free to all nonprofits.
• Youth250-vetted programs already include the Youth250 Historic Trail, America’s Potluck, and On Our 250th.

What is the Youth250 Toolkit?

• The Youth250 Toolkit is a self-service set of resources to help cultural institutions, nonprofits and community organizations better serve teens and young adults.
• The collection of digital resources includes research, tip sheets, checklists and tools for holding intergenerational planning sessions.
• Organizations can get started by assessing their youth readiness with the Gen Z Engagement Scorecard found online.  

Who is Gen Z?

• Gen Z will be ages 16-29 at the U.S. 250th.
• Members of Gen Z are 26% of the US population and already make up 30% of the workforce – they are the future leaders of our nation.

Why does this matter now?

• The United States will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, and the U.S. Constitution in 2037. During America’s “Commemorative Decade,” the nation will experience the largest youth population in United States history.
• Youth250 is poised to transform how our nation thinks about young people, its past and its future by directly involving them in this moment in our nation’s history.
• With declining trust in institutions, it is time to harness the cultural power of youth alongside the credible and valuable history that our institutions provide, to tell America’s story together.

Why do youth care about the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence?

• 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 and 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.

What difference will this work make?

• Youth250 will measurably increase the volume and quality of youth presence in the U.S. 250th moment. With the Youth250 Bureau and Content Corps, we are creating positions of influence for hundreds of youth and investing in their ideas and voices.
• Youth250 increases youth influence, access, understanding of institutions, knowledge of U.S. history, comfort level working with decision-makers, and patriotism and connection to country, as measured by participant surveys.
• Youth250 increases organizations’ knowledge, skill and capacity to serve youth, comfort level in doing so, level of recommendations implemented, and investment in medium- and long-term roles and infrastructure for youth input, as measured by the Gen Z Scorecard and participant surveys.

Who is behind Youth250?

• Made By Us is the organization that leads Youth250, and also created the mass-activation Civic Season, now in its 5th year.
• Founded in 2018 and launched in 2020, Made By Us is a nonpartisan coalition of more than 400 history museums and historic sites joining forces to inform and ignite Gen Z civic participation.
• The leadership of Made By Us includes the American Association of State and Local History, Atlanta History Center, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Colonial Williamsburg, Conner Prairie, Democracy Center at Japanese American National Museum, HistoryMiami Museum, Lincoln Presidential Foundation, National Archives Foundation, New York Historical, Senator John Heinz History Center, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Utah Historical Society and Wisconsin Historical Society.

What is Civic Season?

• Civic Season is an annual tradition, from June 19-July 4, for learning about history and civic engagement, featuring events and celebrations at hundreds of historic sites, museums and communities across the country.
• The goal of Civic Season is to engage our country’s youth and inspire civic participation between our oldest and newest federal holidays, and the program is co-created by young adults alongside institutions.
• Every year since 2020, hundreds of communities, museums and historic sites participate in Civic Season with events and programs. 700 institutions have participated in Civic Season since 2021, and the program has reached 50M Americans.

Key Moments

• February 2025: Youth250 Bureau begins training
• March 2025 - ongoing: Organizations can request Bureau consultations and get matched
• June 19 - July 4, 2025: The 5th Annual Civic Season Launches on Juneteenth and lasts through July 4.
• July 4, 2026: America’s 250th birthday
• July 5, 2026: America’s Potluck events

Testimonials

“When I met with the Gen Z-ers of Youth250, I was inspired by their vision for how we could  celebrate this moment. Youth250 is an essential resource for organizations that want to better serve younger people – direct access to real input from youth voices across the country.”
– Norman Burns, President and CEO, Conner Prairie

“Running a program without public input is like building a house without a blueprint. Running a Gen Z program without Gen Z input is just not smart. The Youth250 Bureau ensures you’ll never have to plan or run a program without input again!”

– Adam Rozan, Director of Audience, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

“It’s empowering to know that leaders are willing to listen and value what I have to say. Young people bring unique perspectives and innovative solutions that can spark change in ways others might not have considered. This experience has helped me turn my passions and ideas into meaningful action, giving me the confidence to contribute to the conversations shaping our future.”

- Kayla Pilgrim, 18, Berwyn, IL, Youth250 Bureau Member and new member of the Illinois America250 Commission

“It feels good to be surrounded by a wealth of experience, expertise, and knowledge with the potential to significantly improve the future for all of us. We each bring distinct livelihoods, backgrounds, and lineages to the Bureau; yet all of us have faced the reality that our vision for change is often dismissed, and we remain committed to elevating the voices of our generation to create the futures we seek.”

– Ramiro A. Hernández, 23, McAllen, TX, Youth250 Bureau Member

“It’s so rare for young folks to have the opportunity to share our thoughts and opinions with stakeholders, and to be taken seriously. And although many of us may be greenhorns, the Bureau is providing a ton of training and resources to ensure we can communicate our visions and dreams in a way that’ll stick!”

– Connor Walsh, 29, Seattle, WA, Youth250 Bureau Member

Spokespeople

Contact Caroline@historymadebyus.org to connect with any of our spokespeople, whether listed below or others in your area, and to schedule an interview. Hi-res headshots are available.

Made By Us Team

Caroline Klibanoff, Executive Director, Made By Us, Miami, FL: Caroline Klibanoff is a New America US@250 Fellow and an Eisenhower USA 2024 Fellow, and a well-regarded public historian frequently speaking and writing on youth, U.S. history and civic engagement. Caroline leads the team and operations, with expertise in audience research, digital strategy for cultural institutions and nonpartisan civic engagement. Caroline has been with Made By Us since 2019.

Alex Edgar, Youth Engagement Manager, Made By Us, Washington D.C.: Alex brings his extensive experience as a youth engagement strategist and movement builder to build bridges between civic institutions, and young people. Alex was a 2022 recipient of the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award by the National Association of Secretaries of State, the 2023 recipient of the California Young Steward Leader Award from California Forward, and selected to serve on the National Advisory Board for the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement and US Census Bureau’s Advisory Committee.

Dillon St. Bernard, Youth250 Docu-Series Director

A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Dillon leads Amplify Pledge, a network of individuals, brands, and organizations using content to elevate social change. As a sought-after strategic consultant and advisor, Dillon has helped over 60 purpose-driven brands and organizations communicate their work more effectively. Dillon spearheaded social media strategy for the historic September 20, 2019 US Climate Strikes, March On for Voting Rights, and Earth Day Live.

Youth250 Bureau Members

Trey Delida, 25, Lexington, KY

Born and raised in southern West Virginia, Trey Delida blends the Queer and Appalachian experience. Trey is an energetic PR/marketing professional in Lexington, Kentucky, combining his passion for storytelling with his commitment to fostering inclusive communities.

Sarah Fling, 27, Washington, DC

Sarah Fling is a Gen Z content creator and public historian based in Washington, D.C. She works as historian at the White House Historical Association and her research has been featured in Teen Vogue, Washington Post, PBS NewsHour, and The Cambridge Companion to US First Ladies.

Justice Brown, 22, New Haven, CT

Justice graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Psychology and B.A. in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration. She is currently working as the research coordinator and lab manager for Yale’s Social Perception and Communication Lab, where she explores topics surrounding racial prejudice, minority stress, and social belonging.

Corinne Lerma, 21, Cincinnati, OH

Corinne is an early childhood and museum educator born, raised, and currently based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Outside of the classroom, she can be found writing songs, bidding on vintage teddy bears online, or watching Antiques Roadshow.

Sofia Alvarez, 27, Los Angeles, CA

Sofia T. Alvarez is a Program Coordinator at the Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM). She oversees the logistical planning and implementation of Democracy Center programming, activities, and special events, such as a live performance from their community-based storytelling cohort and a free community resource fair.

Kayla Pilgrim, 18, Chicago, IL

Kayla Pilgrim is a passionate communications professional on a mission to elevate youth voice and foster civic engagement. Graduating magna cum laude from the University of Illinois Chicago at just 18, she has already made her mark across government, nonprofits, and community organizations.

Katie Costa, 25, Atlanta, GA

Katie Costa is a strategic brand designer and founder of BLYNK Social, a Gen Z powered creative agency known for bold design choices for brands on the rise. She resides in Atlanta with her two cats and fills her time with creative endeavors that connect small businesses with young digital entrepreneurs.

Museum Leaders

• Patrick Madden, Executive Director, National Archives Foundation, Washington D.C.
• Anthea M. Hartig, Elizabeth MacMillan Director, Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Washington D.C.
• Louise Mirrer, President and CEO, New-York Historical Society, New York, NY
• Norman Burns, President & CEO, Conner Prairie, Indianapolis, IN
• Jim Herr, Director, National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, CA
• Claire Haley, Vice President of Special Projects, Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, GA
• Emily Hermans, Chief Educator, Texas Historical Commission, Austin, TX

About Gen Z

For 250 years, the American story has been written by young people. Today's young adults, Gen Z, are at the helm of a global youth wave, ushering in our future.  We’ve gathered a few pertinent pieces of information to help understand this important demographic:

• Gen Z is approximately 26% of the US population. 41 million members of Gen Z are eligible to vote in 2024.
• Gen Z currently makes up 15% of the workforce; expected to have $400B in buying power by 2026; Gen Z income is projected to surpass that of Millennials by 2031. (Bank of America Research)
• Daily average screen time for ages 15-20 is 7 hours, 6 for those ages 21-27, with an average of 242 and 217 notifications per day respectively (dcdx)
• Gen Z gets 1,000 fewer hours of in-person connection time annually than previous generations. (Univ. Rochester)
• 16% of Gen Z say they are proud to live in the U.S. - lowest sentiment among U.S. adults, next closest is Millennials at 36% (Morning Consult, 2023)
• 25% of Gen Z feel confident about U.S. democracy (CIRCLE 2022)
• 64% of Gen Z say American Identity is important to them, lower than other generations (More in Common, 2022)
• 44% of Gen Z say public schools teach history accurately; 27% trust education officials to be politically neutral (More in Common 2022)