Next Year, America Turns 250. These Gen Zers Want to Make It a Turning Point

This open letter from Youth250, “Dear America,” urges leaders to share power, elevate youth voices, and co-create what comes next.

By Youth250 | Teen Vogue

Youth250 is an initiative from Made By Us, a nationwide network of museums, historic sites, libraries and archives joining forces to inform and inspire the next generation. Youth250 is the dynamic, nonpartisan initiative to capture young people’s imaginations, ideas and input as the United States turns 250 years old in 2026.

Dear America:

Next year, the United States turns 250 years old. But, it’s more than just a big birthday party. The U.S. 250th is a milestone moment to ask ourselves whether the America we’re living in has lived up to its founding promises.

For young people today, political division, economic instability, and global crises are the backdrop to our coming of age story. We’re the largest youth generation in U.S. history — but we’ve had few chances to shape the decisions that define our future.

Our country was started by a letter. A defiant vision and call to action – from people younger than most of those in power today. We’re starting up where they left off.

A country that builds with young people is a better country. If the United States of America is going to have a future, then America’s future must have a seat at the table.

It’s time to rekindle the revolutionary spirit of urgency and invention. Gen Z is ready to lead our country into the future.

With our country’s 250th birthday a year away, we’re calling on leaders and young people nationwide to make this moment a turning point. Over the next 12 months, join us in making these commitments:

Include young people in every room where decisions are made. Not with tokenization, but with real responsibility, roles and influence.

Share our stories, ideas and experiences on your platforms. We bring a unique point of view to shape culture and policy.

Co-create the future. Don’t design for us, design with us. We have our finger on the pulse and our insights are essential for business, media, government and society.

This is your invitation. If you run a business, lead an institution, shape policy, or influence culture – pass the mic to the next generation. Challenge your peers to do the same.

And if you’re a young person reading this, you already belong in this work. Join the Youth250 movement. Volunteer your voice for the national Content Corps. Ask questions. Take action. Help write the story of where we go from here.

The best birthday gift we can give this country isn’t nostalgia. It is power shared across generations. To imagine. To govern. To build what comes next.

With urgency and hope,

Youth250

Co-Signed by leading efforts across sectors:

ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge

Amplify Pledge

Atlanta History Center

Campus Compact

Charles Wright Museum of African American History

CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement)

Civics Unplugged

CoGenerate

Conner Prairie

DoSomething

Future Caucus

Generation Citizen

Her Campus

Hopelab

History Co:Lab

HistoryMiami Museum

Institute for Citizens and Scholars

Japanese American National Museum

Lincoln Presidential Foundation

Made By Us

National Archives Foundation

National Youth Leadership Council

New Voters

PBS News Student Reporting Labs

Points of Light

Senator John Heinz History Center

The New York Historical

Young Futures

Youth Service America