The United States will mark its 250th anniversary, the semiquincentennial, on July 4, 2026, and Vermont Public is joining a statewide and national effort to honor this milestone through storytelling, education, and community connection.
In partnership with the Vermont Agency of Education and the Vermont 250th Anniversary Commission, Vermont Public is collaborating with libraries, museums, schools, and families across the state to explore the themes of freedom, liberty, democracy, and independence — and what they mean to Vermonters today.
This initiative is part of the largest engagement plan in PBS history, reaching classrooms and communities nationwide through the power of public media. Supported by three national and state-level grants, this work advances Vermont Public’s mission to connect deeply with communities, strengthen partnerships, and expand access to educational and cultural programming across the state.
Vermont Public’s America 250 programming will include a range of educational and storytelling projects designed to engage learners of all ages:
- Collaboration with Vermont schools and libraries: Vermont Public is sharing a suite of educational resources with school districts to encourage cross-disciplinary learning opportunities for students from pre-K through 12th grade.
Student storytelling through media arts: Vermont Public has partnered with several of Vermont’s Career Technical Education (CTE) programs on an eight-month digital media project inviting students to produce short videos reflecting on Vermont today through the lens of the 250th anniversary. Guided by the question, “Are there unfinished revolutions in Vermont?”, this initiative empowers students to use technology to tell stories rooted in their communities. These student-produced stories will be shared publicly in July 2026. Participating programs include:
- Green Mountain Technology and Career Center
- Burlington Technical Center
- Southwest Tech
- Randolph Technical Career Center
- Central Vermont Technical Career Center
- River Valley Tech Center
- National programming spotlight: Vermont Public will also feature the new Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt six-part documentary series, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, premiering November 16 on PBS. The film examines how America’s founding “turned the world upside down” and continues to shape the nation’s identity today.
- In the coming months, Vermont Public will feature a student video showcase and launch a new family newsletter series highlighting creative ways to bring history home through place-based projects in the kitchen and garden.
“Through this collaboration, we’re inviting all Vermonters to explore our living history — to reflect on the past while imagining the future of democracy, citizenship, and freedom here in Vermont and beyond,” said Kari Anderson, senior vice president of audience and community at Vermont Public.
More about Vermont Public’s America 250 initiative is available here.
