LEGACY PROJECTS
A legacy for Idaho.
The America250 in Idaho commemoration, culminating in 2026, is a national effort to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. America250 in Idaho aims to advance the ideals of the American Revolution – equality, liberty, and justice – through meaningful community engagement while recognizing and highlighting Idaho’s journey in America’s legacy.
Tell Us Your Story
As Idaho prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the America250 in Idaho Task Force would like to hear from you! In partnership with the Idaho State Historical Society and TheirStory™, a remote oral history platform that helps communities collect, preserve, and engage with the audiovisual stories of their members, the America250 in Idaho Commemoration hopes to collect as many memories, experiences, and stories from Idahoans as possible.
Please respond to only one prompt question per recording session and limit your recording to three minutes.
Need help getting started? For questions or further assistance please contact HannaLore Hein, Idaho State Historian & America250 in Idaho Task Force Vice Chair via email at hannalore.hein@ishs.idaho.gov.
Terms and Conditions
By submitting an oral history you are agreeing to the terms and conditions outlined below.
I certify that I am 18 years of age and an adult consenting to the following terms and conditions. I donate to the Idaho State Historical Society a recording to be included at their sole discretion for historical and scholarly purposes as they see fit, including but not limited to the exclusive rights of reproduction, distribution, preparation of derivative works, public performance, and display in print, visual, electronic, or other available media, including but not limited to the internet. The Idaho State Historical Society shall not be liable for any misuse of the recordings provided. The recording provided is not copyrighted by any other individual or entity and I affirm that I have the legal right and title to provide said recording to the Idaho State Historical Society.
State Agency Task Force Projects
Throughout the America250 in Idaho celebration, state partners will promote America250 in Idaho initiatives through ongoing impactful projects.
Idaho Commission on the Arts
The Idaho Commission on the Arts is eager to engage the Idaho arts community in A250. Our constituents include arts and cultural organizations, arts administrators, schools, students, painters, writers, dancers, actors, singers, and tradition bearers across the state. To welcome these Idahoans into A250, we have identified the following projects for branding under the America250 in Idaho Commemoration:
Grants
- Public Programs in the Arts
- Arts Education Projects
- Artist Fellowships
- Traditional Arts
Programming
- Creative Aging
- Creative Placemaking
- Apprenticeships
Digital Content
- Video profiles of award-winning artists and communities of practice
- In addition to branding these existing projects, the Commission is also exploring the possibility of commemorating the 40th anniversary of our fellowships in conjunction with A250.
Idaho Commission for Libraries
The Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) will utilize the theme of Idaho history/America 250 for its 2026 Idaho Family Reading Week (FRW) initiative. Idaho FRW is a dedicated week each fall that is a statewide celebration to reinforce the fun and value of family reading. Library staff also use FRW as an advertisement for library services and resources by showcasing all that patrons of public and school libraries have access to with a library card. Idaho Family Reading Week reaches communities around the state. Incorporating A250 in FRW will be an effective way to spread the message to families throughout the Gem State.
The ICfL’s Libraries Linking Idaho (LiLI) collection of tools and resources includes the History Reference Center, where U.S. history can be easily explored. Other topics include: civics and government; women’s history; military history; regions and landmarks; and events and movements. The History Reference Center also includes publications, curriculum standards, citation help, and a research guide. LiLI is freely available to Idahoans 24/7. The ICfL can specifically advertise and market this LiLI resource to libraries.
The ICfL’s Talking Book Service (TBS) will record/produce a new title with an Idaho history theme for TBS patrons.
In addition, the ICfL will communicate with the more than 850 Idaho libraries about the A250 commemoration and encourage local participation by libraries in ways that best serve their communities.
Idaho Department of Commerce
As the lead economic development agency for the State of Idaho, the Idaho Department of Commerce fosters a business-friendly environment to aid in job creation, support existing companies, strengthen communities, and market Idaho to grow, cultivate, expand, guide, encourage, and promote innovation, tourism, recreation, and economic development.
The Idaho Department of Commerce encourages residents, visitors, and communities to use the following resources to understand better Idaho’s cultural, recreational, and humanities-focused businesses and non-profits across the state.
Idaho Department of Education
Idaho Department of Labor
The Idaho Department of Labor’s (IDOL) initiatives align and support the America250 in Idaho commemoration in several key ways.
Economic Strength and Innovation:
- The department’s efforts to connect job seekers with employment opportunities and improve employment rates contribute to Idaho’s economic momentum. This aligns with America250’s focus on celebrating Idaho’s role in America’s prosperity and attracting investment and opportunities to the Gem State.
Education and Workforce Development:
- IDOL’s workforce development programs and vocational rehabilitation services support the America250 goal of empowering Idahoans’ hearts and minds. These initiatives foster critical thinking and prepare learners of all ages for the workforce, contributing to Idaho’s economic strength.
Volunteerism:
- Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, embodies the uniquely American spirit of community engagement and civic responsibility. This organization inspires and empowers Idahoans to address unmet needs through service and volunteerism, reflecting a longstanding national tradition. Volunteerism has been a cornerstone of American society since its founding, and Serve Idaho exemplifies this ethos through various programs:
- AmeriCorps: Serve Idaho oversees several AmeriCorps programs, including Reading Corps, which helps young students improve their literacy skills, and environmental initiatives that preserve Idaho’s natural beauty.
- AmeriCorps Seniors: This program engages volunteers aged 55 and over in meaningful service opportunities, fostering intergenerational connections and utilizing the skills and experience of older Americans.
The American tradition of volunteerism, as exemplified by Serve Idaho, reflects core national values such as self-reliance, community support, and civic engagement. This grassroots approach to addressing social issues through citizen participation has been a defining characteristic of American society, distinguishing it from many other nations where such services are primarily government driven. By connecting Idahoans with diverse volunteer opportunities, from environmental conservation to education and public health, Serve Idaho continues to uphold and strengthen this uniquely American tradition of community service and civic responsibility.
Idaho Transportation Department
The Idaho Transportation Department’s (ITD) mission is your safety, your mobility, and your economic opportunity. The agency’s work aspires to enhance quality of life through transportation. In support of America250 in Idaho, ITD invites residents, visitors, and communities to tell your America250 story through photographs and to learn about the state’s transportation history via two repositories of digital photographs from all over the state.
Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
The Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in Idaho through outdoor recreation and resource stewardship.
The America250 in Idaho commemoration embraces Idaho’s natural beauty as a tenant of what makes Idaho unique to the union. Idaho State Parks curate the story of how Idaho came to be, showing how those who chose to live here made it the place so many cherish today. Visit one of Idaho’s 30 state parks as part of your celebration of America250 in Idaho and learn more about these valuable places via the link below.
Idaho Public Television
Idaho Public Television is proud to be part of Idaho’s celebration of the founding of our nation. As the only statewide media provider of Idaho news, information and education content, we connect our state in unique ways. Our outdoor, history and cultural programs have been connecting Idaho citizens for almost 60 years. The America 250 celebration lets us expand on that mission.
The centerpiece of our A250 effort will be to reinvent our 1990 series on Idaho history for kids. Working with the State Department of Education and Idaho teachers, this new history video series will align with Idaho’s 4th-grade content standards and be designed and created from the ground up for Idaho teachers and students. The series will include a comprehensive Idaho history curriculum based on Idaho Social Studies content standards, and each video will have clearly defined educational objectives pulled directly from the state standards.
IdahoPTV plans to release the full series of videos and supplemental materials in summer 2026, in time for the 2026-27 school year and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. We will pilot videos and essential curriculum in the 2025-26 school year, to use feedback from classrooms and teachers to improve the series before its full release.
Our plans include creating broadcast and streaming content to document Idaho community celebrations around the state as together we mark America’s sesquicentennial.
Other efforts will honor and celebrate this unique American moment.
Idaho Reports, the longest running news and public affairs program in the West, will tackle stories of democracy and citizenship. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting intends to engage with similar work about our active citizenry. Outdoor Idaho has been showcasing the beauty and wonders of our state’s outdoors since 1983, and we intend to highlight Idaho’s public lands and their importance to the tribes, settlers, economy and environment of Idaho. Idaho Experience, our history documentary series, produced in partnership with the Idaho State Historical Society, is planning new episodes that connect citizens to our state and nation’s history. In 2026, for example, we will tell the story of how 1976 Teton Dam collapse and flood changed Eastern Idaho.
PBS also plans major documentaries for the celebration. Included will be a new multi-part series on the Revolutionary War by Ken Burns. We will capitalize on PBS content to bring statewide awareness to Idaho’s Journey, America’s Legacy.
Idaho State Historical Society
Events
