Jaclyn Victor with America250PA was a guest speaker at our weekly meeting. The Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial (America250PA) was established by the legislature and Governor in 2018 to plan, encourage, develop and coordinate the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Pennsylvania’s integral role in that event, and the impact of its people on the nation’s past, present, and future. America250PA hopes to engage all citizens of the Commonwealth, from all 67 counties, bring the Commonwealth’s history into the conversation so Pennsylvanians can better understand the origins and multiple perspectives of issues facing our Commonwealth & nation today, use history to encourage and inspire future leaders, celebrate the contributions of Pennsylvanians to our Commonwealth’s history but also to our Nation’s history, leave a lasting impact on the next generation.“Epic” isn’t just the adjective Jaclyn chose to describe America 250. It is also an acronym describing the program’s goals:
- Educate: America 250 is working with the National Liberty Museum to create civics programs for students.
- Preserve: Preserving history – especially local history - is a key goal of America 250. Special bronze bells will be placed at local historic sites around the state and included on a map in an effort to promote historical stories that most people don’t know about. Coleman gave an example: A bell will be placed at the Dennis Farm in Susquehanna County, which is the longest freely owned African-American farm in the country. “That’s an asset and a gem to have here in our commonwealth, and most people don’t know about it.”
- Innovate: All colleges and universities in Pennsylvania are invited to take part in the Direct Effect Innovation Challenge. In challenges each year through 2026, students will work to create an “integrated strategy to celebrate and innovate” that will support America 250 PA.
- Celebrate: Coleman said America 250 PA will aim to celebrate every county. This is why it’s important for each county, and even the municipalities within them, to pass the America 250 PA resolution and appoint a representative to get involved.
This community has a wealth of history and it goes back longtime and we all think of the York as the first Capital.