History Center Partners with Nation’s Most Iconic Museums to Launch Inaugural “Civic Season”
The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, will help establish a new nationwide tradition with the launch of the inaugural Civic Season, in partnership with the Made By Uscoalition and Civics Unplugged.
Beginning today (Flag Day, June 14), continuing through Juneteenth (June 19), and culminating after Independence Day (July 4), the Civic Season will engage young citizens throughout the United States with more than 450 programs and resources, including live events, local and digital volunteering opportunities, educational curriculums, and crowdsourced media projects at more than 100 of nation’s most iconic history museums.
These programs and resources can be accessed through a new interactive website, TheCivicSeason.com.
“The History Center is excited to help kickstart a new tradition with the inaugural Civic Season,” said Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Heinz History Center. “Working with our national partners at Made By Us and the Smithsonian, we’re launching an unprecedented offering of resources and programs that will inspire young citizens in Western Pa. and beyond to learn about history and be an active participant in our democracy.”
The Civic Season empowers Americans to engage with our past, take action in the present, and shape the future through activations in our neighborhoods, cities, and social spaces.
“This past year’s challenges revealed Americans’ interdependence, spotlighted our deficits, and drove a groundswell of interest in America’s future, especially for the ‘Gen Z’ demographic,” said Caroline Klibanoff, managing director of Made By Us. “Made By Us and Civics Unplugged saw an opportunity to imbue more meaning, complexity and connection into the 4th of July, to give all Americans a meaningful way to reflect, commit, and take action to build a stronger democracy.”
Civic Season in Pittsburgh
Along with more than 450 online resources offered by TheCivicSeason.com, the Heinz History Center is giving Pittsburghers several exciting ways to get involved in the inaugural Civic Season:
Visit the American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith exhibition:
The History Center examines the bold experiment to create a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” in its dynamic exhibition, American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith. Developed in partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), this timely exhibit showcases the history of how we’ve voted, protested, and engaged with our politics, from the nation’s formation to today. Visitors can explore artifacts from our nation’s Founding Fathers, discover Pittsburgh’s impact on the suffrage and civil rights movements, and test their knowledge on the U.S. citizenship exam. Purchase tickets here.
Juneteenth: Discover the Pittsburgh’s Impact on the Anti-Slavery Movement:
Juneteenth marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the U.S. and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. Visitors can explore the history of the anti-slavery movement, the Underground Railroad, and the impact of 19th century activism on the modern quest for civil and human rights in Pittsburgh as part of the History Center’s award-winning exhibition, From Slavery to Freedom, or explore the exhibit digitally on this microsite.
Compete in the “Civic Season Challenge” on Citizen You:
The intuitive and easy-to-use Citizen You mobile app is designed to foster civic engagement by gamifying everyday civic actions. The FREE app helps bring together citizens of all ages to compete in challenges and earn points for a variety of civic-minded activities including attending local council meetings, helping a neighbor in need, and volunteering. The app is available for download on the App Store or Google Play.
Raise the Stars & Stripes at “Fourth at the Fort” event:
At 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 4, join the Fort Pitt Museum, boy scouts, and elected officials for the annual Fourth at the Fort flag raising ceremony to help the City of Pittsburgh kick off the Fourth of July holiday by raising a 36-foot American flag in Point State Park. Following the flag raising ceremony, Fourth of July revelers of all ages can enjoy an afternoon of patriotic living history. Visitors can throw tomahawks, learn about Fort Pitt and Western Pennsylvania’s role in the American Revolution, and see costumed interpreters reenact 18th-century life at Fort Pitt.
America 101
The History Center’s involvement in Civic Season and the Made By Us national coalition is an extension of its ongoing civics initiative, America 101, which engages the public to learn American history through public programs, special exhibitions, digital learning tools, and educational curriculum. Through the America 101 initiative, the History Center has hosted the award-winning “Be the Change: 9th Grade Civics Summit” program, U.S. naturalization ceremonies, American flag folding events, and other forums to discuss issues such as civics, government, immigration, and history.
America 101 is supported by Nimick Forbesway Foundation, Grable Foundation, Jack Buncher Foundation, Charity Randall Foundation, and UPMC.
The Civic Season is funded thanks to generous support from Maria Carlucci as well as AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate, a Mars Wrigley brand.
About Made By Us
Our national motto, e pluribus unum—out of many, one— is also the ethos of this group. We are hundreds of civic and history organizations collaborating across the country. Loudly and clearly, we recognize the opportunity presented in this transformative moment for institutions like ours to better serve the public and join the ongoing conversation about the future of our country. We have come together in an unprecedented way, pooling resources and bringing the best we each have to offer, so that we might harness the spirit of collaboration and tap into our varied strengths—across regions, disciplines, and methods. We are modeling a new path forward for the ways in which history serves the people. Now is the time for us all to step up. For more information, visit https://historymadebyus.com/.
The Made By Us steering committee is comprised of leaders from nine iconic historical organizations, including the Heinz History Center, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, National Archives, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, New-York Historical Society, Japanese American National Museum, Atlanta History Center, HistoryMiami, and Missouri Historical Society.