Program Allows Students to Connect Past, Present and Future
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will host the “National Youth Summit on the Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness,” a nationwide annual educational initiative that invites middle and high school students to explore how Americans have pursued and expanded access to the ideals of life, liberty and happiness over the past 250 years. Educators can register online to receive free resources, videos and facilitation materials. The summit will feature four object-centered historical inquiries drawn from Smithsonian collections, videos of youth-led conversations developed with the museum’s Youth Leadership Team and a keynote conversation exploring civics, leadership and community engagement.
This year, the museum commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness,” a landmark exhibition exploring the ideals of this founding document with a display of 250 objects encompassing 250,000 square feet across all three floors of the museum. The summit carries that same theme out to classrooms and communities across the country. Additionally, the National Youth Summit has partnered with Smithsonian Affiliations and affiliate organizations since 2011 to convene regional summits.
“In this 250th anniversary year, the National Youth Summit asks young people what this country’s founding ideals mean now,” said Anthea M. Hartig, the Museum’s Elizabeth MacMillan Director. “With 21 Smithsonian Affiliates hosting regional summits, young people will examine those ideals through the national collections and the history and collections in their own communities.”
Through these programs, Affiliate organizations help connect the national theme to local history, collections and community experiences. Beginning in October 2026, participating Smithsonian Affiliates will receive early access to the National Youth Summit conversation kit and videos to support regional summit programming. Throughout the fall and winter, participating organizations will facilitate conversations and activities with young people in their communities using Smithsonian-developed resources. In March 2027, the full suite of National Youth Summit materials will be released publicly, culminating in a National Youth Summit event at the National Museum of American History during Civic Learning Week.
About the National Youth Summit
The National Youth Summit was developed by the National Museum of American History to provide teens with an opportunity to explore history through inquiry, discussion and reflection. Since its launch in 2011, the program has engaged more than 65,000 secondary students across the United States through live events, educational resources, classroom activities and regional summits. The National Youth Summit is part of a larger Smithsonian initiative focused on civic engagement to help Americans explore how understanding the past can inform the present and inspire the future through history education, civic engagement and collaborative learning.
About Smithsonian Affiliations
Established in 1996, Smithsonian Affiliations is a national outreach program that develops long-term collaborative partnerships with museums, educational and cultural organizations to enrich communities with Smithsonian resources. The long-term goal of Smithsonian Affiliations is to facilitate a two-way relationship among Affiliate organizations and the Smithsonian Institution to increase discovery and inspire lifelong learning in communities across America. More information about the Smithsonian Affiliations program and Affiliate activity is available online.
About the National Museum of American History
Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The doors of the museum are always open online, and the virtual museum continues to expand its offerings, including online exhibitions, PK–12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media on Instagram and Facebook. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.