What does the culture of service look like in your community?
How does the culture of service manifest in your neighborhood, your community, your campus, or in organizations around you? During this semiquincentennial, we are gathering stories that celebrate the spirit of service in ALL its forms from partner organizations, our community, and from individuals who graciously give their time in helping others. This is a call to action, honoring our past, celebrating our present and inspiring our future, helping us respect our differences and transcend our divisions. Your organization, school, community, and you as an individual can be part of this.
Submit a written account, text and photos, or a 30-90 second video. All submissions will be reviewed and selected stories will be celebrated through social media or published on our website.
Please read the frequently asked questions.
Stories of service in communities across the nation
Zack Huffman
Teach for America alumni Zach Huffman sees his community in Little Rock, AK thrive through dedicated teachers, student tutors, and neighborhood cleanups.
Jill Hughes, World Ocean School
Executive Director Jill Hughes shares what service looks like for a community of young people sailing the ocean on a tall ship. Service to ship, shipmate and self.
Sarah Botstein
Sarah Botstein, co-producer and co-director of The American Revolution talks about how service manifests in her community.
Hon. Bob Inglis (R-SC)
Hon. Bob Inglis (R-SC) shares a wonderful story about service.
Hon. Donna Edwards (D-MD)
Hon. Donna Edwards (D-MD) talks about the culture of service in her home state of Maryland and our nation’s capital.
“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.”
— Author unknown
Create a local museum of service
Communities across the country are creating local exhibitions of service for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Join the movement in celebrating and inspiring service in public spaces and connecting people to ways of getting involved. Be a part of a nationwide launch of exhibitions in a national celebration for volunteer month in April 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! In fact we have already had wonderful exhibits with numerous organizations across the country and have a growing collection of amazing stories about people from all walks of life.
We encourage our community to share insights, stories, and media that foster constructive dialogue and reflect our mission. Whether it’s a comment, a photo, or a testimonial, we love seeing the diverse perspectives of our community.
While we celebrate open expression, we de review submissions to ensure any submissions we publish and share reflect a nonpartisan, safe, and productive space for everyone. We personally review each submission to ensure it adheres to our community standards. We reserve the right to not use, and may delete altogether, content which includes any or all of the below:
- Hate speech and harassment: Content that attacks or demeans individuals or groups.
- Inappropriate media: Explicit, violent, or otherwise sensitive imagery.
- Misinformation: “Facts” or claims that are demonstrably false or misleading.
- Off-topic/Spam: Promotional material or content that distracts from the intended purpose of this initiative.
Medium to high quality is the short answer (e.g. 900×600 px or above). Nearly all smartphones take images and videos that are of sufficient resolution. Hand-held cameras will certainly provide sufficient quality.
Images should be .jpg, .png, or .heic. Videos should be .mp4 or .hevc. If you have a different image or video format that would like to submit and have questions, please contact [email protected].
Yes, in the submission form we have a Media Consent and Release agreement that you will need to review to before submitting.
All information collected is stored on our own secure, internal data systems. We will never release your contact information. If we or our partners choose to publish your story, only your first or preferred name and location may be used.
Yes, absolutely! And please mention and/or tag the 250 & Beyond initiative. Please use these tags: #civicengagement #communityimpact #giveback #250andBeyond #NMCFS #serviceiseverywhere #storiesofservice
Collaborating partners
About the organizing partners
National Museum and Center for Service
A national organization developing a truly national museum and center dedicated to honoring and inspiring service in ALL its forms.
Independent Sector
A national organization developing a truly national museum and center dedicated to honoring and inspiring service in ALL its forms.
WETA
Founded in 1961, WETA is the leading public broadcasting station in the nation’s capital and serves their community with educational, cultural, news and public affairs programs and services.
250 & Beyond is a joint initiative of Independent Sector and the National Museum and Center for Service.
