250 & Beyond: A Nationwide Celebration of Service
April 24, 2026 | 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM ET
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Washington, D.C. and Online
Help Shape the Next 250 Years of American Service
250 & Beyond is a landmark national convening honoring the past, present, and future of service in America. Timed to National Volunteer Month and aligned with the United States Semiquincentennial, this hybrid symposium will bring together thousands of Americans—students, educators, nonprofit leaders, public servants, and community members—to celebrate service as a defining element of our national identity.
Anchored in Washington, D.C., and livestreamed to classrooms and communities across the country, the event marks the continuation of a national movement launched at the 2024 National Service Symposium. That movement calls on schools, libraries, and civic institutions to create Community and Campus Museums of Service, local exhibitions that uplift the stories of everyday Americans who serve.
This April, we will gather to celebrate those stories, showcase the impact of this nationwide effort, and issue a bold call to action to inspire the next 250 years of American service.
You will receive an email confirmation after registering. If you have any questions, please send an email to info@independentsector.org.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Meet the Speakers
Dr. Akilah Watkins
President & CEO
Independent Sector
Dr. Amir Pasic
Eugene R. Tempel Dean
Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Antoinette S. Mitchell, Ph.D.
State Superintendent
Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Ava Tavakkoli
Co-Founder
Sidwell Friends School NMCFS Project
Brian Baird
Founder
National Museum and Center for Service
Cait Leavey
9/11 Day
Deborah Sran
Senior Manager
John R. Lewis Leadership Program
Jeffrey Moore
Chief Strategy Officer
Independent Sector
JoAnna Arnold, PhD
Literacy Specialist
Georgia’s Chattahoochee-Flint Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA)
John Hewko
General Secretary and CEO
Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation
John Tyler
General Counsel, Secretary, and Chief Ethics Officer
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Jose Antonio Tijerino
President & CEO
Hispanic Heritage Foundation
Joy G. Kinard, Ph.D.
Chair, Division of Political History
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Julie Budkowski
Managing Director
National Museum and Center for Service
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
Attorney and Former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Kelly McFarland Stratman
Executive Director
National Council for the Social Studies
LeAnn Naillon
Lead Strategist
Telos Coaching & Consulting
Linda Mathes
Chief Advisor
Bipartisan Leadership Project
Maureen Eccleston
Chief Impact Officer
Service Year Alliance
Mioshi Moses
Vice President
Volunteer Programs at AARP Foundation
Nathan Dietz
Director
Do Good Lab
Osewe Ogada
Co-Founder
Sidwell Friends School NMCFS Project
Shreyaa Venkat
Founder and CEO
NEST4US
Stanley Fontaine
Special Assistant
Office of the President, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Tay Moore
Associate, Education and Society Program
Aspen Institute
Trygve Throntveit
Research Professor in Higher Education and Associate Director
Center for Economic and Civic Learning, Ball State University
Vanessa Diamond
Chief Program and Impact Officer
Points of Light
Victoria Leonhardt
Director, Communities
Giving Tuesday
Zeta Ouanes
Co-Founder
Sidwell Friends School NMCFS Project
Details and FAQ
No, entry to the event is free and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. However, as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations we welcome contributions to support events like this and 250 & Beyond programming.
Yes, please visit this registration page to sign up for the livestream on April 24.
Yes, lunch and light refreshments are free for in-person attendees.
Yes, more details can be found in our sponsorship guide.
If you have any questions, please send an email to Sharifa Love-Schnur
250 & Beyond is a joint initiative of the National Museum and Center for Service and Independent Sector, dedicated to creating inspiring and impactful exhibitions of service in schools and communities all across the nation in time for the 250th celebration.
This vision is not simply for a symbolic, temporary, once-every-quarter-millennium event. Rather, it is an opportunity for every community and organization to participate in creating enduring exhibits of service that continually honor, celebrate, and inspire service and volunteerism.
There are so many ways to get involved: you can create your own local museum of service, share your story of service, host an event in your community, and more.
This Event is Hosted By
