July 4, 2026, will mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. democracy. To mark this milestone, the Initiative for Democracy and Civic Engagement, the William L. Clements Library, and the Arts Initiative have joined forces to create U-M’s U.S. at 250 program. 

The goal of the initiative is to foster university-wide reflection on U.S. democracy over the past two and a half centuries — and envision what the next 250 years can become.

To help facilitate a dialogue, the program has launched a grant program to support activities across the university.

“The 250th anniversary of the United States invites us not only to reflect on the foundations of our democracy, but also to imagine how we might renew and strengthen it for the next generation,” said Jenna Bednar, faculty director for UMICH Votes and the Initiative for Democracy & Civic Empowerment, and professor of political science and public policy in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

“Through the U.S. at 250 initiative, the University of Michigan is fostering meaningful dialogue, civic learning, and public engagement — laying the groundwork for a more inclusive, resilient, and vibrant democratic future.”

Grants of up to $5,000 are available in three categories:

• Events & Programming.
• Teaching and Learning Opportunities.
• Research and Artistic Practice.

The grants will support a series of events and activities that celebrate historic achievements, acknowledge persistent inequities, and help participants think critically about the U.S.’s democratic future.

“Anniversaries like the 250th are complicated events that inspire a range of responses. At their best, these efforts to commemorate and remember crucial moments from our shared past take into account both the legacies of the events of the American Revolution as well as the possibilities offered by roads not taken,” said Paul Erickson, the Randolph G. Adams Director of the Clements Library.

“As one of the nation’s leading collections of archival material related to the Revolution, the Clements Library is excited to serve as a resource for the university community as we think through how arguments that took place 250 years ago can inform how we can think about our responsibilities today as citizens of a republic.”

Application deadlines for the grants are Oct. 31 and Jan. 5, 2026. Programming will begin in the spring of 2026.