As we approach July 4, 2026—the 250th anniversary of American independence—FAIR is launching an ambitious and exciting campaign that embodies everything our American Experience curriculum represents: hope, unity, and the enduring power of civil discourse to sustain our democratic republic.
While much of the national conversation around America’s semiquincentennial focuses on historical commemoration, FAIR is taking a different approach. Our The American Experience: Voices of Tomorrow campaign will celebrate how contemporary Americans are actively building our future, creating an intergenerational and cross-cultural dialogue that connects our founding principles to modern innovation and civic engagement.
Rather than merely looking backward at what the founders accomplished, we’ll examine how today’s Americans—across all demographics, backgrounds, and beliefs —are applying those same foundational principles to solve contemporary problems. We’ll demonstrate that democracy isn’t a relic to be preserved, but a living experiment that demands on our active participation.
Today, our youth live in an increasingly polarized world where democratic institutions face unprecedented challenges. They see division, hear anger, and often lose hope in America’s capacity for renewal. FAIR’s American Experience curriculum helps students understand that pluralism is messy—and it always has been. Yet throughout our nation’s history, Americans have repeatedly found ways to bridge differences, overcome challenges, and create a more perfect union.
From October 2025 through July 2026, we’ll explore themes that directly reflect our curriculum’s core principles:
The Conscience of Democracy will examine how constructive criticism and respectful dissent have strengthened American democracy throughout history, and continue to do so today. Finding Common Ground will demonstrate how Americans discover shared values and solutions despite deep disagreements. E Pluribus Unum: Out of Many, One will explore how diverse Americans create genuine unity while maintaining their distinct identities, and Neighbors and Citizens will showcase the everyday civic bonds that make democracy work at the community level.
Each month will feature expert-led webinars, thought-provoking Substack articles, and social media campaigns designed to engage Americans in meaningful conversations about our shared democratic future. Every webinar will demonstrate civil discourse in action, every article will model nuanced thinking that moves beyond binary narratives, and every social media interaction will show how Americans can engage constructively across differences.
We’ll hear from constitutional scholars, community bridge-builders, immigrants who’ve found belonging, and young Americans who are innovating solutions to tomorrow’s challenges. Our campaign will reinforce respectful dialogue, good-faith engagement with complexity, and a shared commitment to the common good that transcends partisan divides.
FAIR brings something unique to this moment: our commitment to principled pluralism and civil discourse. We believe Americans can disagree on policy while agreeing on process, debate specific issues while affirming our shared values, and acknowledge past failures while maintaining hope for future progress.
The American Experiment isn’t just about commemoration; it’s about preparation. We’re preparing America’s youth and our communities for the challenges of the next 250 years by demonstrating how the essential tools of democracy—civil discourse, critical thinking, character development, and civic engagement—remain as relevant and powerful today as they were in 1776.
This campaign succeeds only through participation. We need people from all backgrounds and generations to join these conversations, share their stories, and demonstrate that democracy’s best days lie ahead, not behind.
Whether you’re an educator looking to bring these principles into your classroom, a parent wanting to model constructive civic engagement for your children, or simply someone who believes in our capacity for renewal and growth, this campaign has a place for you!
Over the next ten months, let’s prove that America’s greatest strength has always been its people—not just the founders we celebrate, but the citizens we are today and the leaders we’re raising for tomorrow.
The American experiment continues. And it needs all of us.
With gratitude,
Monica Harris
Executive Director