Published Jul 2, 2026, 2:55 PM EDT
The handwritten notes are found across the U.S., at museums, historic sites, libraries, college campuses and public gathering spaces.
As adults across the United States prepare to formally celebrate the Fourth of July and the long journey taken to reach this point in the nation's history, the largest youth generation in U.S. history is also speaking out about their appreciation for the country—as well as where improvements can be made to sustain the 250-year-old democratic republic. For months, Gen Z individuals in all 50 states have posted handwritten messages sharing their hopes, dreams and frustrations as part of more than 250 interactive “Wish Walls” found at museums, historic sites, libraries, campuses and public gathering spaces. The civic initiative, organized by the organization Made by Us, has been described as one of the largest national efforts coinciding with the 250th anniversary and how Americans feel about the past, present and future. According to Made by Us, more than 90,000 wishes have been shared and more continue to be scribed. Youth250 is the national, nonpartisan civic initiative led by Made By Us that is encouraging increased engagement so the youth of today can impact future generations through creative civic participation, public storytelling, and nationwide community endeavors. Alex Edgar, 22, a youth engagement manager at Made by Us, told Military.com that the organization is a national coalition of museums and cultural institutions dedicated to better engaging young adults, primarily those aged between 18 and 30 years. The initiative started in 2019 when multiple museum leaders came together and recognized how younger people reacted while inside museums, such as K-12 students in attendance as part of school field trips or STEAM camps. Those leaders were from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, Senator John Heinz History Center, National Archives Foundation, Atlanta History Center, HistoryMiami Museum and New-York Historical Society. "Made by Us was started as this kind of big collaborative field-building organization to really push cultural institutions of all sizes across the country forward, and how they engage young adults," Edgar said. "I was brought in 2024 to start this Youth250 initiative because...I'd always seen it as a kind of goal post that we were working towards, as an opportunity to really put young people at the forefront of how we imagine our country, tell our country's story, it's scientific innovation, it's art, etc."
