Six Ideas to Celebrate Civic Season from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
Adam Rozan is the director of programs and audience development at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and a member of the Made By Us Civic Season Advisory Board.
Civic Season is a new tradition that connects our newest federal holiday, Juneteenth, and our oldest, July 4th. Since 2021, Civic Season has become an annual ritual for self-discovery and civic upskilling, co-created by Gen Z and cultural institutions. Museums and historic sites lead their communities in the celebration, through programs, exhibits, and sharing resources. This article was written by Adam Rozan to help inspire other institutions to celebrate this new tradition!
Flex your space
We renamed one of our staff spaces the 250th Liberty Lounge. Why? Naming the space was a fun (no-cost, non-permanent) way to build internal buzz, get everyone excited, and create a shared space where we can share ideas, provide resources, and take that next step toward 2026.
Advertise internally
Sometimes, the best ads engage staff and invite them into the process. We hung posters in staff areas at the museum and placed Civic Season Guides in meeting rooms. We invited staff to share what they stand for using the Civic Season posters.
Bring out the Collections
Do what you do best! Like most museums, NMAH is proud of its collections. This year, we invited curatorial colleagues to select an object that best connects with Civic Season and civic activity. We proudly made those objects a key feature of our online activity.
Throw a Pizza Party — and Invite Staff
Working with Made By Us and Pizza to the Polls, we ordered pizza for museum staff and volunteers who volunteered at our evening program. While the museum hosted thousands of visitors who danced to Reggaeton, explored our galleries, and stopped by our Civic Season table, among the other organizations participating in our Civic Pavilion, we treated staff to great pizza and snacks as part of our Civic Season effort.
Create an HQ online
We launched the Civic Season landing page on our website to showcase all of our events, resources, and publications for the public to access.
Display Materials
At the museum, we created a Civic Season display of books relevant to the Season and similar displays for heritage months and our exhibitions. When a new display goes up, we let staff know and encourage their exploration of the topic and the materials. In addition to a fun sign, we placed posters, Civic Season Guides, the superpower QR code, and some stickers we had.
Civic Season may be nearing a close, but civic engagement is a year-long commitment. With the help of Gen Z and nearly 500 museums, Made By Us is laying the foundation for a new generation of active citizens.
