There’s no end to making a more perfect union.
Where curiosity meets credibility.
An unprecedented collaboration of cultural institutions supporting young people's civic power.
Understanding our past is essential for shaping the future. But it’s not always easy to find historical context right when you need it – like when you’re casting your ballot, when news breaks, or when you need some perspective or support.
That’s where Made By Us comes in.
Whether you’re figuring out who you want to be, or already leading in your community; whether you liked history class or prefer to learn from TikTok or Cardi B; whether you’re looking for weekend events, help processing the headlines, or deeper connection to your country – we got you.
Founding Partners
“E pluribus unum” – out of many, one. That’s our vibe. We are collectively led by 8 major museums and our trustworthy, inclusive history is powered by a network of more than 150 historic sites and organizations nationwide.
Powering our future with history
Get Involved
Be a part of it! Let's write the next chapter of history together.
The next chapter is up to us. What role will you play?
FAQs
Why are you focused on serving people ages 18-30?
We might be experts in history, but we're all about the future. A new generation is setting the agenda for today's conversations and writing the next chapter of the United States – and we are here for it. Museums, historic sites and historical societies have trustworthy resources and expertise that can help inform these conversations, inspire new questions and help us understand "how we got here." But it takes a coordinated effort – Made By Us! – to bring this history to dorm rooms, dinner tables and devices.
And while all ages are welcome here, we're focused on closing a gap for a particularly underserved group. Many other important efforts from museums support students, teachers and older adults. But younger adults are not often centered in programming – even though these are often our new voters, taxpayers, service-members, community leaders, cultural influencers and people in the throes of figuring out their life. (And gorgeous. And fun. We see you. You got this.)
What do you do?
We're a bridge between the expertise and resources of history institutions, and the needs and curiosity of younger adults. How do we do this? A few ways:
- Delivering history in innovative ways to meet young people where they are. From Teen Vogue to Airbnb campaigns, tarot readings to memes, TikTok tours to creator collabs, trivia brunch to quizzes and guides, we are testing and learning in new formats to bring history into new spaces. We do this with our network of partners.
- Major shared programs that roll out the "welcome mat" for civic participation. In 2020 we began with a nationwide "listening tour" by launching My Wish For U.S., a multimedia platform for sharing your vision for America's future. We built on this in 2021 with Civic Season, now a yearly tradition between Juneteenth and July 4th with 750+ events and 300+ organizations participating.
- Training, consulting and facilitating knowledge-sharing for cultural institutions so they can build their capacity to serve young adults. We learn in real time, together. Made By Us provides research, data and trainings for all of our network partners. We hold quarterly calls and more frequent Lab Groups to try new formats and ideas and report back to the group. And we provide additional consulting services for specific programs, initiatives or ideas.
Why are you doing this now?
Mark your calendars – the United States will have its 250th birthday in 2026. (Are you going? Meet us there.) We're on a mission to help younger Americans connect to our nation's story, and their role in shaping it, by the time that anniversary rolls around. Our biggest program, the Civic Season, is a new tradition held each summer from Juneteenth through July 4th and designed to build up to the commemoration in 2026.
Beyond the 250th, we are hearing the urgency of our current moment and responding to calls from younger people for "the history we didn't get in school." Since we launched in 2020, we have continually evolved our offerings to meet the current challenging moment and ensure we are building flexibility, responsiveness and care into our work.
Can I trust you? Are you nonpartisan?
We're a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization and we want you to make up your own mind and stay curious, informed by history. But history itself is often an argument based on facts. We take great care to share vetted sources, balanced perspectives, nuance, context and diverse voices, and maintain a Code of Conduct.
What sets us apart is our pluralist approach and nationwide network of sources. No single museum, or voice, or program can tell the full story of the United States. We're not a single source – we have a remarkable cross-section of experts from more than 150 institutions, across diverse and varied subject matter, source material and perspectives. We have extraordinarily comprehensive collections at our fingertips, and take care to ensure accuracy, accessibility and quality scholarship in everything we produce. We are uniquely positioned to share history that represents all of us.
How can I support your work?
We're so glad you're interested! There are many ways. If you work for a history or civics organization, you can join our coalition, participate in Civic Season, or find out about learning and skill-building opportunities. Email Nia Mosby at Nia@HistoryMadeByUs.org for more info.
Do you want to help us grow with a financial contribution? Thank you! Your work supports the coordination and growth of this movement for institutions and youth.
How to Give to Made By Us:
We welcome gifts through our fiscal sponsor, Atlanta History Center.
- Make an online donation here. Be sure to select “Made By Us” for your gift destination.
- To mail a donation, please make checks payable to Made By Us and send to Made By Us c/o Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30305.
- To receive an invoice, or if you wish to give through another means such as a stock or planned gift, please contact Caroline@HistoryMadeByUs.org.