It’s hard to believe this summer marked the sixth Civic Season. Over the past five years, it has grown from a work-in-progress into something communities now look forward to and celebrate. What began as an experiment has become thousands of programs, hundreds of participating organizations, and a growing tradition embraced across the country, including here in Washington, DC, where Civic Season is now recognized with a mayoral proclamation.
That success belongs to the thousands of museums, libraries, and civic professionals, organizations, and community members who have made Civic Season their own. It is also the result of leaders such as Caroline Klibanoff, Executive Director of Made By Us, whose work has helped connect, support, and champion this growing movement.
I’ve had the privilege of watching Civic Season grow from the beginning, and each year I’m struck by its expanding scale and impact. I recently caught up with Caroline to reflect on how far Civic Season has come, what we’ve learned along the way, and where it may go next. The following is an excerpt of our conversation.
Adam Rozan: Hi, Caroline! Happy Civic Season to you. I’m curious, what’s Civic Season to you?
Caroline Klibanoff: Happy Civic Season — the 16 days between Juneteenth (June 19) and the Fourth of July, when everyone is invited to learn more history, practice civic involvement, and participate in community activities so that we start our nation’s next year ahead stronger, more connected, and informed. For me, it’s an annual reminder alongside beach days and barbecues that civic participation doesn’t have to feel like homework, or like an obligation — it can feel like a celebration, and be enriching at the same time.
AR: Many readers may not know that one of the reasons Made By Us was started was to build toward 2026. Now, here we are, and it’s the sixth year, the largest to date for Civic Season across the country. What’s special about this Season for you?
CK: We’ve been working toward this moment since the beginning. Made By Us was founded in the run-up to America’s 250th anniversary because we believed that milestone could be an opportunity to harness the next generation’s momentum to power our country’s future. In the last seven years and six Civic Seasons, we’ve seen a huge appetite among Americans of all ages for more places and opportunities to learn about our country’s history and help write its next chapter. At the 250th moment, we see proof that it’s worked and that putting young people in charge has shaped the result in the best way possible. So many young Americans have grown up with this work, whether as Civic Season Fellows or at participating museums. This year is different because it’s a capstone of all we’ve built and a springboard to a better future.
AR: We often talk about Made By Us and Civic Season as ideas generated by young people, still led by them and informed by them. Gen Z throughout. What’s important about that, and what does having a national, Gen-Z-led program across museums, libraries, and communities across the country mean?
CK: It means the program is trustworthy to the people it’s trying to reach. Young people are extraordinarily good at detecting when something is designed for them versus with them. What we’ve seen over six years is that when you actually center young people in the design, everyone wins. Youth who participate in Civic Season show measurable gains in civic knowledge, confidence, and sense of empowerment. Our partner institutions have seen a 47% increase in youth engagement over just two years, making them more relevant and resilient as organizations. But the best part of all is when young people are included in the design of programming from the start — and even in higher levels of input and decision-making.
AR: Can any organization or community host a Civic Season program?
CK: Yes! Any institution, community organization, or neighborhood group can participate. We provide free resources and programming tools in the Civic Season toolkit, and we’ve seen amazingly diverse, creative programming result — from bird-watching at Conner Prairie to game nights at Wisconsin Historical Society to a giant artistic Wish Wall in Miami. Pluralism is the point. Save the date for next summer!
AR: There are many reasons I love and believe in Civic Season, and among them are Wish Walls. What are they, and what’s significant about the Wish Wall program nationally and for the country’s future?
CK: A Wish Wall asks people to write down one wish for the country, posted on a shared space — a bulletin board, or a mural, or, in the case of some creative hosts at the U.S. Capitol Museum and the Ephraim Historical Foundation, who came to this conclusion separately — on the feathered wing of a displayed eagle! Last summer at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, we collected thousands of wishes, displayed on a mural created by Gen Z artist Katie Costa.
The barrier to entry is low, but what happens once someone writes their wish is profound. It opens our imagination and sparks a conversation about tomorrow and what we’re willing to do to get there.
A question I’m always asked is what happens to the wishes that are collected. The best answer is that they’re used. Museums and libraries use the cards to inspire programs. Other organizations learn from what was written. The cards help inspire curiosity and actions that can be taken to strengthen our communities.