The 250th Anniversaries Resources for Staff
The 250th Anniversaries are Coming
Please keep checking this site during the school year for more information and resources!
So maybe you have heard…. The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States is coming! The 250th… is also known as the semi quincentennial… or also known as the bicenquinquagenary… (say that three times fast!) Some have suggested calling it the semi-quinn for short… but most are simply calling it the 250th.
Like most states in New England, our story here in Vermont is not just about the 2026 semiquincentennial in 2026.
Our big start is 2025 with the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point by Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys. Then, like all of America, we will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. We want to take advantage of the excitement and renewed interest in history that we hope will be generated in 2026 to propel us to 2027 – Vermont’s signature year in the story of our founding and our nation.
That includes two key points. First, it is the commemoration of the Founding of Vermont and its constitution; the first democratically organized independent republic on the North American continent, a decade before the U.S. Constitution was formulated. Second, it is also the story of the Battles of Hubbardton and Bennington, and according to Thomas Jefferson, the “first link in the chain” to victory at Saratoga which was a key turning point in the American Revolution.
In 2020, Governor Phil Scott created the Vermont 250th Anniversary Commission. The commission has identified four broad themes related to the 250th as goals to inform our work. An Education and Teacher Outreach Committee was formed to see what we can do about including these 250th related themes into educational programs and curriculum for Vermont students. By working with Vermont curriculum directors and with their help, we hope we can broaden the reach of this effort to include all Vermont students.
To learn more about the four themes, resources currently available, and professional development opportunities available to teachers, please visit: https://education.vermont.gov/student-learning/content-areas/global-citizenship/social-studies#250
From the Vermont Agency of Education: The Vermont 250th Education and Outreach Committee is currently housing information on the AOE Social Studies website. Resources will be updated to provide educators an opportunity to engage students in learning about the founding of the nation. The Committee is focused on sharing the underrepresented voices of the American Revolution, and making the work inclusive of the diverse communities that have contributed to Vermont’s past and will continue to shape its future. An Introduction to Classroom Resources for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution.
Lessons for SVSU Educators
Please open the Google Drive folder to view grade-level lessons and resources. Note that the Bennington 250 team welcomes feedback, which can be given through the feedback form.
Please open the Google Drive folder to view grade-level lessons and resources. Note that the Bennington 250 team welcomes feedback, which can be given through the feedback form.
Bennington will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bennington on August 16, 2027. A committee of local volunteers is already busy planning a huge celebration for this momentous event. Over the next few years leading up to the celebration there will be numerous events taking place to honor local history and there will be some visible changes taking place in the town, especially in Old Bennington. As the group began taking shape a few months ago, task forces, including one focused on education, were created to address different needs for the event. The goal of the Bennington 250th Education Task Force is to help our students learn more about the history of their town and the Battle of Bennington. This task force includes members of the community, teachers from SW Tech, Arlington, BBA, MAU High and Middle, and the Principal of Sacred Heart.
We are still looking for SVSU representatives from grades K-8 and we are reaching out to the local private schools to include them in the activities as well. We need more educators grades K-8 to join the Bennington 250th Education Task Force, please consider signing up! If interested, contact: Katie Contrada at [email protected] or Brooke Remington at [email protected]
Shaftsbury Elementary School 4th Graders visited the Galusha House in Shaftsbury.
Resources for the Bennington Battle Mural Poster