The United States turns 250 this summer.
At a moment when many Americans feel disconnected from one another, that milestone invites important questions: What makes us feel proud of where we live? What challenges are our communities facing? What hopes do we hold for the future? And how do we move forward together in times that can feel so divided?
To help make space for those conversations — and rebuild the civic muscle communities need to thrive — the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) has launched the American Conversation Project (ACP), a nonpartisan civic listening initiative in partnership with Cortico and a growing coalition of civic, cultural, education, faith, and media organizations.
ACP is bringing people together — in libraries, community spaces, and neighborhoods across the country — for guided conversations rooted in listening, reflection, and human connection. Not debate. Not performative dialogue. Real conversations about our communities, our experiences, and our hopes for the future.
Every conversation is local, but together they will contribute to a larger national story about who we are, what we care about, and what kind of future we want to build.
Momentum is already growing. Citizens & Scholars, the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, and the Community Foundation of the San Luis Valley are hosting the first flight of conversations, and more than 140 libraries across 45 states + D.C. have already signed up to host conversations in their communities.
And there’s a place for you in this effort.
Whether you want to attend a conversation, host one in your community, partner with ACP, or simply help spread the word, we hope you’ll join us as America approaches this historic milestone.
