Across the country, Americans are planning unique and exciting ways to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. At Ursinus College, we are marking this historic milestone by celebrating the ways we are engaged and commemorating this historic moment in our nation’s history.
connect. engage. celebrate.
America250
Ursinus College marks the nation's 250th anniversary through campus, community and alumni engagement, special events, exhibitions, and high-impact initiatives.
Located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, just minutes from Valley Forge, Ursinus College sits in the heart of the region where America’s story unfolded. We are proud to help commemorate the United States Semiquincentennial, while investing in the future through the American250 Montgomery Tuition Promise—making an Ursinus education more accessible to students from Montgomery County.
Scholarship Partner and Montco County Tuition Promise
Building on that momentum, Ursinus launched theAmerica250 Tuition Promise for Montgomery CountyinFebruary 2026, guaranteeing that tuition will not exceed $10,000 per year—renewable for up to four years—for eligible county high school seniors. Through these initiatives, Ursinus is ensuring that America250 is not only a celebration of the past, but an investment in the future.
2x Champions: America250PA Direct Effect Innovation Challenge
Ursinus students have played a leading role in America250PA’s Direct Effect Innovation Challenge (DEIC), a three-round statewide marketing competition in which college and university teams design and launch campaigns for America250PA. Demonstrating the College’s creative leadership in the America250 movement, Ursinus earned first-place honors in both 2023 and 2025 after presenting winning pitches at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg.
Alvarez awarded grant to launch “America @250” initiative
Director of International Programs Paula Alvarez has been awarded a $5,000 grant from Campus Philly and the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) through Campus250, an initiative funding innovative, community-engaged projects at Philadelphia area colleges and universities commemorating America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. Her proposal, “America @ 250: Global Connections, Local Strengths,” will be a weeklong initiative at Ursinus College exploring how migration, international networks, and intercultural exchange have shaped Philadelphia and the United States over the last 250 years.
Preserving early American history: Speaker’s House, Trappe, Pa.
Located less than a mile from campus in Trappe, the Speaker’s House connects Ursinus College directly to the nation’s founding era. The former home of Frederick Muhlenberg—the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives—is being restored by Lisa Minardi ’04, executive director of Historic Trappe, in advance of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
As part of Ursinus’ commitment to America250, the site serves as a summer archaeological field school, where students gain hands-on experience while helping preserve early American history. The restoration and the House’s role in Ursinus’ America250 efforts were featured in theFall 2024 edition of Ursinus Magazineand on a recent America250 PA podcast.
