YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown State University is launching a slate of events, courses and community partnerships in celebration of America250, the nation’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The initiative, led by Amy Fluker, associate professor of history, will run throughout the year and feature interactive, community-focused programming designed to explore the history and culture that shape the American experience.
“Our goal is to celebrate not only the founding ideas of the nation, but also the everyday stories, traditions and people who make our community unique,” Fluker said.
The university’s first America250 event will be Friday at Noble Creature Cask House, featuring a George Washington reenactor and a special recreation of one of Washington’s original beer recipes. The brew is being crafted by Kyle Starkey, history instructor, and Ira Gerhart, Noble Creature owner, who will discuss historical brewing techniques during the program. The event is free and open to all ages; however, the beer is available only to those age 21 and older.
Throughout 2026, YSU will host food demonstrations, living-history programs, lectures and community collaborations, including a vintage baseball game in September between the Akron Black Stockings and YSU Athletics. Played by 19th-century rules, the game will offer a hands-on look at America’s pastime. Other major events are in development, including a planned partnership with the Skeggs Lecture Series.
In addition to public programming, Fluker and Luke Hardy, associate English professor, are offering special-topics courses tied to America250 themes, inviting students to explore the American Revolution, Civil War, cultural histories and the nation’s evolving identity. Additional courses will be taught this fall by Mark Vopat, professor of philosophy and religious studies, and Adam Fuller, associate professor of politics, international relations and the Rigelhaupt Pre-Law Center, on political and constitutional history.
“These courses give students the chance to engage with big questions about who we were, who we are and who we want to be,” Fluker said.
A key component of the initiative is the creation of an America250 time capsule to be buried on campus alongside a newly planted Liberty Tree. Fluker is asking each college to contribute a small, durable, nonpaper artifact that represents its identity. The capsule will be opened in 25 years, with contents to be preserved by YSU Archives and Special Collections. “This is a chance to show future Penguins what mattered to us in 2026,” she said.
The full event schedule and additional information is available at the YSU250 website. To participate or get involved, contact Fluker at alfluker@ysu.edu.