The ACE-ED team recently sat down with Rosie Rios who serves as Chair of America250, the official nonpartisan entity charged by Congress with planning the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
Rios previously served as Treasurer of the United States from 2009-2016, managing 4,000 employees including the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint, including Fort Knox. Prior to her presidential appointment in Treasury, she was Managing Director of Investments for MacFarlane Partners, a $22 billion real estate investment management firm based in San Francisco. She is a graduate of Harvard University and was selected as the first Latina in Harvard’s 388-year history to have a portrait commissioned in her honor. She serves on the board of American Family Insurance, Ripple Labs, Inc., and Fidelity Charitable Trust. Rios was honored as one of USA Today’s Women of the Century and served on the Treasury Transition Team on behalf of Presidents Obama and Biden.
Let’s hear from Rosie Rios about how America250 is nurturing student curiosity for civics.
Rosie, tell us about your role in the Semiquincentennial and what you did prior to overseeing America250?
The Semiquincentennial will have a profound impact on the way Americans of all ages understand and interpret our national past, present, and future. America250’s mission is to execute the largest and most inclusive anniversary observance in our nation’s history, because we believe this milestone belongs to all of us and every American should have an opportunity to be part of it.
As Chair of America250, I am focused on engaging and bringing Americans together to honor our past and lift up the unsung stories that have helped shape our collective journey. It is my hope that all Americans will feel like this is the land of opportunity and that the next generation can see the bright future ahead of us.
Before joining America250, I was honored to serve as the 43rd Treasurer of the United States where I initiated and led the efforts to place a portrait of a woman on U.S. currency for the first time in over a century. Prior to serving at the United States Treasury, my career focused on real estate finance, economic development, and urban revitalization in both the public and private sectors.
America’s 250th birthday and education – what’s the connection there?
Education is at the heart of America250. Today’s young people are our future — they are the leaders, innovators, and thinkers who will guide America for the next 250 years, and it’s important they are engaged in this endeavor.
America’s 250th anniversary is not just a time for celebration, but also to learn about, reflect upon, and draw inspiration from our country’s storied history. We know that educational initiatives play a crucial role in fostering civic engagement and awareness among youth. By understanding historical contexts, we can empower them to participate more actively in their communities and the future of our nation.
Why and how can educators and students get involved?
One of our signature programs is America’s Field Trip, a nationwide contest designed to actively engage America’s teachers and students. With America’s Field Trip, students in grades 3-12 are invited to unleash their creativity by submitting artwork or writing that answers one important question: “What does America mean to YOU?”
First-place awardees will have the opportunity to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime field trip at one of America’s most iconic and historic landmarks. We hope these experiences will help kids connect with history and get inspired to see themselves as part of building our country’s future. The contest is open now!
This summer, I had the opportunity to join one of the field trips from our pilot year program. Awardees from all over the country and their chaperones were flown to New York City, where they had the opportunity to go up into the crown of the Statue of Liberty before the park opened for the day. They also went into the vault of the Federal Reserve – a truly unforgettable experience. I was inspired to hear these kids’ stories and am so excited for the next phase of this contest.
We’ll have a new set of incredible field trips for our awardees in the summer of 2025. The next year’s contest launches in September and runs through the 2024-2025 school year. I hope all the educators reading this will take a look and encourage their students to enter!
With Discovery Education, we have developed educational enrichment opportunities to support teachers in exploring the Semiquincentennial with their students. We are proud to leverage Discovery Education Experience, the company’s award-winning, K-12, digital platform, to give educators instructional inspiration and are helping them save time by packaging digital content and proven strategies into a turnkey student-facing resource. The resources they created for educators are also aligned to learning standards and tailored for elementary, middle, and high school students. The models will be familiar to students, can be easily incorporated into the lesson cycle, and are designed to have different levels of investigation and discovery.
What else do you want educators to know about civics education?
Educators play a critical role in nurturing feelings of hope, curiosity, and passion for our country through teaching civics education and inspiring the next generation of American leaders.
Civic knowledge isn’t just about understanding how the government works or knowing historical dates, but about fostering a spirit of active engagement and responsibility. America250 and programs like America’s Field Trip can help build a foundation that makes history tangible, accessible, and relevant.
Where do educators go to learn more?
I encourage all who want to learn more about the America’s Field Trip contest and the incredible field trip experiences that students can earn to visit america250.org/fieldtrip. A Spanish-language version of the site is available at america250.org/es/fieldtrip. The contest is open for another round of entries, and we can’t wait to see what the United States means to students.
The American Consortium for Equity in Education, publisher of the "Equity & Access" journal, celebrates and connects the educators, associations, community partners and industry leaders who are working to solve problems and create a more equitable environment for historically underserved pre K-12 students throughout the United States.
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
