Today, Americans everywhere will pause to mark something extraordinary: 250 years of an American experiment that, against considerable odds, is still underway. The parades, the flags, the gatherings and cookouts with family and friends – all of it hard-earned by those who came before us. This is a significant milestone worth celebrating with gratitude and genuine pride in how far we have come.

The question I keep returning to is this, as someone who lives and breathes education: are we honoring the founding promise that made all of this possible?

The Founders were explicit about it. In 1787, the Continental Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in American history, enacted the same summer delegates gathered in Philadelphia to draft the Constitution. Among its provisions was a declaration as clear as anything regarding education in the founding canon:

“Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.”

Forever. And so, education became inextricably linked to democracy and remains to this day.

Thomas Jefferson proposed Virginia’s first public education system that same decade, arguing that talent is distributed across all of society, not concentrated only in wealthy families, and that a democracy which fails to develop that talent is squandering its own future. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, wrote in 1786 that without a system of public education, the Revolution itself would eventually fail and that winning independence meant nothing if the new nation could not sustain an informed, capable citizenry. George Washington devoted his Farewell Address, in part, to the same conviction. These were not inconsequential voices. They were the architects of the republic, and they were unanimous: democracy and ignorance cannot long coexist.

The Founders’ vision, for all its clarity, was incomplete. The promise of public education did not yet extend to every child, and every generation since has been called to expand that circle. That is not a reason to diminish what they built. It is the nature of founding documents and founding ideas to establish a direction and then charge those who follow with the work of getting there.

Two hundred and fifty years later, that work continues. And here in Sarasota, we are fortunate to live in a community that takes it seriously. Our schools are staffed by dedicated educators who show up every day for students navigating circumstances most of us will never fully see. Our philanthropic community invests in programs that go beyond the classroom, identifying students who need a caring adult, a clearer path forward, or simply someone who believes in what they are capable of. And increasingly, we are asking a different question, not just whether a student is achieving, but who they are becoming. That investment is not charity. It is the founding promise, renewed.

And yet the work is not done. It never has been, in any generation. In Sarasota County today, there are students who will not complete their postsecondary education without intentional support. There are young people who are capable of far more than their circumstances have yet allowed them to demonstrate. Closing that gap, as a matter of community commitment, is how we answer what the Founders started.

The 250th anniversary is a moment. What matters more is what we do on July 5th, and the weeks after that, and on the morning in August when another school year begins and another group of young students walks through a door that we collectively decided to open for them.

Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of imperfect, visionary people declared that an educated citizenry was not optional. It was the foundation of everything. They were right. That is how we honor what was started here 250 years ago, not just with celebration, but with action.

Happy birthday, America. The next 250 years belong to the children in our classrooms today and the generations that will follow. What we invest in them and for them is our truest answer to what this anniversary means.

Jennifer Vigne is President and CEO of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County and host of the podcast Education Conversations. 

Photo courtesy of Sarasota County Schools.

Today, America celebrates its 250th birthday.

Two and a half centuries ago, our founders gave us a framework for freedom, and every generation since has had the responsibility to carry that gift forward. While history often focuses on decisions made in our nation's capital, the more complete story of America is often written closer to home.

Our story unfolds in neighborhoods where people know one another. In classrooms where teachers encourage students to dream big. In local businesses that invest in their employees and their communities. In the actions of helpers who step in when families need support. And in countless acts of generosity that rarely make headlines, but that shape the character of a place.

We know that America’s history is not one without challenges, and that every community faces hardship. But in communities that thrive, what makes the difference is how people respond. People in communities that endure care about neighbors they may never know and recognize that the choices they make today shape what future generations inherit. They invest in opportunities before they become emergencies.

One of the greatest privileges of my role at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County is seeing our community from many different vantage points. I get to spend time with nonprofit leaders tackling complex challenges, quiet donors with huge hearts, business leaders investing in our region and neighbors who sincerely want to make a difference. No matter where those conversations begin, they share a common thread: People care deeply about this community and want to leave it better than they found it.

To me, that's the essence of philanthropy.

It's about believing the future is worth investing in. Whether someone contributes time, expertise or financial resources, every act of generosity reflects hope that tomorrow can be better than today.

We inherit the vision, sacrifice and investments of those who came before us. In turn, we have the opportunity to strengthen our schools, support our nonprofits, care for our neighbors, protect the places we treasure and create possibilities for people we may never meet. That's stewardship. And it's one of the greatest responsibilities, and privileges, of citizenship. After all, none of us owns this place we call home. We just get to care for it for a season.

As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, by all means, let’s break out the flags and enjoy the fireworks, but let’s also make a renewed commitment to one another. To be a little more generous. A little more engaged. A little more willing to listen, serve and invest in the place we all call home.

America's first 250 years remind us what is possible. The next 250 will be shaped by what we build together.

Jessica Muroff is the president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. 

The idea of legacy is often intertwined with the concepts of money or family. We may think if we can afford to leave a legacy through philanthropy, we can be great. If we raise children who carry our name, our family will continue to live.

But legacy is so much more than that, especially in the United States.

Legacy is how we forge into unknown territory for the good of our community and country. It is how we treat people, how we show up in the world, and how we pair our values with our actions. Legacy allows the best in us to live beyond our years as new generations learn from our example. When we celebrate people with differences, we also support their distinctive contributions, paving the way for others.

During the 250th year of our nation, we have come to a point that asks us to reflect and decide: who do we want to be as individuals now to leave a legacy that continues to build strength and opportunity in the future?

At the Selby Foundation, the legacy of our founders lives in every student and nonprofit we invest in through the generous funds entrusted to us.

Access to opportunity is what Bill and Marie Selby wished for everyone, and they quietly used their resources to provide it where they could. They deemed opportunity to be within reach through education and sometimes through the support of nonprofit organizations. With shared social responsibility, they knew each of us could have the freedom to be contributors, to be ourselves, and to pass along our knowledge to others.

As much as time changes social norms and expectations, tax structures and wealth dynamics, it does not change the fundamental nature of the human desire for agency. We start our lives from different places; we are born into families with distinct circumstances. We all want the ability to thrive and to map our own course. Bill and Marie believed in the potential of people who came from different beginnings, and they believed that all have the right to exercise independence in pursuit of life and excellence.

Even outside of the foundation, the Selbys helped those who were closest to them. For example, Marie was known to purchase homes and cars for those who worked for her. It wasn’t an act of philanthropy but a display of caring for people in her circle.

One could argue that the Selbys’ legacy is only partially about the dollars they left to the foundation. It is as much about the humanity, humility, stewardship, innovation, and responsibility they exemplified during their lives. They did not need to see their name on a building, but they wanted each of us to make conscious choices to invest in our community wisely and to nurture the potential of young people.

America is an infinite combination of beliefs, personal histories, tragic stories, and amazing accomplishments. It was this way in 1776, in 1955 when the foundation was established, and today in 2026. The freedom “to be” is what connects us and empowers us to take our country to places that surprise, surpass, and succeed.

In this year more than others, we are challenged as individuals and as a nation to create a common legacy, unlocking access to even more potential. The Selbys’ lesson is clear: a legacy can exist in many forms. Make yours count. We can all afford to do something that is helpful and lasting, changing the life of one person or many.

Susie Bowie is the President/CEO of The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation. 

Pictured: Bill and Marie Selby left a legacy of creating opportunity for others, as well as a love for adventure. In 1909, Marie was one of the first women to cross the United States by car, as she joined Bill in the transcontinental trip. Provided photo.

This year the country marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. Two hundred and fifty years since a handful of people put their names to an idea, that we are all entitled to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. It tells you something about who we hoped to be. Not just free, but fulfilled.

That pursuit is where the arts live. Free expression is not a footnote to the American experiment. It is the heart of it. And the arts are where free expression reaches its fullest voice. The arts have always been part of how this country has understood itself, and they belong to all of us. These are American values. Freedom of expression. The right to a voice. The idea, at our founding, that voices were supposed to matter. We can take pride in that.

I grew up in Bexley, Ohio, and every Fourth of July from the summer before eighth grade through high school, I marched in the town parade with the Bexley High School marching band. Five miles, all the way through town and back. I played trumpet the first couple of years, then moved to percussion, and as a section leader I never stopped playing. I’d keep the cadence going so everyone else could catch their breath. Five miles of drums. I’ve never seen a town honor the Fourth quite like Bexley did, and I’ve carried that feeling my whole life. Part of it was patriotism. Part of it was endurance. Most of it was the simple fact that the music is what made the day feel like something special.

That’s the thing about the arts and this country. They’ve been intertwined from the start.

Think about “Yankee Doodle.” It began across the ocean, and the British sang it to mock our ragged colonial troops. So, we took it, flipped it, and made it our own anthem of defiance. That is about as American a story as there is. and we have been doing it ever since. Jazz. Rock and Roll. Hip Hop. Abstract expressionism. Pop art. Forms that could only have grown here, each one making room for the next voice that needed to be heart. And here’s why that matters now. When I hear a Sousa march on a July afternoon, I feel hopeful. I feel optimistic about who we might still become. I know not everyone comes to this day feeling that way, and I understand why. But the arts have a way of holding all of it, the pride and the longing and the hope, and welcoming every bit of it into the room.

The Declaration was a remarkable start, and its spirit is the through line. It is what the arts protect and practice every day, the simple, radical idea that everyone gets to speak and be heard. The arts don't divide us. At their best, they are how a free people find each other.

This is also a good moment to tell you something you may not know about the Alliance. We partner with The Patterson Foundation to oversee tours at Patriot Plaza in Sarasota National Cemetery, one of the most moving examples I know of art doing exactly this work. Through commissioned art, Patriot Plaza honors those who have served this country, a tribute to the living and a remembrance of those we’ve lost. Service protects the freedoms and values we hold most dear, and the freedom to create, to express, to gather and make something together is among them. I find it fitting that we honor that service through art. If you’ve never walked through it, I’d encourage you to go. You can take a self-guided tour, and a virtual tour is available at sarasotaarts.org for anyone who wants to experience it from home.

So, this Fourth of July, as the country turns 250, I hope you’ll hear it the way I do. In the brass and the drumline, in a jazz standard, in a Sousa march drifting across a park. Two hundred fifty years in, and the music hasn’t stopped.

Neither have we.

Brian Hersh is the CEO of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. To learn more, visit sarasotaarts.org.

Pictured: Patriot Plaza. Photo by Dale Smith.