Description text The Montana 250th Commission is proud to announce the launch of the grant program to support statewide commemorative projects ahead of America's 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026. The Montana 250 Grant Program will award up to $400,000 to organizations across the state working to deepen understanding of Montana's history, culture, and heritage in connection with the nation's semiquincentennial.

The MT 250 Grant Application cycle closed Oct. 30, 2025. To view the grant winners, visit: MT 250 Grant Winners.

The Montana 250 Commission is pleased to announce the launch of the Montana 250 Sponsorship Program which will award $100,000 in funds to eligible organizations hosting events, activities and programs that feature a 250th commemoration component unique to the recognition of the semiquincentenital. The program will begin accepting applications on Thursday, February 19 at 9:00 a.m.

Applicants may apply for a sponsorship between the ranges of $500 - $5,000 for events, activities and programs occurring in 2026.

Resources for applicants:

• Please refer to the Montana 250 Sponsorship Program Guidelines to learn about the sponsorship program eligibility.

Two programs aimed at 4th-12th grade students:

1. A Montana History poster contest for students 4-5th grades: $3,000

2. Three Montana history-themed student research prizes for students 6-12th grade: $1,500

Project Description:

In collaboration with National History Day in Montana (NHD MT)—an established academic program serving students 4-12th grades—the MT 250 Commission (MT 250) requests $4,500 to support programs to boost student engagement with Montana history through research, analysis, and presentation at local, state, and national levels.

“The Montana Tapestry: People and Places from 1776 to Today” will include six sets of pop-up banners with content on the people, places, resources, and structures that unite us as Montanans and Americans and give us common purpose as we look ahead to the next 250 years. This traveling interpretive exhibit commemorates the upcoming semiquincentennial, educates the public on lesser-known history, people and places of Montana, and highlights Montana's changing cultural, social and physical landscapes from 1776 to today. Six sets of banners and interpretive resources will travel throughout Montana State Parks visitors centers across each region of the state, delving into our unique past and sparking curiosity to help shape the next 250 years of our state.

View further information from the exhibit here: Montana Tapestry Exhibit.

To request the exhibit to display at your facility, visit: Montana Tapestry Request.

Amount Requested: $22,000 to support high school CTE (Career and Technical Education) classes involvement in a Burma Shave Sign- inspired project.

Project Description:

MT 250 will work with nine exemplary construction-skills high schools, one in each of the MASS (MT Association of School Superintendents) regions, to purchase supplies locally and produce a nine slogan roadway sign sets which school reps will erect working with landowners in their county. Modeled after the successful 1950s Burma Shave signs that used a series of advertising slogans along roadways, the goal is to have at least one Montana 250 slogan erected in each county during the fall of 2025.

The Montana 250th Commission and the Montana Historical Society are hosting a year-along series of virtual events designed to build excitement around the United States's 250th birthday in 2026. "Montana Reads: The Treasure State's Book Club" is a monthly online book discussion that will cover exciting topics and figures from United States, Montana, and Tribal history.

Each month, a member of the Montana 250th Commission will lead a presentation and discussion on books that explore myriad aspects of our shared history - from the Founding Fathers to Montana statesmen and women, cultural traditions to amazing innovation. These monthly discussions will feature conversations around the books' central themes, seeking applications to current challenges and initiatives facing our state and nation. Montanans are encouraged to participate in any and all of these events that they find interesting, and where possible to read the book in advance.

The Montana 250th Commission is excited to share these stories with all Montanans and will be bringing in special guests where possible to further bring this history to life. Events will be held on Zoom each second Thursday of the month from 6:30 to 7:30pm.

Register via the links for each event on our events calendar page: Events Calendar.

Please email laura.marsh@mt.gov for any issues with registering and receiving the link for Book Club events.

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Upcoming Book Club Events:

Thurs., Feb. 12 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Remarkable Cause: A Novel of James Lovell and the Crucible of the Revolution, by Jean C. O’Connor

Thurs., Mar. 12 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

A History of Montana in 101 Places: Sites and Stories from the Montana Historical Society, by Ellen Baumler, Christine Brown, Martha Kohl, Kirby Lambert, and Tom Ferris

Thurs., Apr. 9 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters, by Edward J. Larson

Thurs., May 14 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

One Vast Winter Count: The Native American West before Lewis and Clark, by Colin G. Calloway

Thurs., Jun. 11 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Minutemen and Their World, by Robert A. Gross

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Previous Book Club Events:

Thur., Jan. 8 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America, by Colin Woodard

Thurs., Nov. 13 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics, by H.W. Brands

Thur., Oct. 9 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Mansfield and Dirksen: Bipartisan Giants of the Senate, by Marc Johnson

Thur., Sept. 11 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11, by Garrett Graff

Thur., Aug. 14 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Rush: Revolution, Madness & the Visionary Doctor who Became a Founding Father, by Stephen Fried

Part II: American Hippocrates, pages 251 - 510

Thur., July 10 ~ 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Rush: Revolution, Madness & the Visionary Doctor who Became a Founding Father, by Stephen Fried

Part I: Turbulent Spirit, pages 1 - 250

Applications to receive the Seal of Civics Literacy are due to OPI by May 1, 2026. 

To earn the Seal students must: 

• complete the OPI's version of the U.S. Naturalization (USCIS) test with a score of 80% or higher.

• complete the required .5 credits of Civics courses during high school as approved by the Board of Public Education.

• EITHER perform 40 hours of community service OR perform 20 hours of community service while also passing the Montana Challenge test created by the Montana Historical Society, the Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers, and the Montana 250th Commission.

Students will need to register for the program (or a teacher can register an entire class), after which links will be sent to take the tests

To register or find study materials click here!