Smile Across America

Young Park Stewards Take the Mic for America’s 250th

A free National Park Service conversation on Aug. 27 puts youth service, curiosity, and the next generation of caretakers at the center of the celebration.

Some of the best birthday plans are the ones that look toward tomorrow. On Thursday, Aug. 27, the National Park Service will host “Voices of Our Youth at 250: Journeys & Park Connections for Future Generations,” a free virtual gathering about the young people already helping care for public lands.

The 90-minute program, scheduled for 1–2:30 p.m. Eastern, is being presented with the National Park Foundation and The Corps Network. The conversation will feature young people who have served through conservation corps, internships, volunteer programs, and other youth engagement efforts. They will talk about how those experiences connect them with national parks and what inspires them to keep showing up.

A celebration built around service

For Jessica Bowron of the National Park Service, the gathering is part of a larger anniversary reflection: young people are stepping forward as leaders, stewards, and innovators. That makes this more than a look back at 250 years of American history. It is an invitation to notice the people building the next chapter, one trail, project, and park connection at a time.

Room for every kind of learner

The event will include opening remarks, a moderated panel discussion, and audience questions. It is designed for a broad public audience, with live captioning and American Sign Language interpretation. Viewers can join through the National Park Foundation’s Zoom platform or the NPS Youth and Young Adult Programs Facebook livestream.

That accessible, conversational format is a fitting way to celebrate a national parks milestone. People do not need to be expert hikers, scientists, or long-time volunteers to be curious about public lands. A question, a first service day, or a story about a favorite park can be a beginning.

How to take part

“Voices of Our Youth at 250” is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 27, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. ET. The National Park Service directs viewers to go.nps.gov/YouthVoices250 for event information and viewing details.

Across the country, the work of caring for parks is often measured in small, tangible acts: learning a place’s story, helping with a project, asking a thoughtful question, or bringing another person along. Thursday’s celebration gives those acts a national stage—and gives everyone watching a hopeful reminder that the future of public lands has plenty of willing hands.

Source: National Park Service, “National Park Service to Host ‘Voices of Our Youth at 250’ Virtual Event Celebrating Youth Engagement in National Parks,” Aug. 20, 2026 (updated Aug. 26, 2026).