Throughout 2026, Oregon Humanities will get Oregonians together to talk about democracy, freedom, and what it means to be an American—today and into the future. These conversations will happen at libraries, colleges, museums, and other venues across the state.
It’s been 250 years since the United States declared its independence from British colonial rule. We call these conversations Beyond 250 because we want to get Oregonians talking about this milestone and also beyond it. What came before the Declaration of Independence? What do we hope the future holds for our country and the world? How have the founding ideas of equality, liberty, and justice changed over time? How do we see these ideas show up in our lives today? How should we practice them in the future?
We’re offering a special lineup of sixteen conversations, each led by a trained facilitator. These 90-minute programs are spaces to share thoughts and experiences, listen to and learn from one another, and think together about the future of our democracy and our communities.
Anyone can host a Beyond 250 conversation. These programs are offered with a sliding-scale fee to help cover our facilitators’ costs. To learn more, contact our programs team at programs@oregonhumanities.org.
- Find a conversation near you
- View all our Beyond 250 conversation topics
- Request to host a conversation in your community
Public libraries in Oregon will be hosting Beyond 250 conversations throughout 2026. Public libraries across Oregon applied to bring a free Beyond 250 conversation to their communities, and Oregon Humanities is in the process of notifying selected libraries. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.
You can find a Beyond 250 conversation near you or apply to host your own conversation by utilizing the links above.
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