Five inspiring projects fostering patriotism in 2026.
The Heritage Foundation's America’s 250th Innovation Prize is making patriotism cool again. And not just regular patriotism—we are talking tea-thrown-overboard, tar-and-feather, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Paul Revere’s midnight ride patriotism.
Assuming the role of ultimate party planner in 2026, the Heritage Foundation has handpicked a number of incredible organizations to help host a year-long birthday bash for America’s 250th anniversary. Each organization submitted a proposal to the Heritage Foundation to fund an innovative initiative to commemorate this momentous occasion. In 2026 there will be events, publications, classroom initiatives, and more.
This special round of innovation prizes was awarded to groups who compiled the most outstanding proposals that “elevate America’s founding principles and foster a deep love of country by building civic awareness, inspiring patriotism, and educating about America’s founding principles.”
In June, Heritage announced $250,000 in awards, distributed among liberty-minded projects that will bring their initiatives to life in 2026.
The 2025 prize recipients are a well-rounded group. They are the Cana Academy, The Emergent Order Foundation, Herzog Foundation, Sophia Institute, and Dr. Matthew Mehan of Hillsdale College.
Cana Academy equips educators to guide students in revitalizing American culture through state-of-the-art teaching methods, experiential learning, and promotion of a healthier society based on traditional values. They won funding for their project, HISTORY250: Telling America’s Story One Film at a Time, which features a series of brief documentaries on United States History, supplemented by a bank of primary source collections, cartography, and ready-to-use lesson plans. Cana Academy recognizes that teaching United States History is not a project to be taken lightly. If American children are misled about—or kept ignorant of—our nation’s exceptionalism and the necessity of its founding, the next generation will lead from an unhealthy and ungrounded foundation. An honest, yet patriotic American history must become ingrained into our education system, and schools like Cana Academy are leading the way.
A second education-centric awardee is the Herzog Foundation, which focuses heavily on expanding and enhancing quality Christian K-12 education in the United States. Their Freedom Tour launches next summer, in which they will traverse all thirteen original colonies with celebratory battlefield gatherings, musical performances, and family-oriented activities designed to teach America’s founding principles and foster renewed patriotic sentiment.
The Emergent Order Foundation uses compelling narrative techniques to accurately highlight American history in ways that inspire action. Their work envisions a flourishing, independent society grounded in respectful dialogue, liberty, and robust family structures. Their award-winning initiative, 250 Years in Pursuit, is a 6-episode video collection concluding on Independence Day 2026. The series features conversations with distinguished historians and academics examining liberty’s Enlightenment origins, our nation’s foundational texts, and the continuing impact of American principles.
Sophia Institute is a Catholic organization whose publications reach tens of thousands of educators. Their award-winning project, Fostering Virtuous Patriotism: Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary in Catholic Schools, is producing comprehensive resource kits designed to aid teachers in integrating patriotism rooted in the Declaration of Independence into their curriculum.
The fifth and final awardee is Hillsdale College’s Dr. Matthew Mehan. The Associate Dean and Assistant Professor of Government for Hillsdale’s Graduate School of Government, Dr. Mehan received the prize for his upcoming book, The American Family’s Book of Fables. The book is described as “enriching fables that depict the wildlife, geography, and folklore of America. It features American animals, like the bald eagle, and ecological zones, like the Rocky Mountains, while featuring the actual text of the Declaration of Independence to serve as morals that organize each group of fables.”
With these five worthy winners at the forefront of America’s 250th birthday celebrations, 2026 promises to be a landmark year. Their outstanding initiatives are sure to inspire other organizations and individuals to join in and create their own patriotic celebrations. Now it is up to everyday Americans to restore and instill love of country in ourselves and our communities. The next generation depends on it.
Congratulations to all the America’s 250th Innovation Prize winners, we are rooting for you!