In Spring of 1976, my twelve‑year‑old self stood proudly before an audience receiving a certificate of achievement for a play I had written and directed. What began as a simple classroom assignment became part of Lattimore Elementary School’s Bicentennial Celebration. My public-school education invited me to use my voice during our nation’s 200th birthday, sparking a lifelong civic awareness that carried me from classroom leadership roles all the way to serving as Student Body President by senior year and eventually to become a teacher. That experience shaped me. Fifty years later, as America turned 250, I wondered how I might pass that same spark to my own students.
The answer came through Youth 250 NC: Your Voice. Your Future. Your NC., a civic engagement conference for youth marking America’s 250th anniversary for youth across the state. Organized by the NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources (DNCR) and NC Child, Youth 250 NC brough together young people from across North Carolina to explore the meaning of democracy, express their voices, and connect with DNCR’s historic spaces where civic life has unfolded for generations. When I saw the announcement in DNCR’s monthly Learning Happens Here E-News, I knew immediately that my remarkable young scholars from Cleveland County needed to be part of it.
On June 26, we left rural Crest High School before sunrise and headed to Raleigh. The students I brought had never visited our state capital. Both gave up a summer day for the chance to visit new places while growing as citizens, and it was worth every mile of the drive.
Throughout the day they immersed themselves in activities with students from across North Carolina: experiencing an inspirational keynote from Donovan Livingston, Ph.D.; engaging in civil discourse via a Paideia seminar; crafting blackout poetry from historic documents; and, most memorably, debating on the floor of the Historic State Capitol.
I watched two of my students, quiet, thoughtful young women, stepped forward with confidence and presented their ideas to peers who welcomed each speaker by stamping their feet on the State House floor. It was powerful. It was communal. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and one that will stay with them throughout their education and beyond.
It’s worth noting that DNCR has become a “household name” in my classroom, especially since my time as a 2025 DNCR Teaching Ambassador. My students know about DNCR’s sites across the state, the stories the sites steward, and the importance of DNCR’s work because I weave those resources into my lessons constantly. One of the students who attended Youth 250 NC had recently asked how she could get involved with DNCR. Our trip to Raleigh fulfilled a promise I made to her, and she shared her gratitude as we reflected on the experience during the ride home.
My heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in the planning and execution of Youth 250 NC, including DNCR’s Office of K-12 Education, America 250 NC, NC State Capitol, the Library of NC, and the State Archives, as well as NC Child. You gave my students (and me!) an unforgettable experience. This educator is forever in your debt.
Pauline Merritt is a 24-year veteran English teacher in Shelby, NC where she has taught grades 6-12. She has devoted her career to reaching students in and out of the classroom, serving on numerous boards and committees, coaching basketball and track, and as an afterschool tutor and bus driver.