National Museum and Center for Service

10/11/2026

When K-12 students step into the curator's seat, they don't just learn history—they build it.

🎓✨This past year, student-led teams at schools across the country researched, designed, and launched living exhibits honoring local unsung heroes. From traveling displays visiting local businesses to exhibits officially requested for display by the National Park Service, our youth are showing us that service is our ultimate common ground.

We are excited to share these incredible stories and more in our newly released 2025–2026 Annual Impact Report!

Discover how educators, student curators, and local organizers are transforming libraries, storefronts, and school hallways into hubs of civic pride.

👉 Read the 2025–2026 Impact Report:https://nmcfs.org/news/impact-report-2025-2026/

What local organization or school in your town is making a difference? Tag them below to give them a shoutout! 👇

10/03/2026

Understanding how service has shaped our communities throughout history gives us the tools to build a stronger, more united future. On October 13, 2026, our friends at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy are hosting the 2026 National Service Archives Symposium: Service as Learning.

This free, half-day symposium brings together researchers, educators, and community leaders to discuss the vital role national service plays in civic learning and community resilience. How has service taught you about your community? Share your thoughts below! 💬

https://events.iu.edu/philanthropy/event/2375379-2026-national-service-archives-symposium-service

Join us for a virtual exploration of national service and civic engagement featuring leading American voices in the field. This half-day symposium ...

10/02/2026

Service is not a modern trend—it is the quiet thread that has woven our nation together through every historical crisis and triumph.

When everyday acts of kindness and civic commitment happen quietly, they remain practically invisible to the public, creating a "visibility gap" that erodes institutional trust. But research shows that when people visually witness service in their everyday spaces, it boosts their own desire to get involved.

Our 2025–2026 Annual Impact Report highlights how we are flipping the traditional museum model to make local generosity visible in high-traffic public spaces nationwide.

09/24/2026

Have you ever thought about running for office? Or wondered how the skills you built in service could help you lead in politics?

New Politics Academy, Service Year Alliance, National Peace Corps Association, and the National Museum and Center for Service are teaming up around a shared belief that those who have already served are uniquely equipped to lead.

Join us for a conversation on what comes after service and explore what’s possible when you step up to serve again. 👉 www.newpoliticsacademy.org/events/exploring-pathways-to-politics

09/19/2026

National Museum and Center for Service has been a part of the Listen First Project coalition for the last year and a half, and we are excited to be attending the upcoming Bridging Movement Summit in .

Interested in tuning in? Check out the below for links on how to join live on Wednesday or listen to the follow up rebroadcast on The Middle with Jeremy Hobson.

09/12/2026

What is the Spirit of 9/12? 🤝❤️

On September 11, we remember tragedy, but on September 12, we remember unity.

The Spirit of 9/12 is a movement dedicated to turning grief into grace, loss into community, and remembrance into active service. It honors the profound love, compassion, and togetherness that emerged across the nation the day after 9/11—reminding us that small acts of kindness and connection can build lasting healing and hope.

Let’s carry that energy forward today and every day through everyday service, empathy, and coming together.

✨ Learn more and get involved: spiritof912.org

09/11/2026

"I'll be back for you."

Those were the words Port Authority Police Officer David Lim said to his K-9 partner, Sirius, before rushing up the stairs of the World Trade Center to rescue evacuating civilians on 9/11.

David was one of only 16 survivors who miraculously lived through the collapse of the North Tower inside Stairwell B. While David survived, Sirius tragically lost his life—the only police canine killed on September 11.

Today, David serves as a 9/11 Day Ambassador, keeping Sirius’s memory alive by sharing a message of duty, hope, and compassion with students nationwide. His story proves that even in our darkest moments, the instinct to serve others is what binds us together.

Hear his story during an interview with in 2021 and share the story of someone in your life who has made a difference on this national day of remembrance and service.

This month marks the 20th Anniversary of September 11th, a day we'l...

09/11/2026

"Service started back from when I was 10... it's about how we show up for each other, especially in moments when people feel the most alone."

At the National Service Symposium, 9/11 Day Ambassador Cait Leavey sat down to share what service means in her daily life. After losing her father, a FDNY Lieutenant, on September 11, Cait experienced both profound grief and the incredible wave of unity that followed.

That spirit inspired her career as a Teach For America educator, a mental health counselor for military and first responder communities, and the co-founder of The Holding Frames—an arts collective helping individuals turn personal experience into community action.

Cait's story reminds us that everyday acts of kindness and civic dedication are what hold our neighborhoods together.