YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University has launched a large slate of activities, lectures, events and area partnerships to celebrate America250, in recognition of the nation’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Amy Fluker, associate professor of history, has launched the initiative that will run throughout this year. Among other things, interactive, community-focused programs aimed at exploring the culture and history that shaped the American experience will be featured.

Also this year, the university will host a variety of food demonstrations, living history programs, lectures, community events and partnerships. In September, a vintage baseball game between YSU athletics and the Akron Black Stockings will take place and follow 19th century rules and customs in an effort to provide a hands-on look at America’s pastime.

The university’s inaugural America250 event is 4 to 6 p.m. today at Noble Creature Cask House and will have a President George Washington reenactor, along with a special recreation of one of Washington’s original beer recipes. Kyle Starkey, a history professor, and Ira Gerhart, Noble Creature’s owner, will craft the special brew.

The event is free, though beer will be available only to those of legal drinking age.

“Our goal is to celebrate not only the founding ideas of the nation, but also the everyday stories, traditions and people who make our community unique,” Fluker said in a YSU news release.

In addition, Fluker and Luke Hardy, associate professor of English, will offer special courses related to America250 themes. Students of all majors will be invited to learn more about pivotal events in the country’s young history, such as the American Revolution and the Civil War, along with cultural histories and how the nation’s identity has evolved.

In the fall, Mark Vopat, professor of religious studies and philosophy, as well as Adam Fuller, associate professor of politics and international relations, will offer additional courses on constitutional and political history.

“These courses (will) give students the chance to engage with big questions about who we were, who we are and who we want to be,” Fluker added.

Also in the initiative’s mix will be creating an America250 time capsule that will be buried on campus next to a newly planted Liberty Tree. The capsule is set to be opened in 2051, with the university’s Archives and Special Collections department to preserve its contents.

“This is a chance to show future Penguins what mattered to us in 2026,” Fluker said.

To obtain a full schedule of events and for further information, go to www.ysu250.org.