National History Day and Carpenters’ Hall announce expansion of Young People’s Continental Congress

WOOD COUNTY – National History Day® (NHD) and Carpenters’ Hall announced the second-ever Young People’s Continental Congress (YPCC), which will again be held in Philadelphia this upcoming July. Carpenters’ Hall, the home of the nation’s First Continental Congress in 1774, has engaged National History Day as its lead educational partner to produce a program for students and teachers from across the United States and its territories. The Young People’s Continental Congress brings teacher and student teams to Philadelphia to study history, exmaine our country’s founding documents from a first hand perspective, visit landmarks where American history was made, and learn how the country has evolved over the last 250 years and how it continues to grow.
In 2024, NHD and Carpenters’ Hall piloted YPCC with 14 student-teacher teams from the original 13 colonies, plus one team from Philadelphia. With a passionate response to the pilot program, Philadelphia City Council – through the Philadelphia Cultural Fund – along with the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial and many other donors have come together to fund a 2025 iteration of the program with 27 teams. Each team includes one high school student and one teacher, for a total of 54 delegates.
This year’s YPCC delegates represent both rural and urban areas across the United States and Guam. In addition to completing online learning modules throughout spring 2025 about subjects such as the Continental Congress, the Boston Massacre, and economic liberty in Colonial America, the student-teacher teams will convene in Philadelphia from July 14-18 for a week of special programming and field learning opportunities at sites such as Carpenters’ Hall, Independence National Historical Park, the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Delegates will also co-create and sign a joint declaration of their aspirations for American democracy, just as their historical counterparts issued the Declaration of Colonial Rights and the Declaration of Independence.
“We are excited to expand the Young People’s Continental Congress for a second year and represent the United States’ full geographic diversity,” said Carpenters’ Hall Executive Director Michael Norris.
“National History Day is thrilled to once again help lead YPCC,” said NHD Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “YPCC is a unique opportunity for students and teachers to collaborate as they study our country’s founding era, examine primary documents and locations in the city where history was made and meet people from across the country and world. As we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026, YPCC is the perfect program to engage students and teachers in examining the past while looking toward the future.”

“On behalf of the Philadelphia City Council, I want to congratulate the 54 delegates of the 2025 Young People’s Continental Congress,” said City Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes Carpenters’ Hall. “We are excited to welcome these bright students and teachers to the birthplace of our nation’s democracy this summer. The delegation is set for a unique week of immersive experiential learning in the city where the Continental Congress met starting in 1774. We look forward to showing them the many gems that make the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection a world-class destination, from historical and cultural sites to the famous foods like cheesesteaks and soft pretzels that shape Philadelphia’s identity. City Council’s philanthropic support of YPCC is another investment in safeguarding our democracy, as these caring and dedicated high school students are our future leaders.”
Representing Wisconsin, Ms. Kate Van Haren and Olivia Moore will travel to Philadelphia this summer from Pittsville Elementary School and Pittsville High School
On the application process, Ms. Van Haren said, “When I first learned about the Young People’s Continental Congress, I immediately thought of Olivia. Having taught her in fourth and fifth grade, and later having her as a teaching assistant in my classroom, I have witnessed firsthand her remarkable passion for United States history. The application process involved submitting our resumes and responding to questions about the importance of America’s founding - a topic I knew Olivia would approach with genuine enthusiasm and insight.”
Olivia developed her passion of history early in elementary school from Ms. Van Haren, leading to her excitement at the chance to share this opportunity with her now as a high schooler. As part of her application process, Olivia wrote an extensive essay describing her passion for history and how she will implement her experience and knowledge to her community following her July trip to Philadelphia.
In preparation for their trip to Philadelphia, both Ms. Van Haren and Olivia are participating in rigourous studying and training. Their preparation includes learning directly from historians about the founding era of American history, attending webinars, academic reading followed by analyzing sources, and more. On the prepration, Ms. Van Haren said, “Through spring 2025, we’re participating in online learning modules covering crucial topics like the Continental Congress, the Boston Massacre, and economic liberty in Colonial America. This background knowledge will significantly enhance our experience in Philadelphia because we’ll have the historical context to truly understand the importance of the places we’re visiting, such as Carpenters’ Hall, Independence National Historical Park, the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. When we stand in these historic spaces, we’ll be able to connect our months of preparation to the physical locations where these pivotal moments in American history took place.”
Olivia enjoys the prepration that involves activley learning with the other delegates, before they even step foot into Philadelphia. From a wide background of voices, Olivia and other delegates can collaborate and share their ideas. Olivia said, “The second part of this learning is collaborating with other student leaders from around the United States and Gaum. The Young People’s Continental Congress sets this up by giving us monthly discussion boards and live meets. These help us to debate our ideas and opinions about a variety of events surrounding America’s founding.”
On what she is most excited about during her time in Philadelphia, Ms. Van Haren said, “While I’ve been fortunate to visit Philadelphia many times before, I’m particularly excited to experience the city through this unique collaborative lens with Olivia and our fellow delegates.”
Olivia, then, when asked about what she is most looking forward to during her July trip, said, “Unlike Ms. Van Haren, I have never visited Philadelphia before, so I am very excited to visit the places where it all happened. I will enjoy immersing myself in history, seeing where the debates happened, standing in the places that our founding fathers made history in, and examining some of the most patriotic documents.”
Though having experienced the eras of history in classrooms and training, Ms. Van Haren is looking forward to how the Young People’s Continental Congress will provide an immersive learning experience for both herself and Olivia, particularly when understanding how the founding era still effects our world today nearly 250 years later.
The national stage they are able to represent small town Pittsville on does not fall short for either Ms. Van Haren or Olivia, with their pride evident in taking their rural Wisconsin roots to the national stage. Ms. Van Haren said, “It’s an incredible honor to represent Pittsville at the Young People’s Continental Congress. When you’re selected as one of just 27 teams from across the United States and Guam, you feel a deep responsibility to represent your community well. Pittsville has become such a special home for me. Although we’re a rural community, the warmth and support I’ve experienced here has been remarkable. The families here have consistently demonstrated how much they value their children’s education, and their commitment to learning has made my work as an educator particularly rewarding.”
Olivia hopes to inspire other small town students to strive for big goals as well, saying, “As a small rural community we don’t have many chances to represent our school at this national level. I believe that being chosen for this sets an example that we can do amazing things. It also shows someone else that they can do it too. My hope for this is to inspire my fellow students to take a risk.”
Ms. Van Haren’s pride for her student is clear, but perhaps the most evident when explaining how Olivia’s experience in prepration and her summer trip to Philadelphia will give back to the Pittsville community. Ms. Van Haren explained, “One of the most exciting aspects of this program is its emphasis on giving back to our community. As part of our YPCC requirements, Olivia will be sharing her knowledge through local outreach, and she’s already embracing this opportunity in true educator fashion. She’s developing plans to create a project teaching younger students about our nation’s founding era, and in characteristic Pittsville community spirit, our local library has already stepped forward to host whatever educational program she envisions following her Philadelphia experience. Beyond this, Olivia will be putting her newfound knowledge and research skills to work through a National History Day presentation. This project will allow her to demonstrate the deeper understanding of American history she’s gained through the Young People’s Continental Congress experience. As her teacher, watching her develop both as a student and a future educator is particularly rewarding. The way she’s approaching these outreach opportunities exemplifies why I knew she’d be perfect for this program.”