In 2026, we honor the 250th anniversary of the United States. As part of the commemoration, the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff is hosting a year-long lecture series that shows how our local history intersected and influenced the nation's past. We'll show how that history ripples through the present and arcs to our future.
This special 10-part lecture series will bring local and regional scholars to the History Center and will be organized chronologically, giving attendees an overview of the major American events across the past two centuries. The series will cover pre-settlement Indigenous People's history, to early European arrival in the area, local influence and experiences in the Civil War through World War II, and culminates in a capstone community panel, "Shaping the Next 50 Years: A Community Conversation."
Offered free to the public, these lectures will begin in March.
Sponsorship support allows the History Center to present all Cornerstones programming free to the public, while preserving these lectures and conversations for future generations.
$10,000 — Founding Sponsor
Ensuring free access to history for the entire community
- Series presented as:
“America 250 History Program Series presented by [Sponsor Name]” - Prominent recognition on all series marketing, website, and e-newsletters
- Verbal recognition at every lecture, panel, and special program
- Named presenting sponsor of the capstone panel:
“Shaping the Next Fifty Years: A Community Conversation, presented by [Sponsor Name]” - Underwriting of lecture recording and archival preservation for the full series
- Invitation to private speaker or donor reception(s)
- Recognition in the permanent acknowledgment in the History Center archives
$7,500 — Visionary Sponsor
Major support for expanding public access
- Prominent recognition on the series marketing and website
- Verbal recognition at all programs
- Underwriting of lecture recording and archival preservation for select programs
- Invitation to speaker or donor reception(s)
- Recognition in all series marketing, website, and e-newsletters
$5,000 — Program Sponsor
Support for a specific historical era or topic
- Named sponsor of one lecture or themed program
- Name listed on shared sponsor signage at programs
- Recognition of event-specific marketing and signage
- Verbal recognition in the sponsored program
- Named sponsor of the recording and archival preservation of the sponsored lecture
- Recognition on the website and in the e-news related to the event
- Invitation to speaker or donor reception for the program
$2,500 — Community Sponsor
Helping keep programs free and accessible
- Name listed on shared sponsor signage at programs
- Recognition on website and in series marketing materials
- Support of lecture recording and long-term archival preservation (shared recognition)
$1,000 — Patron Sponsor
Broadening community participation
- Name listed in the series marketing and website
- Recognition on shared signage
- Contributes to archival preservation of America 250 programming (group acknowledgment)
$500 — Friend of America 250
Supporting public history at the grassroots level
- Name listed in series materials and website
- Recognition on shared signage at select programs
- Supports community access and preservation of the series
Optional Stand-Alone Named Sponsorship Opportunities
Available independently or in combination with the above levels
- Capstone Panel Sponsor – $7,500
“Shaping the Next Fifty Years: A Community Conversation, presented by [Sponsor Name]”
Includes verbal recognition, signage, website acknowledgment, and archival listing. - Full Series Lecture Recording & Archival Preservation Sponsor – $5,000
Named support for professional recording, digital access, and permanent archival preservation of the full series. - Single Lecture Recording & Archival Preservation Sponsor – $1,000
Named recognition associated with one recorded lecture preserved in the History Center archives.
For more information or to reserve your sponsorship, please contact
Lisa Frey at
847-234-5253