The Direction

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the NAM and its partners are evaluating whether to launch the Route 250 Initiative—a bold effort to reignite American patriotism and pride and inspire a new wave of creators. At the heart of this initiative is the iconic American diner, a symbol of connection and shared values, where we invite everyone to reflect on the past, engage in the present and shape the future. It’s a reminder that what you do today will shape the country we live in tomorrow.

The Opportunity

With patriotism and confidence in the American Dream on the decline, particularly among younger generations, the Route 250 Initiative seeks to address these challenges head-on. For manufacturers, business leaders and the country at large, the stakes are high–if people lose faith in America, they lose trust in all of us. The Route 250 Initiative aims to strengthen civic pride, inspire acts of service and enhance public understanding of the critical role that manufacturers and enterprises play in building our nation’s future.

Our Goals in 2026 would include:

• Improve Perception: Enhance America’s perception among young Americans and their influencers by at least 25%.
• Engage Millions: Reach–and drive acts of service by–millions of students and their influencers, fostering a greater understanding of America’s values and history.
• Community Impact: Achieve significant local engagement in all areas we visit, increasing civic engagement and social trust, sparking conversations about American history and the future.
• Positive Media Coverage: Amplify our message by generating at least $10 million in positive earned media.

Test Kitchen

This October, the Route 250 Initiative will debut at the Circleville Pumpkin Show in Circleville, Ohio—a beloved event that draws over 400,000 visitors. From October 16-19, 2024, the Route 250 Diner will serve as a hub for community engagement and fun, where visitors can pledge service activities, explore stories of creators, learn about organizations and companies in their backyard making America and connect with the values that define our nation. This proof of concept will focus on acts of service, showcasing how small contributions can lead to significant impacts.

Why the NAM

The NAM is uniquely positioned to help steer this effort, building on our success with the Creators Wanted campaign, which has played a crucial role in building excitement about modern manufacturing careers across the country. Manufacturing is deeply rooted in America’s history and remains a widely admired sector—one that embodies the American spirit of action, empowerment and progress. Working with our partners, we can help show more Americans what we know is true in our work every day:

• Each of us has something valuable to contribute.
• Pride comes from working together.
• The future is being made today and we have a stake in it.

Through the Route 250 Initiative, we aim to celebrate this legacy, educate our neighbors about the industry’s and other sectors’ contributions to making America and invite all Americans to see themselves as active participants of this ongoing story in shaping the future of our nation.

Presenting Sponsor

The Route 250 Initiative is supported by a grant from Stand Together Trust. Their generous funding makes it possible for us to bring this vision to life, fostering a renewed sense of pride and community across the nation. Stand Together Trust supports social entrepreneurs across society working in education, communities, business and government. They do this by supporting applied research that turns great ideas into practical solutions and investing in projects that demonstrate new and better ways to tackle the root causes of our country’s biggest problems.

Additional Supporters

Visit the official Route 250 initiative website at Route250.org for the full list.