Delaware 250

DE250 Grant Spotlight: Newark Union Church & Cemetery

Through a DE250 grant, Newark Union Church & Cemetery repaired and improved the landing area at the entrance to their historic site.

The grant helped fund:
⛪️ Repairs to the landing area at the base of the church steps and in front of the cemetery gate
🧱 A new flagstone and brick surface designed to match other nearby walkways

Project impact:
• Created a safer, more accessible surface for visitors entering the church and cemetery
• Welcomed more than 600 visitors since the project was completed
• Provided a welcoming place for visitors to gather after touring the historic site
• Helped make this site more visitor-ready as Delaware celebrates its 250th anniversary

Every Delaware story matters, and we're proud to support organizations like this one bringing those stories to life.

To learn more about the Newark Union Church & Cemetery, visit https://newarkunion.com/

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

Blog: 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝟐𝟓𝟎: 𝐀 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 - Sixty-three Revolutionary War soldiers. One Wilmington mass grave. And, nearly 250 years later, 33 of them have been identified by name. Learn the remarkable story of how these American and British soldiers came to be buried in Wilmington—and how they’re finally being honored.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: inWilmDE.com/Blog

Tune in this Thursday for a special commemorative convening of the General Assembly at the New Castle Court House Museum: https://legis.delaware.gov/EventNotice/6!

Delaware lawmakers will gather this week at the state's first capital, Video and full story in comments:

DE250 Grant Spotlight: The Wilmington Children's Chorus

Through a DE250 grant, the Wilmington Children’s Chorus created "American Harmony," a concert series tracing the arc of American history through the evolution of Black music from Negro Spirituals to contemporary pop.

The grant helped fund:
🎶Three major "American Harmony" concerts
🎤Chorister education for the students in multiple musical styles, including spirituals, gospel, jazz, blues, R&B, soul, and hip hop
📖The commissioning of "Adressia," a new work highlighting the story of a Black woman who lived and worked at Cooch's Bridge

Project impact:
• Engaged 300 students in "American Harmony"
• Helped 68% of audience members learn something new about American history
• Gave 81% of audience members new insight into the role of Black music in shaping history
• Deepened understanding of American history and Black musical traditions among students, staff members, and families

Every Delaware story matters, and we're proud to support organizations like this one bringing those stories to life.

To learn more about the Wilmington Children’s Chorus, visit https://www.wilmingtonchildrenschorus.org/

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

DE250 Grant Spotlight: Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education

Through a DE250 grant, the Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education (DiAE) delivered a multifaceted educational program that celebrated Delaware's history and explored themes of justice, freedom, and community resilience.

The grant helped fund:
🎭 Two student matinee performances of "Social Movement: The 1968 Wilmington Uprising and Occupation" at The Grand Opera House
🎓 A discussion with scholar Beatrice Coker exploring the impact of historical events on local communities and the role of the arts in understanding history
💃 Four school-based artist residencies that connected students with dance composition and themes explored in the performance

Project impact:
• Reached 540 students and teachers through the two student matinee performances
• Engaged students at four Delaware schools in hands-on, arts-based learning connected to Delaware history
• Encouraged students to connect Delaware’s past to their own roles in shaping their communities and future

Every Delaware story matters, and we're proud to support organizations like this one bringing those stories to life.

To learn more about the Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education, visit https://diae.org/.

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

DE250 Grant Spotlight: The Lewes Historical Society

Through a DE250 grant, the Lewes Historical Society opened its latest permanent exhibition, From Revolution to Republic: The Neill Household (1792-1803).

The grant helped fund:
🏠 The reinterpretation of the Burton-Ingram House, including its parlor, dining room, and enslaved quarters
📖 New, inclusive Lewes-based narratives that examine the community’s Revolutionary experience
🔎 An immersive interpretation highlighting the contrasting experiences of Colonel Henry Neill, his family, guests, and the seven enslaved people who lived and worked in the household

Project impact:
• Provides visitors a fuller and more honest understanding of the Revolutionary era in Delaware
• Highlights the experiences of enslaved people whose lives and labor were part of the Neill household
• Encourages reflection on the often-contradictory ideals of liberty and equality that followed the Revolution
• Creates a lasting educational experience that connects Lewes' history to the broader story of the nation's formation

Every Delaware story matters, and we're proud to support organizations like this one bringing those stories to life.

To learn more about the Lewes Historical Society, visit https://www.historiclewes.org/

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

DE250 Grant Spotlight: Scouting America, Del-Mar-Va Council

Through a DE250 grant, Del-Mar-Va Council brought Patriotic Pathways to life as the centerpiece of its 2026 Jamboree, A Declaration of Adventure.

The interactive educational program invited youth and families to journey through four periods of American and Delaware history from the Colonial and Revolutionary era to the present day.

The grant helped fund:
🎨 Hands-on activities, crafts, games, and skills challenges across each of the four historical time periods
🧑‍🏫 Living-history presentations by historical reenactors and subject matter experts
📖 A passport-and-stamp activity encouraging youth to explore all four periods, with a commemorative patch for those who completed the full journey
🆓 Free access for non-Scout youth and families attending this event

Project impact:
• Welcomed over 1,100 Scouts, family members, and community members
• Recognized more than 700 participants who completed all four time periods with a commemorative patch
• Helped participants explore the achievements and challenges of American and Delaware history through hands-on activities
• Created a model for future educational programming at Del-Mar-Va Council events

Every Delaware story matters, and we're proud to support organizations like this one bringing those stories to life.

To learn more about the Del-Mar-Va Council, visit https://www.delmarvacouncil.org/

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

Join us for the September Finale of Voices of Wilmington: A Community Reading Series: An evening of poetry, reflection, local history, and community.

We’ll hear from SuiteFranchon, Jane C. Miller, Billie Travalini, Joyce Enzor Maust, Torrey Francis Malek, and more whose work will appear in The Delaware Poets Almanac: Semiquincentennial Edition, then open the mic to YOU.

Bring a poem. Bring a reflection. Bring something inspired by Delaware’s people, places, history, or your own lived experience. Or simply come, listen, and be part of the room.

📅 Thursday, September 3
🕕 6–8 PM
📍 Wilmington Public Library
🎟️ Free

Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/voices-of-wilmington-a-community-reading-series-september-finale-tickets-1998517318097

Come help us close out the series by celebrating the voices that make Wilmington what it is!🎤📖

DE250 Grant Spotlight: University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press

Through a DE250 grant, the University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press researched, digitized, and shared materials highlighting Black Delaware history from the University of Delaware Special Collections.

The grant helped fund:
🎓️ Two UD graduate student interns who researched and curated a Special Collections exhibition
🤝 Collaboration with four local historians and community members to identify and interpret materials related to Black Delaware history
💻️ Digitization of historical materials to increase public access to these important resources

Project impact:
• Created "Lifting As We Climb: Churches, Schools and the Formation of Delaware’s Free Black Communities," an exhibition that served as the centerpiece of UD Special Collections’ 250th anniversary programming
• Increased public access to Black Delaware history through UD’s digital collections, helping bring the stories of Delaware’s free Black communities to broader audiences
• Gave graduate student interns hands-on experience researching, interpreting, and presenting historical materials for a public audience

Every Delaware story matters, and we're proud to support organizations like this one bringing these stories to life.

You can find many of the items from the exhibit here: https://digitalcollections.udel.edu/collections/black-delaware-history-collections

Learn more about the Delaware 250 Grant Program here: https://delaware250.org/grant-opportunities/

Exhibit images provided by UDaily at the University of Delaware.