The national veterans memorial and museum will implement a statewide project to help communities engage with veterans' stories, civic values, and opportunities for service

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the National Veterans Memorial & Museum Operating Corp $1,170,628 on September 1, 2026, under the Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301).

The recipient will create a portable exhibit featuring veterans' stories and deploy it to 10 public libraries throughout Ohio over two years, with each library hosting the installation for two months. Visitors will engage with veteran narratives and participate in civic activities such as writing thank-you letters to veterans, creating kindness notes for youth requiring medical care, and designing bookmarks promoting reading. Project activities include purchasing and assembling exhibit materials, deploying the exhibit across library locations, and evaluating results. The National Veterans Memorial & Museum will partner with multiple state and national libraries to pair storytelling with accessible opportunities for civic participation.

Performance runs through November 30, 2028, with place of performance in Columbus, Ohio.

The museum will create a portable exhibit and install IT in 10 public libraries throughout ohio during the two-year project. Each library will host the installation for two months, allowing time for visitors to reflect on the veteran stories and respond with simple acts of service such as writing thank-you letters to veterans, creating kindness notes for youth needing medical care, or designing bookmarks that promote reading. Project activities will involve purchasing materials to assemble the exhibit installation, deploying IT to the libraries, and evaluating project results. The museum will partner with multiple state and national libraries to achieve the project goal of effectively pairing storytelling with accessible opportunities for civic participation.