OUR50 launches national education project inspired by three family tours of all 50 states

Southwest Florida journalist and grandmother Marlene Graham has launched OUR50, a nationwide learning project timed to America’s 250th birthday and built on three generations of family journeys to every state. The program is rolling out this fall with monthly state-themed boxes, virtual learning and community partnerships aimed at helping children explore the country one state at a time.

Why it matters: - OUR50 is designed to turn U.S. history, geography and civic learning into a hands-on family experience. - The project could connect children, parents, grandparents, educators and community groups around shared state-by-state learning. - Graham also wants the project to grow beyond mailings and virtual lessons into long-term community spaces.

What happened: - Marlene Graham launched OUR50 in Naples, Florida, on June 9, 2026. - The project arrives as the United States prepares to mark its 250th birthday. - Graham describes OUR50 as a nationwide educational initiative built around three family journeys to all 50 states. - The first family trip happened during the nation’s Bicentennial celebration in 1976. - The project is now building a list of Founding Families ahead of its planned fall rollout.

The details: - Families participating in OUR50 are expected to receive monthly state-themed educational boxes. - The boxes are expected to include a real piece from each state, such as sand, soil, stones, rock chips or other natural collectibles. - Each box is also expected to include snack treats, collectible maps, State Explorer cards, stickers, vintage postcards, recipes, activities, challenge projects, travel stories and educational materials. - The first box is expected to focus on Florida. - Additional states are expected to follow as the program expands. - OUR50 is aimed at families, educators and grandparents. - Planned Zoom sessions will connect children with each other and with park rangers, historians, educators, tourism representatives and other experts from each featured state. - Graham is also developing a long-term idea for small OUR50 Founders Parks, starting with a pilot park in Florida. - The project has informational brochures, flyers and QR code materials for parents, grandparents, teachers, schools, homeschool families, libraries and community and church organizations. - The project is seeking partnerships with tourism organizations, attractions, educators, volunteer groups, community leaders and towns. - High-resolution photos, historic newspaper clippings, magazine features, current images, logos and promotional materials are available to media outlets upon request. - More information is available on OUR50.com. - Media inquiries can go to Marlene Graham at 239-821-9046 or info@OUR50.com and mgrahamvip@comcast.net.

Between the lines: - Graham’s pitch ties a civic milestone to a personal family story, which gives the project a built-in narrative and multigenerational appeal. - The mix of mailed materials, live virtual sessions and local partnerships suggests a hybrid model built for both home learning and community engagement. - The planned parks concept hints at a longer-term brand strategy if the educational rollout gains traction.

What happened before: - Graham’s late mother, a Colombian-born naturalized U.S. citizen, first pushed the family to travel the country so her children could better understand America. - During the Bicentennial journey, the family traveled to all 50 states in a Volkswagen Beetle. - The trip was funded with $500 in savings and temporary jobs along the way, including restaurant work, yard mowing, migrant labor and other odd jobs. - The family finished the trip known nationally as “The Bicentennial Family.” - Graham and her late husband, Craig, later repeated the 50-state trip with their children in 1996-1997. - That trip made the family one of America’s earliest online travel families, with daily updates shared through dial-up internet and a simple website. - Thousands of people followed the trip and sometimes invited the family into their homes. - The next year, the family took a third 50-state journey centered on volunteerism and became known as “The Volunteerism Family.” - The family’s three trips drew local, national and international media coverage, including appearances on Today, Oprah, Donny & Marie, Home and Family and The View. - Graham later wrote about the 1996-1997 trip in Headfirst Into America. - Graham is a University of Missouri School of Journalism graduate and a former television reporter. - Graham also wrote about the 1976 journey for Seventeen magazine and the 1996-1997 journey for Ladies’ Home Journal.

What’s next: - OUR50’s first educational box is expected to launch in the fall. - More states are expected to be added after the Florida debut. - Graham is continuing to recruit Founding Families and outside partners before rollout. - The project’s long-term goal is to create a national network of families and supporters who help children explore the United States state by state.