In a city known for its rich history and diverse communities, the National Museum and Center for Service (NMCFS), YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, DC Rotary Club, and the DC Public Library collaborated to create Service is Everywhere in DC—a co-created exhibition that spotlights the people and organizations driving service across the nation’s capital. Hosted at Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library (Feb–Apr 2025) and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (Apr–Jul 2025), the display celebrated volunteers, teachers, first responders, healthcare workers, and nonprofits, including the DC Rotary and YMCA’s enduring legacies. The project demonstrated how local stories can illuminate universal values like service, belonging, and civic participation.

Impact and design:

Designed by Patrick Rogan of Assemble, the exhibition featured modular, interlocking panels that adapted to different spaces and included interactive boards and QR codes to connect visitors with local and national service opportunities. The design team prioritized co-creation and inclusivity, bringing voices from across communities into the narrative and identifying gaps to ensure underrepresented stories were heard. Early feedback highlighted the exhibit’s engaging storytelling and its potential to galvanize civic engagement, even as some visitors called for a clearer entry point and a more linear narrative flow.

Learning and outcomes:

The project produced the Community Museums of Service toolkit, a tangible framework for co-creating local museums of service that advance learning, representation, and accessibility. It also seeded 250 & Beyond—an ambitious national call to elevate local service stories during the nation’s semiquincentennial, inviting communities to gather, reflect, and act together. Through these efforts, Service is Everywhere in DC demonstrates how bottom-up storytelling can strengthen the civic fabric, deepen public trust, and inspire broader participation in service at scale.