Our Initiatives
CO150 Southwest - Signature Initiatives
As our nation and the state of Colorado approach the dual commemorations in 2026, we anticipate lots of anniversary-oriented projects and events across each state and nationwide. Colorado will have a number of exciting statewide Signature Initiatives set forth by the America 250-Colorado 150 Commission. You can learn more about the Colorado Commission’s 12 initiatives here: Announced April 8.
To add to the state’s mix of 2026 initiatives, with the Southwest Colorado LOC’s grassroots’ input and design, our LOC has created several year-long projects of our own, including education for kids and adults, music, events and exhibits, all highlighting the history and heritage of the Southwest Colorado region.
See below for details on our student SW Colorado passport, Sing Colorado!, Power of Place projects and expanding oral history collections and keep any eye out for our unique San Juan Mountains logo and the special signature initiative icons that show the America 250-Colorado 150 Southwest engagement!
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Passport to Southwest Colorado
Produced by fourth-grade teachers for young students, this fun, interactive print and electronic media project will encourage students and parents to visit and learn more about fascinating places in their region.
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Becoming Southwest Colorado
A magazine that celebrates the shared history and culture of Southwest Colorado
Twenty fascinating articles from historians and long-time observers illuminate the rich tapestry of our history. Combined, they tell the story of how we became who we are.
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Sing Colorado!
Music is a powerful expressive force and cultural foundation. Sing Colorado! offers a toolkit of resources to enable groups around Southwest Colorado to hold local musical events in 2026, highlighting Colorado’s rich musical tradition.
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Power of Place
This collaborative, multi-faceted initiative will broaden the understanding of the impact that our geography, climate, and culture have on our community and how we, in turn, shape these features.
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Storytelling: A Portrait of Southwest Colorado at 150
Storytelling, especially through oral histories, adds a layer of richness and personal experience to our understanding of the past. Learn more about our current inventory of oral histories and how you might add to them.
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Moments that Made Us
Our story was never inevitable. We shaped it at every turn.” So goes the tagline for the Moments that Made US exhibits being put together by SW Colorado’s local history museums right now. Working in conjunction with the state’s exhibition, Moments That Made Us, southwest Colorado’s museums will localize this project, weaving together the facts and accounts of local, Colorado, and western U.S. history. This is a fast-emerging project with more news and announcements coming soon.