Ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, More Perfect – a bipartisan alliance of Presidential Centers and many of the country’s leading educational and civic initiatives – today released, as part of their In Pursuit initiative, a new social video series designed to reach young adults, in partnership with the Ad Council and ATTN:. In Pursuit features essays from leading American public figures exploring lessons from each American president and several first ladies. As part of the project, the videos will premiere on ATTN:’s social and digital platforms, as well as creator channels on Instagram and TikTok, in the lead up to July 4 and throughout the summer.
Produced by ATTN: and four creators who focus on history content, the series delves into the stories of former American presidents and first ladies in a social-first and engaging way to reach young people. A 2024 survey conducted by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) found that many U.S. college students lack basic history and civics knowledge, demonstrating a need for deeper engagement and understanding in this age group. The videos, the first of which are available here and here, encourage viewers to find more inspiration from our nation’s past by subscribing to In Pursuit’s free Substack at InPursuit.Substack.com
“Gen Z deserves better than boring lectures about civics,” said Colleen Shogan, CEO of In Pursuit. “They deserve history that feels alive, relevant, and worth sharing. These short, entertaining videos will bring In Pursuit’s lessons to the platforms where young Americans already gather, helping them see that the choices, character, and courage of the past still matter for the future.”
The self-filmed creator videos bring the In Pursuit lessons to life in an accessible format with the concept of “spilling the (historical) tea,” referring to a phrase often used online to mean sharing hot gossip. Featured creators are:
- Emily Mazza (@makeupbyemazza), a beauty creator who blends makeup tutorials with storytelling and historical narratives, on First Lady Abigail Adams
- Eric Somppi (@what.history), the creator behind an educational channel specializing in bite-sized lesser-known history, on President James Monroe
- Dr. Harini Bhat (@tilscience) a pharmacist turned storyteller who translates complex facts and history into accessible curiosity-driven content, on First Lady Dolley Madison
- Lauren Cella (@laurencella) a history teacher and content creator known for translating historical events into digestible Gen-Z vernacular, on First Lady Louisa Adams
“This partnership with More Perfect and In Pursuit is timely and compelling, and we’re excited to bring together the talent and media that will truly resonate with young people,” said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “We all appreciate getting ‘the tea,’ and these fresh, engaging videos will spark curiosity and inspire audiences across the country to deepen their understanding of our history.”
In addition to the creator videos, ATTN: created three custom videos that will live on their platform and engage their young adult audiences, including an overview of the project, and videos sharing the lessons of President James K. Polk and President James A. Garfield.
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, In Pursuit is releasing essays throughout 2026 written by some of the nation’s most respected historians, journalists, and thought leaders across the political spectrum – including three former U.S. presidents, three former first ladies, the current chief justice of the Supreme Court and seven Pulitzer Prize winners. The essays distill timeless lessons reflecting American ideals from across history, to launch a national conversation about what we can learn from the past to inform our future. Each essay is published on their Substack weekly in chronological order. The full release schedule and list of contributors is available at inpursuit.org/schedule.
