A House for Democracy: Tackling Disinformation and Rebuilding Trust

This Capstone project with Benjamin Franklin House in London will explore how heritage institutions can move beyond preservation to become active civic actors addressing modern democratic challenges such as disinformation, civic disengagement, and declining public trust. As the world’s only surviving residence of Benjamin Franklin and a key transatlantic institution, Franklin House seeks to leverage its historical legacy and upcoming milestones, especially America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, to inspire civic participation, dialogue, and policy innovation.

The team will conduct a landscape and policy gap analysis to determine where Franklin House can have the greatest civic and policy influence, focusing on partnerships, educational programming, and digital engagement. Deliverables will include a fully developed campaign concept, a prototype for a digital exhibit or toolkit, and an actionable stakeholder and funder strategy. By bridging history and modern civic action, the project aims to transform Benjamin Franklin House into a leading platform for democratic resilience, equipping citizens to combat misinformation and reimagine civic participation for the 21st century.