Letters to Our Future Community Toolkit

 What began as a local effort by the Cook County Historical Society (CCHS) to document the community's response to "Operation Metro Surge" has transformed into a statewide movement. To help this growing project, CCHS has created the Letters to Our Future Community Toolkit, a resource designed to help organizations across Minnesota replicate this archiving project in their own communities. Additionally, in response to inquiries from local organizations wishing to host quiet writing spaces in partnership with CCHS, a specialized partner toolkit has also been developed.

The initiative has gained traction far beyond the North Shore, drawing interest from historical societies, libraries, student groups, and more. CCHS believes this widespread interest is driven in part by a shared mission to act as "stewards of the present," ensuring the diverse emotions and stories of this moment in time are preserved directly from all people living through them (CCHS welcomes letters from all viewpoints, ensuring that the full complexity of this historical moment is captured for posterity). The project has provided a unique opportunity for individuals to not only document history but to begin processing and understanding their own personal responses to these events.

Since its launch, CCHS has received firsthand feedback on the impact on younger generations. Children and teenagers have been particularly drawn to the initiative, with many choosing to write letters specifically for the 20-Year Time Capsule. Parents, guardians, and educators have shared with CCHS that the project offers a "gentle way" to talk to children about current world events, allowing them to process their feelings and decide exactly how their voices will be heard twenty years from now.

The Toolkit & Local Partnerships

The new organizational toolkit acts as a guide for entities wishing to launch their own "Letters to Our Future" project. It includes best practices, hospitality suggestions (such as providing warm cocoa and tea to create a welcoming environment), and ready-to-use templates.

Furthermore, CCHS is partnering with local businesses that wish to host quiet writing spaces to provide more frequent opportunities for the public to participate in person. These partner hosts work directly with the Historical Society to ensure all letters are preserved within the CCHS archives.

To request the community toolkit, or to inquire about hosting a local quiet writing space, please click below.

Community Toolkit/Writing Space Inquiry

Please note: CCHS launched the project with a focus on Operation Metro Surge. However, we have since expanded the project to include a reflection on life in 2026, with possible topics such as:

  • Summer wildfires, closure of the BWCAW

  • Operation Metro Surge

  • Elections

  • Mining ban reversal

  • United States Semiquincentennial

  • Artemis II lunar flyby

  • World Cup

  • Winter Olympics

With the following writing prompts:

  • What is something you or others were worried about in the world this year? Something that brought you or others joy?

  • What is one thing you want someone 20, 30, or 50 years from now to understand about what it was like to live through that time?

  • What do you hope has changed or stayed the same when the capsule is opened?