GEOFF BENNETT: Now to a story about what# Americans wish for the future of the country.

AMNA NAWAZ: At the Smithsonian# Museum of American History,## a recent time capsule exhibit asked visitors to# reflect on their hopes for the next 50 years.

Student reporters Alia Soliman, Diarra# Gangazha and Jayden Hall from PBS News'## journalism training program Student# Reporting Labs bring us the story.

QUESTION: And you're here today at the# Smithsonian National Museum of American History?

GINO, New Jersey: Yes.

QUESTION: Amazin.. GINO: Yes, I did.

QUESTION: Wow.

What did you wish for?

QUESTION: World peace.

NARRATOR: Here at the Smithsonian Museum# of American History in Washington.. Adam Rozan is the director of Civic Season.

ADAM ROZAN, Civic Season Director, National Museum# of American History: We have this beautiful mural## behind me designed by 25-year-old# Katie Costa from Atlanta, Ge.. WOMAN: I wish that we could# respect one another a little## more and see the beauty in humans as# they are, even with our differences.

GIRL: I'm just going to agree with her.

NARRATOR: When the exhibit ends,## all the letters will be collected by the# Smithsonian's archivists and.. ADAM ROZAN: Your wish included in a time# capsule held by the Smithsonian Institution## Archives for 50 years.

It's going to# reopen June 19, 2075.

Imagine that.

We could also then see, how do we do# as a society moving forward 50 years,## when we're able to actually turn the corner on# some of these issues?

We have so many wishes## about curing cancer.

Have we gotten closer to# curing it?

That's what I'm seeing on the wall,## all sorts of things that are both# beautiful, powerful, emotional.

GIRL: I wish that soldiers# don't die in every single war.

GIRL: I wish soldiers could come back, see# their families and explore the world, basically.

NARRATOR: Alex Edgar is the youth# engagement manager at Made By Us,## an organization that connects institutions# like museums and libraries to young adults.

ALEX EDGAR, Youth Engagement Manager, Made# By Us: We know that young people are really## civically active and they care a lot about# their country and they want to be involved.

IAN, North Carolina: I wish that anybody who's# scared to do anything and just doesn't have the## confidence to just put themselves# out there or just take that risk,## I just pray that they can just# have that confidence to do that.

ALEX EDGAR: Whether you're 4 years old and all you# can do is draw a little picture of world peace,## or you're 90 years old and you're sharing# life lessons that you have learned,## every person can walk up# to and say, this is for me.

DEBORAH, California: We all would treat each# other like we are children of God created in## his image and likeness and that we would all share# our resources and support each other in that way.

AMANDA, California: I wish that# our country could be a model for## respecting the rights of everyone on our# country's soil, no matter how they got here.

ADAM ROZAN: What I love about this wall is that we## have so much more in common with one# another than we actually think we do,## right?

We want safe schools.

We want a# clean, beautiful country and society.

DANIEL, Maryland: Everybody deserves to# achieve their goals, strive on what they want.

ERIC, Washington: I wish that my# kids inherit a good, healthy planet.

ALEX EDGAR: Young people are the# future inheritors of our country,## but they're also the leaders of today.

JOSEPHINE, Virginia: We're all# responsible for keeping this## world peaceful and clean and making sure# that we're just being kind individuals.

MARY, Illinois: I wish that there was# no war.

I wish that everyone could just## be happy and healthy and get# along like our children do.

NARRATOR: For PBS News Student Reporting Labs,## we are Alia Soliman, Diarra Gangazha# and Jayden Hall in Washington, D C.