New York State is celebrating student creativity for America’s 250th by creating a digital quilt.
Open to all K–12 students in New York State from June to December 2026
Schools, libraries, museums, and after-school programs across the state are invited to participate and submit student work starting in June.
Coming in June:
WNET, New York City’s public media station, will launch Tapestry of New York—a new online platform showcasing the creative work of New York students in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. The platform will be available statewide to all students K-12.
The platform will feature artwork and media created by elementary, middle, and high school students across the state, reflecting their unique views on the American Revolution and the “unfinished revolutions” that followed. Student submissions might include collages, drawings, paintings, photography, graphics, videos, and other artworks. All submissions will include written statements by students about their work.
Theme: What does “We the People” mean to you?
The theme of the project is: We the People. The preamble of the U.S. Constitution begins with the famous words, “We the People of the United States…” However, ideas about what it means to be an American have changed over the past 250 years, as New Yorkers have advocated for a more expansive definition that includes people of more diverse backgrounds. Students are invited to create artwork or media that explores one of more of the following questions from their own perspective:
- Who is still left out from “We the People”?
- Who is included in your idea of “We the People”?
- What makes you feel like you belong to your community or country?
- Which historical and/or contemporary figures have fought for a more inclusive idea of “We the People”?
The Tapestry of New York visual storytelling platform will feature:
- A teacher toolkit to support historical reflection, inquiry, and enrichment
- A multidisciplinary approach integrating art, media, social studies, and ELA
- Searchable student submissions, filterable by school, keyword, genre, and more
