RENEWport has launched the Semiquincentennial 250 Archival Project, inviting local youth to share their reflections on the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The project, in collaboration with the Newport Historical Society, Newport Public Schools and the East Bay MET School, will preserve students’ reflections and their hopes for the future. Submissions are open to children from elementary to high school, including local military students, and can take the form of art, poetry, essays or short videos. At the end of 2026, a digital archive will be donated to the Newport Historical Society and preserved for the future.
“The road to Yorktown started in Newport, and the revolutionary spirit that defined America in 1776 is still a part of the city’s identity today,” said Rebecca Bertrand, executive director of the Newport Historical Society. “It’s exciting to see local students explore and embrace that history and leave their own mark on it as part of this hands-on Archival Project.”
The second round of submissions is open through June 30 online at renewport.org/usa250. Prompts include “What do you hope America will be like in 50 years?”; “Draw a picture of what freedom looks like”; “If you could interview anyone from American history, who would you choose and why?”; and “Design a 250th birthday card for America.” First-round contributions can be viewed on RENEWport’s Pinterest page at pinterest.com/RENEWportRI.
“As our nation celebrates its 250th birthday, the East Bay MET is honored to elevate the voices of Newport’s youth, especially the voices of youth who carry identities too often left out of the American narrative,” said Mary Viera, East Bay MET School principal. “We lift these voices to celebrate the courage, complexity, and enduring spirit of a community whose rich past, vibrant present, and boundless future help define the story of America.”
This month, Salve Civic Leaders Elodie Chery, Sunshine Clark and Tiffany DaPonte, under the guidance of Professor Mary Anderson, the David and Carolyn Brodsky Chair in US Constitutional Democracy and Culture at Salve Regina University, will help create the archive and collect contributions from children at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and the Boys and Girls Club of Newport County.
“Many thanks to Susan Sipprelle and Ellen Pinnock of RENEWport for leading the charge for our community to celebrate America’s 250th,” said Colleen Burns Jermain, Newport Public Schools superintendent. “It is all about community and their spirit helps to join us all together.”
More information is available at renewport.org/usa250, and questions or contributions can be directed to Susan Sipprelle or Ellen Pinnock at hello@renewport.org.
