MY AMERICA
From ground zero To common ground
MY AMERICA is a nationwide, youth-driven art and civic engagement campaign that will honor our past, reflect on our present, and inspire our future.
MY AMERICA is a nationwide, youth-driven art and civic engagement campaign that will honor our past, reflect on our present, and inspire our future. Through artistic expression, civic action, and public commemoration, MY AMERICA will empower young people across all 50 states to reflect on what unity, democracy, and being American means today by creating a large mosaic of an American flag made up of thousands of individual tiles with messages, drawings, poems. Upon its completion, we expect the flag mosaic to be 150 feet long x 80 feet wide, half the size of a football field.
This national movement will emanate from Massachusetts, where, as history shows, it all began, the birthplace of the American Revolution and the ideas that gave rise to democracy itself. From here, it will call to youth across the nation to lead America forward, once again, in defining what our country stands for.
MY AMERICA is a movement of purpose and participation. It demonstrates that youth voices still shape the direction of our democracy, just as they did in 1776. It reminds us that the American story is ongoing, and that the next chapter will be written by those who believe in the ideals that bind us together.
our story
Building a large flag mosaic representing youth voices across the nation may seem daunting, but we’ve done it before.
In the days following September 11, 2001, our country searched for ways to heal and unite. While adults could volunteer or give blood, there were few ways for young people to express their grief and hope. The United We Stand for America Campaign changed that.
This statewide civic engagement effort in Massachusetts gave young people, from elementary through high school, a voice in a time of national grief. It offered them not just a project, but a platform to channel their emotions, hopes, and patriotism into something lasting.
With art as the medium, students were invited to create messages of peace, unity, and patriotism on 6-inch square fabric tiles. The response was incredible — more than 50,000 tiles from 750 schools and classrooms came together to form a 120ft x 65ft giant mosaic of the American flag, a powerful symbol of resilience and solidarity and support for first-responders.
The massive American flag mosaic – 120ft x 65ft — was unveiled to a crowd of more than 3,500 students and teachers and has since been displayed at the Esplanade and Boston Common for the 10th and 20th Anniversary.
Now, as America marks its 250th anniversary, a new generation will once again lead the way, using art and imagination to create a flag that reflects their vision for our nation’s future. Together, the two mosaics, one born from healing, the other from hope, will stand side by side as enduring symbols of youth leadership and America’s shared story.
9/11 Anniversary 2021, flag display on the Boston Common.
United We Stand for America flag unveiling in 2001
Contact
Have questions or want to get involved?
For general inquiries about MY AMERICA, please view our frequently asked questions or email your question to Tricia Raynard at traynard@therendongroup.com.
Interested in coalition partnerships or sponsorship opportunities? Please contact Molly Lomenzo at mlomenzo@therendongroup.com.
Ready to sign up your students for MY AMERICA? Register Now.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Help us assemble the MY AMERICA Flag Mosaic. If you are interested in volunteering and located in the greater Boston area, sign up today.