Make the World a Better Place with Graphic Design: Year 9 at PS 21

For the ninth year in a row, David Nudelman returned to PS 21 Margaret P. Emery in Elm Park, Staten Island to work with students on something that has become a tradition — designing for their school.

This year's program, "Make the World a Better Place with Graphic Design," ran for eight weeks in Mrs. Abreu's classes. Students learned the fundamentals of graphic design and worked together to create an original design for PS 21. The final product — a clean, bold logo featuring an open book and lightbulb with the slogan "Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow" — became part of the school store, where it helped raise money for the school.

The student-designed PS 21 t-shirt — "Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow" wrapping around the school's logo featuring an open book and lightbulb, printed on black.

Nine years. That's how long Nudelman and PS 21 have been doing this. What started as a single residency has become a lasting partnership — one that gives students a creative outlet and gives the school something tangible that the whole community can rally behind.

dreams to reality

When students see their design on a shirt that their classmates, teachers, and families are wearing, it does something. It tells them their ideas matter. It shows them that creativity has real-world value. And it connects them to their school in a way that goes beyond the classroom.

This program was made possible through an ABC Arts Grant from Staten Island Arts and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.

SHOUT OUT

To Principal Valerie Panzella and Mrs. Abreu for continuing to make space for this program year after year. Nine years of creative partnership — and still going.

To learn more about the School Spirit Enterprise program, visit schoolspiritenterprise.com.