How a Summer Challenge Became a School Tradition
Five years ago, Admissions Representative Stephanie Lorey helped launch the challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep students engaged virtually over the summer months."Communication is sent out the last day of school with the PDF template, allowing families to submit their drawings throughout the summer,” Lorey explained.
The contest is open to the entire school, allowing students across all grade levels to participate.
"There is usually a theme, and the winner is the one who best met the theme," Lorey shared. Over the summer break, leadership team members review the entries and vote, with majority rule deciding the winning piece.
Once selected, the winning design is sent to Picture This Clothing, a company that transforms 2D artwork into custom wearable apparel.
"They create all types of articles of clothing, like ties and dresses," Lorey noted. For approximately $75 total, including shipping costs, the student's paper design is fabricated into a high-quality, wearable outfit for the principal to debut.
Spotlight on East Arbor’s 2026 Winner: Abigail!
This year, East Arbor 5th-grade student Abigail W. claimed the top spot with her creative design! Her artwork was brought to life into a custom dress that Mrs. Newby proudly wore during a schoolwide assembly and throughout the school day. As part of the celebration, Abbey earned a special lunch date with Principal Newby where she is officially honored for her artistic achievement.To keep the celebration going long after the first week of school, East Arbor’s principal also ordered a custom canvas print of Abigail’s winning design to hang proudly in the school hallway.
"It is a great way to show the fun things and events the school does throughout the year when I am giving prospective families tours of the building," Lorey added.
A Tradition of Creativity and Connection
"Since the first year, there has been much more participation and engagement with students," Lorey said. "Some even submit multiple entries, and the artwork gets more detailed and creative year over year.”
Congratulations to Abigail for her hard work and creativity, and a big thank you to Mrs. Newby, Stephanie Lorey, and the leadership teams at East Arbor and Keystone Academy for continuing a tradition that celebrates students and makes school an enjoyable place to learn and grow!
About East Arbor Charter Academy
East Arbor Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Ypsilanti, Michigan, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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