My Nebraska, Our America: Students, Public Art, and the Story of Nebraska 250

About this episode

This episode discusses Nebraska 250 and the My Nebraska, Our America Public Art Design Challenge, highlighting student engagement in public art and civic identity.

In this episode of The Good Life EDU Podcast, we explore Nebraska 250—the state’s effort to commemorate the nation’s upcoming semi-quincentennial through learning, creativity, and community connection.We're joined by Bre Wilton, Social Studies Content Specialist at the Nebraska Department of Education; Cody Talarico, Arts Education Specialist at NDE; and Anne Alston, Arts Education Program Specialist at the Nebraska Arts Council. Together, they unpack how a cross-agency collaboration led to the My Nebraska, Our America Public Art Design Challenge, a statewide opportunity for students to explore history, civic identity, and sense of place through public art. The conversation highlights how educators—across grade levels, content areas, and learning environments—can use a flexible, standards-aligned toolkit to help students design public art that reflects both local stories and national ideals. Listeners will also learn how student artwork can be submitted for a statewide exhibition, including a traveling display at the Nebraska State Capitol, the Museum of Nebraska Art, and the Nebraska Department of Education. Referenced Links & Resources Nebraska 250 Art Challenge website…

People in this episode

Host: Andrew Easton

Guests: Bre Wilton, Cody Talarico, Anne Alston

Topics covered

• public art
• education
• civic identity
• community connection
• Nebraska 250
• student engagement

Keywords

• Nebraska 250
• public art
• student artwork
• civic identity
• education
• community connection
• art challenge

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Arts Council

Books & works: My Nebraska, Our America Public Art Design Challenge

Places: Nebraska

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