What is your DREAM to share with the world?
Resources for creating Dream Banners.
Writing Starters
FORMAT
Printable Handout
MOST APPROPRIATE FOR
Upper Elementary and Middle School. Other groups with modification.
DESCRIPTION
Collection of 5 prompts for writing text to go on Dream Banners. Some highly scripted, others more open ended.
Writing Starter Templates
FORMAT
Printable Handout
MOST APPROPRIATE FOR
Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary. English or Spanish Speakers.
DESCRIPTION
Fill-in-the-blank forms for writing Dream Banner test. Helps students think about themselves, their families, and the world or other structured reflections. Additional line guide download to help transfer writing onto fabric and translation to Spanish for most commonly used template.
Banner Layout
FORMAT
Printable Handout
MOST APPROPRIATE FOR
All Ages
DESCRIPTION
Simple diagram of what goes where on a Dream Banner. Can be given out or displayed. Uniform layout helps reinforce the concept of equal value to all student dreams.
Interview & Art with Steffi Walthall
FORMAT
Video Presentations
MOST APPROPRIATE FOR
Upper Elementary, Middle, and High School e school or older.
DESCRIPTION
In the first video, Netflix, New York Times, and New Yorker featured artist Steffie Walthall is interviewed by a Dreamline student about her dreams and her work. The second video is a time-lapse capture of her creation of a work entitled Dream Forward which she created as a gift to the Dreamline Project.
Artist Ibiyinka Alao & Dreams
FORMAT
Video Presentation
MOST APPROPRIATE FOR
Middle School, High School, and older
DESCRIPTION
Award-winning Nigerian Artist and UN Peace Ambassador Ibiyinka Alao talks about dreams, shadows, and change after creating a calabash drawing.
Demonstration of Holding Fast
FORMAT
Video Presentations
MOST APPROPRIATE FOR
Upper Elementary, Middle School
DESCRIPTION
Dreamline Program Director Jeffrey Harlan demonstrates what Langston Hughes means by “hold fast to dreams” from his poem “Dreams” and explains why we use cloth for Dream Banners in this 90-second clip from the 2025 Dreamline Online Celebration.
Philadelphia Museum of Art Program Interviews & Reflections
FORMAT
Video Presentation
MOST APPROPRIATE FOR
Middle School Students & Older, All Dream Leaders
DESCRIPTION
This brief documentary of the Dreamline program led by teaching artists at the Philadelphia Museum of Arts after-school program for School District of Philadelphia middle school students features interviews with teaching artists, students, and museum administrators as well as visual samples of student work in many formats. (3:38)
