2025-2026 Red, White & Blue Schools

Theme: For the Common Good

For the Common Good honored the contributions that schools make to the shared welfare of their local communities. The theme pushed our collective responsibility into the foreground; it promoted collaborative civic engagement and acknowledged that the common good forms the foundation for our shared prosperity. As a pillar of America 250 Connecticut, it was a nonpartisan call to shape our communities around our founding values and nurture the spaces and resources we share. Educators were encouraged to explore what shapes “the common good” takes in their communities with students. The aim was to look at our communities, discuss how we determine “the common good” and what that means in our own environment, and take initiative to bolster the common good wherever there is room to do so.

Outstanding School

Cornwall Consolidated School, Cornwall

Congratulations to Cornwall Consolidated School for their recognized project honoring Robin Starr. Eleven 7th graders spent the school year researching and advocating for a Revolutionary War veteran who was born in Guinea, Africa, enslaved in Danbury, served six years in the Continental Army, purchased his own freedom, and settled in Cornwall—where he was buried without a gravestone and largely forgotten. Students visited Calhoun Cemetery, examined the cellar holes believed to be the Starr family homesite, and combed through census records, military muster rolls, land records, and Historical Society archives to confirm Robin Starr’s connections to Cornwall. Armed with that research, they attended Cornwall’s 250 Committee meetings, contacted town officials and their state representative, and successfully advocated for a gravestone for Robin and his family, a memorial on the town green, an official Robin Starr Day proclaimed by the Selectmen, and a Connecticut General Assembly citation recognizing his legacy statewide. Students also built a scale model of the Swift’s Bridge area, designed informational displays, and secured Guinea Town’s inclusion on the Connecticut Freedom Trail—work that will be featured in the Cornwall Historical Society’s sesquicentennial exhibit.

Click here to read Cornwall Consolidated School’s submission