Recently, Abington Friends School took nine students to the Pennsylvania Scrollathon event at Germantown Friends School. AFS mentioned this field trip to students after it happened, but some may still be wondering—what actually is Scrollathon, and what did we do there?
Scrollathon is a multimedia, collaborative art project that brings students, adults, and others together across the country to create large fabric collages. The project was started by brothers Steven and William Ladd in 2006. Their work has been exhibited all over, from Atlanta, Georgia to Brooklyn, New York.
Their most recent project, National Scrollathon, is for the United States’ 250th anniversary, and the collage will be displayed in the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. once completed. It brings together art from all of the states, Washington D.C., and five U.S. territories.
Here is a breakdown of our trip
10:00: Arrival at Germantown Friends School. Here we met with some of the organizers of the event, and they introduced us to the artists, Steven and William Ladd. We got to speak to other students as well as the adult faculty members there.
10:31: The Ladd brothers put on a show, singing while showing off the fabric as if it were magical.
10:35: After some instructions, we all began to create our scrolls. We each got to pick two pieces of fabric that spoke to us—whether it be about a memory, someone we know, or anything else. The two of them intertwined had to create a story or some form of expression. We then got to name them.
10:45: After creating the scrolls, the Ladd brothers gave us a chance to share to the whole group about the stories that inspired us.
10:50: Later, all of us had our pictures taken. We had individual headshots taken, and some people even got interviewed to be posted on Scrollathon’s website and social media. The headshots will later be used in both the commemorative pamphlets we will receive as well as the larger presentation in the Kennedy Center. Lastly, we signed our names on a plaque that will be displayed.
11:00: Having finished our headshots, we began to make a second scroll. For these, we had a limited selection of fabric to use, but the scrolls were much larger, as they were being placed in wooden bins to be in a large mural. These scrolls were meant to fit into our theme of what we want the future to look like. Every scroll had wooden cylinders in the middle, which we got to draw a design on relating to that prompt.
11:15: To finish up, we took a group photo with the Ladd brothers, along with the other staff members who helped to set up this event.
All nine students, and Upper School assistant director Tina Yen, had different stories of our scrolls. Students Maya Gest ‘26 and Aisling Scanlan ‘28 offered to speak about the scrolls that they made.
Cohen: What was the name of your scroll?
Gest: Busy.
Scanlan: Star.
Cohen: Why did you choose to name your scroll that?
Gest: Because I’ve been really busy, and that’s how I’ve been feeling.
Scanlan: Because I really like stars.
Cohen: What was your favorite part of Scrollathon?
Gest: I really enjoyed seeing other people’s scrolls and being able to spend time with people who I didn’t always hang out with.
Scanlan: I really think that the singing was amazing.
Scrollathon was a unique experience, and I hope that they decide to do more events near Philadelphia so other AFS students can experience it in the future.
Cora • Nov 6, 2025 at 10:38 am
This is so well written! I think Scrollathon is a really cool idea and I think the idea of it really speaks to the power of art. It’s so beautiful to me that art allows you to express yourself and connect with yourself in a way that words alone can’t. It seems like Scrollathon really captures that, allowing you to take something so simple like a piece of fabric and find something so much greater in that. Having an opportunity to create something and try something is really important and I think it’s great that we have access to that.
Aisling S • Nov 5, 2025 at 9:59 pm
Being able to attend this event was truly an amazing experience. While my words in the interview were quite brief, there was much more to it. The focus on the future was something that I felt really caught my attention when I was asked whether or not I wanted to go. Looking back, I had obviously made the right decision. I got to talk with people from both my circle, as well as outside of it, bringing the whole group together. Having the chance to connect, not only with the rest of the AFS students, but also the rest of the people at the event, and eventually the rest of the country, is unforgettable. I hope I’m able to find a way to the unveiling at the Kennedy Center next year, to tie everything together. -☆
NJ • Nov 5, 2025 at 5:01 pm
I fortunately got a chance to participate in the scrollathon this year. When I first watched the video of what it was I thought it was a cool concept and something that I might have enjoyed but didn’t realize how much fun I would have. It was a great opportunity to chat with friends and hear how they were personalizing their own scrolls. It was also really cool that we got the chance to be a part of a much larger project. I can’t wait to see our state and others finished projects and I really hope I can go to the unveiling next year!
Leo Gest • Nov 5, 2025 at 8:50 am
I really appreciate the format of this article because it shows both the timeline of the actual event as well as opinions and interviews of the people that participated. This way, the reader got a deep insider POV on what actually happened and why it happened. I also liked the pictures as they are high quality and helpful for visualizing the event.