The 2001 eighth-grade class of the Frederick Law Olmsted School for the Gifted and Talented, PS 56, created a multi-media exhibition of avant-garde hat art, photography and poetry. Under the direction of teacher Diane Schaefer – a Western New York artist and milliner – the students created highly imaginative “Hats of Protection” and “Hats of Celebration.” Poets associated with just buffalo literary center worked with the students, who wrote poetry to express their personalities. The students also photographed themselves wearing their hats. In this collaboration, students dealt with issues like broken households, family, the importance of culture, what makes a house a home, and ethnic barriers. The works provided an open and poignant inner look at what it means to be a youth in today’s society.