Detroit Fifth Grader’s Dream Float to Make Its Debut in America’s Thanksgiving Parade

November 21, 2025

Fifth grader Lyric Weathers from Schulze Academy for Technology & Arts won The Skillman Foundation's 34th Float Design Contest with her submission "Cultures are Around the World," which will appear as an actual float in Detroit's 99th America's Thanksgiving Parade on November 27. The competition invited students in grades 4-8 from Detroit public and charter schools to create designs based on the theme "My Dream for the World," with Lyric's vision of cultural unity selected from hundreds of entries. Five additional students received Honorable Mention awards, and their designs will be featured on the skirt of Lyric's float.

Who is affected

Lyric Weathers, fifth grade student at Schulze Academy for Technology & Arts (grand prize winner)
Five Honorable Mention winners: Austin Callahan (University Prep Art & Design Elementary School), Axel Coyte (Charles H. Wright Academy), Robyn McKee (University Prep Art & Design Elementary), Malia Vang (Fisher Magnet Upper Academy), and Ava Wyatt (Spain Elementary-Middle School)
Students in grades 4-8 from Detroit public and charter schools who participated in the contest
Lyric's family and educators
Students, educators, and family members who attended the unveiling event
Parade-goers and millions of viewers across the nation
The Skillman Foundation and the Parade Company organizations

What action is being taken

Parade Company artists worked to transform Lyric's drawing into a full-scale float using wood, wire, and paint
The 99th America's Thanksgiving Parade is taking place on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit on November 27
The parade will be broadcast live on WDIV Local 4 with coverage extending to 185 major U.S. cities
Lyric will ride aboard her float in the upcoming parade

Why it matters

This contest provides Detroit youth with a meaningful platform to express their creativity and contribute to a cherished city tradition, demonstrating that young people are actively shaping their communities in the present rather than waiting to become "leaders of tomorrow." The initiative fosters artistic expression among students while highlighting the importance of cultural unity and global community through Lyric's winning design. The event celebrates the power of creativity to inspire entire communities and brings recognition to Detroit students whose voices and visions might otherwise go unheard, all while contributing to one of the nation's premier holiday celebrations.

What's next

Lyric will ride aboard her float in the parade on November 27
The parade will take place on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit
The event will be broadcast live on WDIV Local 4 to millions of viewers in 185 major U.S. cities

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle