2012-2013
National PTA Programs & Awards:
TAKE YOUR FAMILY TO SCHOOL WEEK® IS IN FEBRUARY (dates TBA)
PTA Take Your Family to School Week is celebrated each February to pay tribute to PTA’s legacy of building family-school partnerships. PTA Take Your Family to School Week will be held with the purpose of expanding and enhancing family engagement in schools across the country. National PTA® offers grants to PTAs to implement programs that engage families in the school community. These grants can be used to build positive partnerships with teachers and families, connect parents to their children’s school experiences, and give children fun ways to share what they are learning and doing in class with their families. PTA Take Your Family to School Week is sponsored by the AXA Foundation have awarded $1000 Take Your Family to School Week Grants to 45 PTAs. For a list and description of 2012 winners go to www.pta.org/take_your_family_to_school.asp. This may give you ideas for applying for one of these grants next year!
PTA TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK IS MAY 6-10, 2013; TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY IS MAY 7th.
Plan to host a teacher appreciation event in your school or community. Sometimes a simple thanks is all a teacher needs to feel valued. Go to http://pta.org/teacher_appreciation.asp for event and activity ideas to make Teacher Appreciation Week special at your school.
FOUNDERS DAY
Founders Day is on February 17th every year and is a reminder of the substantial role that PTA has played locally, regionally, and nationally in supporting parent involvement and working on behalf of all children and families. It’s a time to reflect and take pride in our many accomplishments, and to renew our commitment to be a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for parents, and a strong advocate for public education. There are many PTA/ PTSA Councils that currently have a Founders Day celebration. More information on these and other NPTA Programs can be found at www.npta.org
PTA HEALTHY LIFESTYLE GRANTS
The National PTA Healthy Lifestyles Program promotes good nutrition and regular physical activity in order to address the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic. National PTA expects to award up to 10 PTA Healthy Lifestyle grants of up to $1000 each. For additional information and program ideas that are consistent with what National PTA will fund, download the Healthy Lifestyles Program Ideas Document at www.pta.org/HL_Program_Ideas.pdf.
For information to apply for this grant go to www.pta.org/4615.htm
FAMILY FIRST’s All Pro Dad® and iMom®
Through National PTA’s partnership with Family First, PTAs can grow their membership through resources from Family First’s All Pro Dad® and iMom® programs. The All Pro Dad and iMom school breakfast events allow parents to be involved in their children’s lives and education. iMom offers resources designed to equip mothers with the ideas, information and encouragement they need on a daily basis to help them in their most important job – being a mom. To learn more about iMom, visit iMOM.com. All Pro Dad features NFL coaches, players and alumni who speak out about the importance of fatherhood. Through its Play of the Day email, All Pro Dad’s Day school-based breakfast program, and nationwide NFL events, All Pro Dad gives men the tools they need to make a difference in the lives of their children and families. To learn more about All Pro Dad, visit AllProDad.com or go to the National PTA website at http://pta.org/4972.htm.
PTA LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The highest honor from the nation’s largest child advocacy organization – to the person who daily lives out his or her commitment to children. Present the National PTA Life Achievement Award at a ceremony recognizing your honoree’s work. In doing so, you will generate positive feedback, positive publicity and bring together your school, your community, and your PTA. For detailed information and awards form go to http://pta.org/life_achievement_awards.asp
National PTA MORE® Alliance (Men Organized to Raise Engagement)
This year more than one million men across America will visit schools through programs of the National PTA MORE® Alliance (Men Organized to Raise Engagement). The alliance includes a number of groups that, along with PTA, are focused on increasing the availability of positive male role models in men’s lives, including Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students), All Pro Dad, Real Men Cook/Real Men Charities, Inc., the Black Star Project, the National Fatherhood Initiative, Strong Fathers-Strong Families, the National Partnership for Community Leadership, and the National Compadres Network.
Male involvement remains a key resource for recruiting new PTA members. The MORE Alliance offers ready-to-use programs that will help you quickly add relevance, membership and capacity to your PTA. MORE Alliance programs can:
· Increase PTA membership and expand leadership
· Increase male involvement and provide positive role models in schools
· Guarantee hundreds of additional parent volunteer hours in every school
· Provide PTA-branded programs for schools that contribute to student success
More importantly, such programs make significant contributions to the health, welfare and education of all students. More information about the MORE Alliance is available on the National PTA website: http://pta.org/pta_more.asp
WATCH D.O.G.S. (DADS OF GREAT STUDENTS)
WATCH D.O.G.S. is a program of the National Center for Fathering focusing on prevention of violence in schools by using the positive influence of fathers and father-figures to provide an unobtrusive presence in the schools, and to be a positive role-model for students. WATCH D.O.G.S. is for fathers and father-figures who volunteer at least one day each year at an official WATCH D.O.G.S. school. During the day, WATCH D.O.G.S may read with students, eat lunch with them, watch school entrances and hallways, mentor students, and any other assigned activities. Through WATCH D.O.G.S. participation:
• Schools get an enhanced sense of security at their buildings, creating an environment conducive to learning.
• Students gain positive male role models, including students without such role models.
• Fathers learn about the complex challenges facing today’s youth.
• Fathers gain awareness of the positive impact they can have on a student’s academic performance, self esteem, and social behavior.
NATIONAL PTA MILITARY ALLIANCE FOR PARENTS AND PARTNERS
This is a group of organizations that work together to provide resources to and advocate for military-connected families. The alliance identifies and addresses the unique social and educational challenges that these families face due to issues of deployment and mobility, among others. Specifically, members of the alliance work both jointly and independently with National PTA to develop a collaborative strategy to create awareness around serving military families and provide and develop resources for military families. For more information go to http://pta.org/4339.htm
THE PHOEBE APPERSON HEARST INNOVATION IN FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AWARD
The Phoebe Apperson Hearst Innovation in Family Engagement Award recognizes and celebrates achievement in building effective family-school partnerships. The recipient of the Hearst Award receives $2,000 and will be recognized at the National PTA Convention each year in June. Four Awards of Merit are awarded to applicants who demonstrate exemplary family engagement initiatives. Awards of Merit receive a certificate of recognition. Applications are due in December for judging the following year (this year they were due Dec. 16th). For more information about applying for this award in the future, go to http://pta.org/phoebe_apperson_hearst_partnership_award.asp on the National PTA Website.
JAN HARP DOMENE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARD
Jan Harp Domene served as National President from 2007 to 2009. After her death in February of 2012, the National PTA decided to honor Jan and her commitment to reaching out to all families.The Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award will identify PTAs that are doing remarkable work in the areas of diversity and inclusion. PTAs everywhere must understand and embrace the uniqueness of all individuals, appreciating that each contributes a diversity of views, experiences, cultural heritage/traditions, skills/abilities, values and preferences. The Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award will be presented to one local, council, district, or state PTA. The recipient selected will be one that best demonstrates outstanding achievement in the areas of diversity and inclusion, as well as efforts to end discriminatory practices. For detailed information and awards form go to http://pta.org/5073.htm
REFLECTIONS PROGRAM
The Reflections Program is a National PTA and Washington State PTA cultural arts competition. There are five categories: Literature, Photography, Music Composition, Visual Arts, Film/Video and Choreography/Dance. There are four grade/divisions: Primary – Preschool-Grade 2; Intermediate – Grades 3-5; Middle/Junior – Grades 6-8; and Senior – Grades 9-12. The purpose of this program is to provide an opportunity for students to use their creative talents by expressing themselves through their own original works. **NEW THIS YEAR** Special Artists Division – a new division in addition to to the traditional divisions. This is a non-graded division limited to students whose physical, cognitive or mental health challenges meet the guidelines set forth in the American Disabilities Act. Each year, Reflections challenges students to create art that supports a specific theme. Themes are selected from thousands of ideas submitted by students to National PTA’s Reflections Theme Search. For more information on this program go to the Washington State PTA website at www.wastatepta.org/programs/reflections/index.html For Information on the National PTA website go to http://pta.org/2032.asp. The application deadline for WA state is in January of each year, and then finalists are forwarded onto the National competition.
MARY LOU ANDERSON REFLECTIONS ARTS ENHANCEMENT GRANTS
At the end of the academic year, National PTA issues a request for proposals to PTA/PTSAs that want to take arts education to the next level. A limited number of matching grants of up to $1,000 are given in the Fall to PTA/PTSAs focused on student-centered programs to improve arts education, with special consideration given to programs that reach large numbers of at-risk students. Email reflections@pta.org to let us know if you want to receive the request for proposals when it is distributed, as well as other important Reflections updates. Go to the National PTA website for more information at http://pta.org/mary_lou_anderson_reflections_arts_enchancement_grants.asp
NATIONAL GREEN RIBBON SCHOOLS AWARD
The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) recognition award honors schools that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of students and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, which incorporates STEM, civic skills and green career pathways. The recognition award is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education (ED) effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about practices that are proven to result in improved student engagement, higher academic achievement and graduation rates, and workforce preparedness, as well as a government wide goal of increasing energy independence and economic security. Note: Only state education agencies can nominate schools. For more information go to http://www.k12.wa.us/EducationAwards/GreenRibbon and http://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/index.html.