Programs and Resources

PTA Programs and Resources

National PTA and Utah PTA provide many programs and resources for local PTA units. Programs and resources are supported and made available through Utah PTA commissions. All of the links are live when you access the handbook online or through the Utah PTA app.

National PTA Resources

National PTA website: PTA.org

PTA e-Learning Courses

Learning Labs

Grants at PTA.org/Grants

Healthy Lifestyles

Local Leader Tool Kit

Lead a PTA Virtually

One Voice National PTA

Our Children e-magazine

National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

Notes from the Backpack podcast

Parent Guides to Student Success

PTA Connected

PTA Local Leaders Facebook group

PTA e-Newsletters

PTA Membership Campaign

PTA Member Offers

PTA Takes Action Alerts (legislative)

Social Media (Facebook, X)

Spanish Resources

Special Education Toolkit

Stem + Families

The Smart Talk

National and Utah PTA Programs

National and Utah PTA Programs

Bullying: Connect for Respect

Family Reading Experience

Reflections

School of Excellence

Take Your Family to School Week

Teacher Appreciation

Utah PTA Programs

Battle of the Bands (PTSA)

Come Play with PTA

Connections Newsletter

Practical PTA via Zoom

Ribbon Week Toolkit

Suicide Prevention Toolkit

Teen Healthy Relationships Month (PTSA)

Utah PTA Conferences and Trainings

Advocacy Conference (Fall)

Leadership Convention (May)

PTA Day at the Capitol (January)

Founders Day (February)

PTSA Student Leadership Conference

Utah PTA Awards, Grants and Scholarships

Arts Education and Supplies Grants

Gold Star

LEAP Award

Membership Awards

Student Scholarships

Additional Committees

Executive Committee members and commissioners represent children’s interests by attending or sitting on numerous different committees across the state. These committees include government task forces, state organizations, and community partners.

Some of these committees include:


Executive Committee - Officers

Directors

Representatives

Commissioners/Specialists/Programs

At the state level, Utah PTA commissions consist of Community Engagement, Education, Family Life, Health, Individual Development, Safety, and Student Leadership. Some commissions have specialist committees associated with the commission, like Reflections and Family Engagement. Utah PTA commissioners along with community partners are there to provide program ideas and resources for specific areas of concern for local commissioners. Information on each commission can be found at utahpta.org under Resources.


Developing goals and plans that meet the interests and needs of a school community are primary objectives of a local PTA board. These objectives can be met through the structure of commissions, committees, programs, and events.

Commissions: At a local level, a commission is over several committees/programs/events, like an umbrella, with a specific issue or concern in mind.

Examples: Community Engagement, Education, Family Life, Health, Individual Development Safety, Student Leadership

Committees: At a local level, a committee is tasked to plan and carry out a specific event or program.

Sometimes there is a committee and sometimes it can be chaired by a single person.

Examples: Reflections, safety patrol, student club, spelling bee, room parents, student scholarships, membership, newsletter, and social media

Programs: A PTA program is a program which the membership deems important to your school community through a needs assessment.

Examples: Grad night, spelling bee, Reflections, Battle of the Bands, School of Excellence, fundraisers, spirit nights/family nights

Events: The place and time at which a PTA program happens. Usually a PTA program that is a one time thing.

Examples: Guest speakers at PTA meetings, family nights, art walks, carnivals, field day

Commissions

Utah PTA commissions and related areas of concern are available to support local units. Under each commission is a brief description of the work of that commission and a list of program ideas and resources for your local unit to adapt and use. Areas of concern may overlap among commissions.

Community Engagement

The Community Engagement Commission will involve members of the community, business, religious, and government entities in improving the quality of life and education of all children. Working together opens new horizons of possibilities for our future.

On a local level, the programs the commissioner will cover are determined by their executive board based on the needs assessment, which is done at the beginning of the year. Some of the ideas could include:

Education Commission

The mission of the Utah PTA Education Commission is to become knowledgeable about the issues which affect the education of students in the state of Utah, to take positive action to further the Purposes of PTA in promoting the welfare of children and youth at home and at school, and to promote programs which benefit and strengthen education through parental involvement.

On a local level, the programs the commissioner will cover are determined by their executive board based on the needs assessment, which is done at the beginning of the year. Some of the ideas could include:

Literacy

STEM

National PTA – STEM + Families PTA.org/Home/Programs/Stem

STEM Education Ideas utahpta.org/Stem-Education

Special Education

National PTA - Special Education Toolkit PTA.org/Home/Family-Resources/Special-Education-Toolkit

Online Education

Utah’s Statewide Online Education Program Schools.Utah.gov/EdOnline

Family Life

The goal of the Utah PTA Family Life Commission is to promote healthy family relationships, thus resulting in success of children in all aspects of their lives. Utah PTA believes that the first and most important teacher throughout a child’s life is the parent. The Family Life Commissioner aims to provide information and resources for parents and families as they encounter different stages and challenges of life. Specifically this includes early childhood, military families, digital wellness, family engagement, family relationships, and so much more related to the family life.

On a local level, the programs the commissioner will cover are determined by their executive board based on the needs assessment, which is done at the beginning of the year. Some of the ideas could include:

Health

The goal of the Utah PTA Health Commission is to provide and utilize resources that are targeted to protect and improve the health of children and youth; to design, identify, and implement programs in areas of priority and concern; and, to build public awareness that will improve the quality of life for the children of Utah.

On a local level, the programs the commissioner will cover are determined by their executive board based on the needs assessment, which is done at the beginning of the year. Some of the ideas could include:

Individual Development

The mission of the Utah PTA Individual Development Commission is to assist parents, teachers, and PTA leaders in building future leaders, through art and music education, character development, and programs that build self-esteem for all children; to take positive action to further the Purpose of PTA in promoting the welfare of children and youth at home and at school; and to promote programs which benefit and strengthen arts and cultural education through parental involvement.

On a local level, the programs the commissioner will cover are determined by their executive board based on the needs assessment, which is done at the beginning of the year. Some of the ideas could include:

Safety

The purpose of the Utah PTA Safety Commission is to advocate for children and youth in order to provide a safe environment at home, at school, and in the community; to involve parents, teachers, students, and community in safety issues; and to develop and implement programs that educate and inform to meet the needs of your community in safety issues.

On a local level, the programs the commissioner will cover are determined by their executive board based on the needs assessment, which is done at the beginning of the year. Some of the ideas could include:

Student Leadership

On the secondary school level, PTA expands to include students. Students are encouraged to become members, turning PTA at the school into PTSA. Local PTSAs include students in leadership activities and events, and should encourage students to advocate for themselves with a focus on leadership, positive behaviors, and service. The following areas could help focus their efforts based on the needs at your school:

Programs and Resources Created By PTA For PTA

While there are many programs that PTAs can use, the following programs have been created by National PTA and Utah PTA. They have been designed to help PTAs build their community and provide support to parents and families for specific issues they are facing.

PTA Take Your Family To School Week

Occurs during a designated week each February

PTA Take Your Family to School Week is a way to attract families to your school. Invite family members to step away from their daily grind and into the school during PTA Take Your Family to School Week. This special week is designed to connect families with their child’s school experience, and hosting PTA Take Your Family to School Week events will help strengthen the parent-school partnerships throughout the year.

By planning organized activities for families at the school:

Ideas for PTA Take Your Family to School Week:

National PTA School of Excellence

National PTA School of Excellence recognition program opens the lines of communication and critical thinking within school communities to make data-driven decisions that yield positive, long-term results.

National PTA School of Excellence is a recognition program that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. By enrolling in this program, your PTA and school administrators are making a year-long commitment in identifying and implementing an action plan for school improvement based on PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships and Transformative Family Engagement.

Those that exhibit improvement are honored as National PTA Schools of Excellence, a distinction that spans two years. Honorees receive celebration tools and automatic consideration for the Phoebe Apperson Hearst Award and a $2,000 grant for their school. PTAs are encouraged to renew their designation each year, or every other year, to continue to build on their momentum.

Your School of Excellence designation will help attract new, action-oriented PTA members who want to focus on the issues that affect our children the most. And being a National PTA School of Excellence will open the door to other honors and opportunities for your school.

Enrollment is open June 1 to October 1 each school year. To find more information and to enroll, visit: PTA.org/Home/Programs/National-PTA-School-of-Excellence

Utah PTA Family Health Night Toolkit

https://www.utahpta.org/family-health-night

As a Health Commission we believe in whole-child wellness that will help to make every child’s potential a reality! Use the power of collaboration with school district health professionals and community partners to bring resources and fun to your school community. In the toolkit you will find Planning Materials, Printables, Digital Fliers and examples of Brochures you can use.

Battle of the Bands

Battle of the Bands (BOB) is an official Utah PTA program for PTSAs.

Utah PTA’s Battle of the Bands is the only PTA program like it in the country. Beginning in 2002, a competition between high school bands was created. In its current form, there are three levels of competition.

School Playoffs

One band representing each school will move on to the multi-region competition. Each school that has more than one band applying to compete will hold a school competition. This will be run by the school PTSA president or BOB Chair. All school winner applications will be forwarded by the school PTSA president or BOB Chair to the region director or chair in charge of their multi-region competition by March 1.

Multi-Region Competition

Multi-region competitions will take place between March 1-31. The region director or chair will be in touch with all school winners with the date, time, and place of the multi-region competition. Three bands from each multi-region competition will advance to the state BOB. Each multi-region will decide which three bands will advance, some send first and second place and then the audience favorite, and some send the top three place bands. The multi-region competition winner’s application will be sent on to the Utah PTA Student Leadership Commissioner by the region director or chair. Multi-region entries due to Utah PTA by April 1.

State Competition

The state Battle of the Bands will include the three entries from each multi-region competition and may have other entrants through areas that may not have a multi-region, or there are other possible wild card entries. State BOB has traditionally been held around the end of April or beginning of May.

Rules are updated each year, so for a complete packet with rules and forms go to our website: utahpta.org/Battle-Bands

November Military Family Month

Concert and Essay Contest

Attention All PTA Families

Utah PTA and Utah National Guard Celebrate Military Family Month With a Concert Held Around Veterans Day Every Year.

Essay Contest

Utah PTA, in partnership with Utah National Guard, is also holding an essay contest for military families! The three winning students from elementary school, middle school/junior high, and high school from military families will be honored at this concert and receive a valuable prize!

A military family is one that has father, mother, sister, or brother who has served or is presently serving in the Active, Reserve, or National Guard (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard). If children live with guardians who are presently serving, they are also included.

The theme for the essay contest is “Why I Am Proud of My Veteran!” The essay must be no more than 500 words. You can email or send the essay to Utah PTA Military Family Specialist at MilitaryFamilies@utahpta.org. Word format is preferred. The article can be sent anytime before the deadline. The articles must be in by the due date listed at utahpta.org/Veterans-Day-Concert-Essay-Contest. If you have any questions or need more information please contact:


Utah PTA Military Families Specialist

MilitaryFamilies@utahpta.org

5192 S. Greenpine Drive 

Salt Lake City, UT 84123

Phone: 801-261-3100

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week is generally held the last full week in October.

In many schools, PTAs plan the Red Ribbon Week activities. Utah PTA in collaboration with prevention experts created a Red Ribbon Week Toolkit.

This toolkit is meant to be a helpful guide when planning Red Ribbon Week activities. Included in this kit are ways that adults can engage students in effective drug prevention messaging and activities that are based on prevention science and research. The categories and themes are meant to be guides in assisting adults to develop activities during Red Ribbon Week that will target their individual communities, schools, and students as needed. Activities are separated out by ages (elementary, secondary, or both) and include instructions, templates, and resources needed for implementation. Feel free to adjust activities and themes as needed.

To access the Red Ribbon Week Toolkit, visit: utahpta.org/brand-new-red-ribbon-week-toolkit


Suicide Prevention Toolkit

In a time when suicide is the leading cause of death among Utah youth, it is more important than ever for families, educators, and community members to be educated about suicide and suicide prevention. This evidence-based toolkit has been created by prevention specialists in collaboration with Utah PTA with a singular goal in mind: to help every child in Utah. It contains a combination of upstream, midstream, and downstream approaches designed to help children of all ages in their homes, at PTA activities, in the classroom, and more.

It is our hope that each PTA/PTSA will have a prevention specialist who can help implement these ideas throughout the year into things you are already doing, adding a prevention piece to as many activities as possible in order to keep the conversation going.

The activities suggested in the “School Support” section align with the Utah State Board of Education Core Standards for health and are designed to be used by educators and others in the classroom.

Activities are separated by ages (elementary, secondary, or both) and include instructions, templates, and resources needed for implementation. Feel free to adjust activities as needed.

To access the Toolkit, visit: utahpta.org/Suicide-Prevention-Toolkit