Email dgareflectionscouncil@gmail.com with any questions.
The student submitting the entry must be the choreographer. The choreographer may be the performer or one of the performers but does not have to perform in the entry. To portray your original choreography, consider the following styles and ensembles: ballet, Video file must not exceed 5 minutes in length and 1,000 MB (1,000 megabyte) in file size and be in MP4, MOV or AVI format.
The producer (student submitting the entry) is not required to appear in the film but if the student chooses to, a tripod may be used. All screenwriting, directing and editing must be done by the student producer. All entries must be original student footage. PowerPoint presentations are not allowed. Video file must not exceed 5 minutes in length and 1,000 MB (1,000 megabyte) in file size and be in MP4, MOV or AVI format.
The author (student submitting entry) is a person who expresses their own thoughts and ideas through the use of words. Authors submit a single literary work, and written or typed, using grade-appropriate grammar, punctuation and spelling. Writing must not exceed 2,000 words and may be handwritten or typed. Accepted formats: Single-sided print on 8 ½x11” paper, PDF file.
The composer (student submitting entry) is a person who expresses their own thoughts and ideas through the use of sound. A recording of the composition must be included. To portray your original composition, consider the following musical styles and instruments: A cappella, blues, choral, country, electronic, hip hop, jazz, Latin, musical, orchestral, pop, R&B, religious, rock, symphonic/concert band and traditional. All instruments, sounds, styles and combinations are accepted. Audio recording must not exceed 5 minutes in length and 1,000 MB (1,000 megabyte) in file size. Accepted audio file formats include: MP3 and WAV. Notation is required for the middle and high school divisions. Accepted file formats: PDF.
The photographer (student submitting entry) is a person who captures their own thoughts and ideas with a camera. By focusing on objects using various lenses, filters and light sources, photographers may demonstrate the use of photographic techniques conventionally or digitally.
Accepted forms of photography include: A single photo, panoramic, photo-montage (one print of multiple original photos), a multiple exposure, negative sandwich or photogram. Original black-and-white and color images.
Non-accepted forms of photography include: Entries with added graphics over the image, including lettering. Collages and collections of photos. Original film (negatives or transparencies) and multidimensional pieces.
Print images: between 3x5 to 8x10 inches. Digital images: at least 640x960 pixels and 300 dpi resolution. Mounted prints must not exceed 11x14 inches, including matting. Framed photos are not accepted. Accepted file formats: JPEG, JPG, PNG.
Architecture (2D/3D), carpentry, ceramics, collages, photographic collages (multiple photos cut/pasted), digital art and graphics (drawings/paintings/illustration), crafts, design, dioramas, drawing, fiber work, jewelry, kites, metal etching/punch work, mobiles, painting, printmaking, sculpture and wind chimes. Reproductions or enlargements of other artwork are not accepted.
2D artwork (e.g., painting) must include at least one digital image of artwork for judging. Dimensions must not exceed 18x24 inches, including matting. Paper entries must be mounted on sturdy material. Framed artwork is not accepted.
3D artwork (e.g., sculpture) Dimensions must not exceed 18x12x10 inches and include packaging materials. Include 3 photos of the entry (a combination of angles) for judging, ID and exhibition purposes (entries that require assembling/repairing from transporting will be disqualified).
Artwork containing loose materials and/or requiring assembly/repair from transporting not accepted.
Accepted file formats: JPEG, JPG, PNG.
The National PTA Accessible Arts Division is an option for students who identify as having a disability and may receive services under IDEA or ADA: Section 504. The division welcomes students of all ages and offers division-specific accommodations to ensure that every student has the chance to participate fully in the program.
Printable version
By submitting an artwork to the National PTA Reflections Program, entrants accept and agree to be bound by the official rules for participation as well as the entry requirements for their specific arts category and division. Additional state program requirements may apply. Any violation of these rules may, at PTA’s discretion, result in disqualification. All decisions of the reviewers regarding this program are final and binding in all respects. (The “PTA” referred to in these rules include all PTAs reviewing the submissions).
1. ELIGIBILITY. Students must participate through a local PTA/PTSA. Each student’s eligibility is determined by the state and local PTA/PTSA. A student may develop an entry inside or outside of school.
2. ARTS CATEGORIES. There are six arts categories—dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. Students may enter the National PTA Reflections Program in one or more arts categories. SEE ILLINOIS PTA GUIDELINES FOR EACH ARTS CATEGORY FOR FULL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS.
3. GRADE DIVISIONS. Students may enter in the appropriate division for their grade (Primary: Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 2; Intermediate: Grades 3-5; Middle School: Grades 6-8; High School: Grades 9-12; Accessible Arts: All grades welcome).
The Accessible Arts division invites students who identify as having a disability and may receive services under IDEA or ADA: Section 504 to enter in the Accessible Arts Division or grade division most closely aligned to their support needs.
The division offers non-artistic accommodations (e.g. adaptive technology; transcribing) for students to participate fully in PTA Reflections. Assistants must refrain from being involved in the artistic process (e.g. developing an artist statement, choreography, music lyrics, storyboards, etc.). Student recognition and awards are announced as part of the Accessible Arts Division. SEE ILLINOIS PTA ACCESSIBLE ARTS DIVISION GUIDELINES FOR FULL DETAILS.
4. HOW TO ENTER. Entrants must submit their artwork and student entry form to their local PTA/PTSA program according to local and state PTA procedures. Entrants must follow requirements and instructions specific to each arts category and division. Contact local PTA programs for deadlines and additional information.
5. COPYRIGHT. Plagiarized entries will be disqualified. Use of copyrighted material, including any copyrighted cartoon characters, material downloaded from the internet, copyrighted recorded music or copyrighted photographs or stock images, is not acceptable, except for the following:
a. Entries may include public places, well-known products, trademarks or certain other copyrighted material as long as that copyrighted material is incidental to the subject matter of the piece and/or is a smaller element of a whole. The resulting work cannot try to establish an association between the student and the trademark/business/material or influence the purchase/non-purchase of the trademarked good.
b. If background music is used in dance choreography and film production entries, it must be cited on the entry form (title, composer and performer).
c. Visual arts, photography and film production entries may include portions of existing copyrighted works, such as photographs, magazine or digital media clippings and/or type cut out of a newspaper, as long as those portions of copyrighted works are used to create a completely new and different work of art.
6. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS. All participants must also follow arts category and if applicable, Accessible Arts division rules. • Only new pieces of artwork inspired by the current year’s theme may be submitted.
• Each entry must be the original work of one student only. An adult may not alter the creative integrity of a student’s work. Because the program is designed to encourage and recognize each student’s individual creativity, help from an adult or collaboration with other students is not allowed except in the Accessible Arts division. Other individuals may appear in or perform a student’s work, but the work itself must be the creative product of one student only. Only one student may be recognized as the award recipient for an entry. See the specific arts category rules and Accessible Arts division rules for details.
• Each entry must contain a title and all entries must include an artist statement. The artist statement communicates what inspired the work, how it relates to the theme, and the content of the work. The statement must include at least 10 words and not exceed 100 words.
• Digital technology and/or software can be used to develop, enhance and/or present an entry but may not provide the primary design and/or concept. Entrants must provide a brief description of the tools and method, including any generative elements.
• SEE ILLINOIS PTA GUIDELINES FOR EACH ARTS CATEGORY AND ACCESSIBLE ARTS DIVISION FOR FULL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS.
7. FINALIST SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION. Entries are reviewed at local, regional, state and national levels. Each PTA determines its own reviewers for the program. Entries will be reviewed primarily on how well the student uses their artistic vision to portray the theme, their originality and creativity. The National PTA Reflections® program makes no restrictions on content or subject matter in artwork submitted by the local, regional or state levels. National PTA reserves the right to use its sole discretion in selecting the submissions to be recognized at the national level. Under no condition may parents or students contact a reviewer to dispute the status/score of any entry. Each PTA in its sole discretion will select finalists for exhibition and provide awards/prizes. Awards are announced per local and state procedures. Illinois PTA will announce state awards in March at IllinoisPTA/Reflections. National awards are announced May 1 at PTA.org/Reflections.
8. OWNERSHIP AND LICENSE. Ownership in any submission shall remain the property of the entrant, but entry into this program constitutes entrant’s irrevocable permission and consent that PTA may display, copy, reproduce, enhance, print, sub-license, publish, distribute and create derivative works for PTA purposes. PTA is not responsible for lost or damaged entries. Submission of entry into the PTA Reflections program constitutes acceptance of all rules and conditions.
9. PARTICIPATING ENTITIES. This program is administered by the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and PTA affiliates. Parent groups not affiliated with National PTA are not eligible to sponsor this program.
Illinois PTA Reflections Division & Arts Category Rules in Brief
ACCESSIBLE ARTS DIVISION: Artists follow the general rules and relevant arts category guidelines, modified only by accommodations for their disability. The accommodations, in general, should be both specific and limited to the student’s disability. Use of adaptive technology is allowed. Individuals providing support may assist with typing, holding a camera, etc. but may not be involved in the artistic process. The division will not be divided by age or traditional school grade level. SEE ILLINOIS PTA ACCESSIBLE ARTS DIVISION GUIDELINES FOR FULL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS.
DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY: Solo and ensemble works of all dance styles are accepted. Entrant must be the choreographer and may also be the performer, or one of the performers. If background music is used, cite it on the entry form. See Official Rules for copyright details. Video file must not exceed 5 minutes in length and 1,000 MB (1,000 megabyte) in file size and be in MP4, MOV, or AVI format. SEE ILLINOIS PTA DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY CATEGORY GUIDELINES FOR FULL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS.
FILM PRODUCTION: Accepted short film styles include: Animation, narrative, documentary, experimental or media presentation. Use of PowerPoint is prohibited. Entrant must be the screenwriter, cinematographer, editor and producer. If background music is used, cite it on the entry form. See Official Rules for copyright details. Video file must not exceed 5 minutes in length and 1,000 MB (1,000 megabyte) in file size and be in MP4, MOV, or AVI format. SEE ILLINOIS PTA FILM PRODUCTION CATEGORY GUIDELINES FOR FULL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS.
LITERATURE: Accepted forms of fiction and nonfiction include prose, poetry, reflective essay, screen play and play script, narrative, and short story. Entrants may write in their primary language as long as an interpretive English translation is also attached. Use of copyrighted material is prohibited. Writing must not exceed 2,000 words and may be handwritten or typed. Accepted formats: Single-sided print on 8 1⁄2x11” paper, PDF file. SEE ILLINOIS PTA LITERATURE CATEGORY GUIDELINES FOR FULL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS.
MUSIC COMPOSITION: All music styles and combinations of instrumentation are accepted. Entrant must be the composer and may also be the performer, or one of the performers. Software may be used to produce an audio recording. Entries containing algorithmic composition techniques are not accepted. Use of copyrighted material is prohibited. An audio recording of the composition must be included and must not exceed 5 minutes in length and 1,000 MB (1,000 megabyte) in file size. Accepted audio file formats include: MP3 and WAV.
Music Notation (score/tablature) in PDF format is only required for middle and high school divisions. In place of a notated score entrant may include a written reflective statement that provides a musically technical explanation of how you wrote the music (100 words or less). SEE ILLINOIS PTA MUSIC COMPOSITION CATEGORY GUIDELINES FOR FULL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Photo must be a single print/digital image. Collages and collections of photos are not accepted. Entrant must be the photographer and may use a variety of digital editing techniques including but not limited to, multiple exposure, negative sandwich and photogram. See Official Rules for copyright details. Print image dimensions must be no smaller than 3x5 inches and no larger than 8x10 inches. Framed prints are not accepted. Digital image dimensions must be at least 640x960 (pixels) and 300 dpi (resolution). Accepted file formats: JPEG, JPG, and PNG. SEE ILLINOIS PTA PHOTOGRAPHY CATEGORY GUIDELINES FOR FULL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS.
VISUAL ARTS: Works of both fine and design arts are accepted, including but not limited to: architectural drawing and models, ceramics, collage, digital art and graphics (drawings/paintings/illustration), crafts, drawing, fashion clothes and jewelry, fiber work, mixed media, painting, printmaking and sculpture. See Official Rules for copyright details. 2D artworks must be no larger than 18x24 inches with matting. Framed entries are not accepted. Include at least one digital image of artwork with your submission. 3D artwork submissions no larger than 18x12x10 inches must contain at least 3 digital images of artwork at different angles. Image(s) are used for artwork identification, judging and exhibition purposes. Accepted file formats: JPEG, JPG, and PNG. SEE ILLINOIS PTA VISUAL ARTS CATEGORY GUIDELINES FOR FULL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS.