General Programs Resources

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Join PTA For Your Child


Programs Where You Are

National PTA offers Programs (en español) to meet students and families where they are. Partnering with caregivers and schools, National PTA programs are designed to support the physical, social-emotional and learning needs of students while having fun!

Programs List



Toolkit for PTA Programs

 

Each National PTA program-specific website offers a wealth of information and resources. You are also able to utilize the general toolkit below for customizable resources as you get started, plan, promote, host and celebrate your PTA program! 

Getting Started

View and print our How to Get Started Guide (en español) and check out the following tips to set your PTA up for success!

Take advantage of all that National PTA has to offer


Connect with National PTA

  • Join the Local Leader Facebook page to learn from and connect with other leaders, ask and answer questions

  • Use these resources to help your PTA guide decisions and discussions and incorporate the National Standards for Family-School partnerships in all of your PTA work.

Explore National PTA:

  • Make a commitment to improving family-school partnerships at your school and earn recognition as a nationally recognized School of Excellence. Look for enrollment to open on May 1

  • Easily integrate membership into everything you do! Utilize the customizable You Belong in PTA membership resources. The Member Benefits and the Membership Marketing Campaign can help your PTA grow, while showcasing the many benefits of PTA membership

Seek input to determine needs


  • Be sure to gather input from the whole community to learn what initiatives are most needed or most interesting. This will help your PTA tailor programs to meet the needs of all families. Be creative and inclusive when seeking input from families. Use multiple methods and languages to reach ALL families.

  • Meet with your school leader and gather input from leadership, both school administrators and PTA board of directors. What goals can you support with a National PTA program?   

  • With information from your families and school leaders, you can start to tailor your PTA program to meet the needs of your school community.

Engage all families


  • Build your planning team and make sure your team represents the community. Think about who you are serving. By better understanding your community and seeking diverse perspectives in the planning process, you make your PTA programs stronger and more impactful.

  • Explore the National PTA DEI Resource webpage to find additional tools to welcome and include all families.

Planning

National PTA Programs meet students and families where they are. Use these customizable sample resources to plan your PTA Program and consider any barriers that may prevent participation. And be sure to visit the program-specific webpages for more information and resources to help you plan!

Promoting

We encourage you to spread the word about your PTA Program. This helps to promote your PTA’s accomplishment, stokes interest in the local program you are planning, and creates greater awareness about the opportunities and benefits of PTA for your audiences and beyond. Alert your school leadership about your PTA Program and encourage the school to share the news across its channels. Post on your PTA’s website, newsletters and social media accounts. Send an email to all your PTA members with the news.

Promotion Tools


Documents

Videos
Hosting

Each PTA program offers ready to use, free materials. Utilize the resources found on the program-specific webpages for information on how to host your PTA Program.

Celebrating Impact

Every PTA Has a Story

The work you do throughout the year demonstrates the power and value of PTA as we meet the critical needs of our children, families and schools. We want to help you share your story to the world! Why? Well, not everyone understands or is fully aware of what PTA does in our school communities. Use Storytelling: How to Share your PTA Story (en español) and video as guides for what to share, how to get the information you need and how to share your story.

Ask your community for feedback during and after the program to see how your program was perceived, to learn if your intended goals were met and to identify and enhance your next PTA program. Share program success stories with your community and beyond!

  • Don’t forget to thank those that participated with these Sample Thank You Letters 
  • We encourage you to share the post-event Family Survey at PTA.org/Survey with your program attendees to help National PTA celebrate and enhance our programming.
  • Share successes with your entire school community, State PTA and National PTA. Tag us to your photos and stories @NationalPTA using hashtags #PTAProud and #HowWePTA! Visit How We PTA to see examples of amazing PTA stories.

  • Check out ShopPTA.com to purchase general and customizable merchandise to celebrate your PTA and Programs! Just click on your state PTA to get started.



Engage All Families, Build Stronger Communities

When PTAs welcome all students and families, their programs have a bigger impact. This helps create stronger, more connected communities where everyone thrives. Explore additional tools National PTA provides to support members as they work to welcome and include all families.

Accessibility in PTA Programs: Everyone Can Participate 


An accessible program ensures that every student, family member, and volunteer can fully engage, regardless of their abilities. Prioritizing accessibility creates a welcoming environment and strengthens your PTA.

  • Let's Talk about Ableism (Webisode): Learn what ableism is, how it appears in our organization, and how to advocate better with the disability community. 


Learn how to prioritize diversity, equity & inclusion when planning and implementing programs for your PTA.



Share with National PTA through our Programs Survey


We encourage students, parents and caregivers to share their feedback about National PTA Programs with this brief Programs Survey. We want to learn more about you and your experiences to help us improve programs and reach more people!



PTA Leaders Share the Impact of National PTA Programs


“The best part of the program was being able to see how enthusiastic our students were during the live virtual program and being able to interact with one another during these difficult times….I also really loved facilitating this program!”

“National PTA Programs address needs current families have, advance the mission by empowering families to support their children's education and wellbeing, and are packaged so that local leaders spend minimum time strategizing on content, communication and overall implementation.”

“National PTA Programs impact students by giving them exposure to something they might not have otherwise. In a world where kids don’t always have opportunities, this gives it to them access with people who are familiar to them.”

“This program impacted more students than any other program this year, and even in the past few years!"


Did you know?

School of Excellence

You can leverage National PTA Programs to earn the 2-year School of Excellence designation. Learn more and enroll staring May 1 at PTA.org/Excellence. 



National PTA is Here to Support You 

As a PTA leader, you know your school community best! You know what programming is most needed and how best to bring your families together. But know, you are never alone!

National PTA is here to support you. All National PTA programming is ready-to-go and comes with a team of support, allowing you to focus on what matters most – your families. We stand beside you along the way, so lean on us, because together we make the biggest difference. 



Questions?

Learn more about PTA Programs at PTA.org/Programs. Email Programs@PTA.org.