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All children deserve opportunities to explore and be involved in the arts.
The National PTA Reflections program is PTA’s cornerstone arts program. It was developed in 1969 by Colorado’s PTA President Mary Lou Anderson to encourage students to explore their talents and express themselves. Since then, the Reflections Program has inspired millions of students to reflect on a specific theme and create original artwork. Each year, students in Grades Pre-K through 12 are recognized for bringing the theme to life through dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. In 2012, the Special Artist Division (Accessible Arts) emerged as an optional division for students whose physical,
cognitive, or mental health challenges meet ADA guidelines.
The arts—and the National PTA Reflections program, in particular—can be a valuable tool for building stronger partnerships in your school community.
Through the Reflections Awards Program, you can play a role in providing a positive learning environment for students that fosters self-exploration, encourages creative thinking and problem-solving, and promotes the exploration of arts and culture in the home, school and community. Any active PTA/PTSA in good standing is eligible to implement a Reflections Program.
Review the Rules: The National PTA has rules for each arts category and the Accessible Arts Division. Each contestant must follow both the general rules and the category rules to be eligible for the National round.
Promote and Celebrate: Planning your program begins with recruiting others to help you, such as school staff, parents interested in the arts, or community arts organizations. Your State PTA will provide you with a step-by-step planning guide to help you implement the program including planning, promotion and celebration tools. Check out National PTA’s website for specific materials for the Reflections program at https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections
Contact us: West Virginia PTA has a Reflections Committee that is focused on implementing the Reflections program. Contact the Reflections Chair at reflections@westvirginiapta.org for guidance and questions.
That’s the theme for the 2026-27 Reflections Art Program, which has been bringing the arts to life for more than 10 million students since 1969. West Virginia PTA and its members, families and kids are at the forefront of this amazing program, which increases community awareness of the importance of arts in education.
The Reflections Program encourages students of all ages to:
Click Here to see the West Virginia winners of the 2025-2026 Reflections Art Program
Deadline for projects submitted to the State PTA: February 1, 2027.
Implement your Reflections program in your PTA by following these easy steps:
Customize the “Call for Entries” form and send out to students.Arts Category and Division Guidelines
Each year, students are invited to submit themes for the annual Reflections Art Program that will inspire young artists to create original works. Click Here to download the entry form to submit an entry for the National PTA Reflections program representing West Virginia. Email completed form to reflections@westvirginiapta.org. Deadline is November 1, 2027.
Building on the decades-long arts legacy of past Colorado State PTA President Mary Lou Anderson, who established the Reflections Art Program, National PTA awards grants of up to $1,000 so local PTAs can take arts education to the next level — especially for at-risk kids. Find out how your PTA can qualify.
So let the Reflections Art Program — and the arts — be a part of your kids’ lives! For more information on participating, or to get a Reflections program started at your school, contact reflections@westvirginiapta.org
Life membership in the West Virginia PTA is an honorary membership that is presented in recognition of outstanding and faithful service performed in the interest and welfare of children and youth. The recipient need not be a member of a PTA; they could be a teacher, principal, superintendent, board of education member, crossing guard, or any person who has given outstanding services to children and youth.
This honorary membership does not carry with it the right to vote, make motions, or serve as an officer in the local PTA, unless the recipient has a membership in that local PTA.
The honor of the Life Membership is something the recipient should carry with much honor, distinction, and pride. When presented with an honorary Life Membership, the recipient receives a honorary life membership pin and certificate recognizing their service to all children and youth.
A West Virginia PTA Life Membership can be purchased for $50 from the West Virginia PTA. This includes the cost of the pin, a certificate, and costs of production and mailing.
Anytime is good to honor an individual: Founder’s Day, your annual meeting or banquet, and/or retirement.
Please complete the application form and send your check for $50.00:
West Virginia PTA
ATTN: Life Membership
PO Box 3557 Parkersburg, WV 26103
For information email info@westvirginiapta.org
West Virginia PTA honors its local units by awarding yearly membership awards. Through the dedication of volunteers at the local level, membership flourishes throughout West Virginia.
The PTA membership starts July 1 and ends June 30 of each year. The end of a membership drive is a great opportunity to recognize your local unit’s efforts with a celebration. As you prepare to submit dues for members who have already joined, remember that membership growth doesn’t end in October or November, it continues all year long.
To encourage and celebrate ongoing membership efforts the West Virginia PTA proudly offers membership awards. While some are geared toward the beginning of the year, many opportunities remain after the New Year. These awards are presented at the WV PTA State Convention. Start the New Year strong by launching a new membership drive and continuing to grow your PTA community!
SPECIAL AWARDS:
The WV PTA is proud to present our STAR Awards for each school year. S.T.A.R. is representing Stellar, Tenacious, Action, and Results—which recognizes local PTA units that go above and beyond to strengthen family engagement and make a meaningful impact in their schools and communities.
“Through the generous support of donors and the West Virginia PTA Scholarship Auction held annually, West Virginia PTA is proud to offer scholarships to graduating seniors from West Virginia’s public high schools. This year, West Virginia PTA is awarding several $500 scholarships.”
The Scholarship Fund is also supported through the purchase of a West Virginia PTA Honorary Life Membership. To honor a special individual, please visit the Honorary Life Membership page.
Deadline for scholarships: February 1, 2027
If you have any questions, please email scholarship@westvirginiapta.org. Click on the buttons below for this years application and details.
* We will not accept previous year applications.
If you are a business or partner and wish to donate to the WV PTA Scholarship fund, you can donate online or download the form and mail to the WV PTA office as directed on the form.
Thank you for your generosity!
Throughout the year, National PTA offers awards and grants to honor or support PTAs as they engage families, support student success, improve the health and safety of students and families, increase access to arts education or celebrate advocacy and diversity. The application process for our opportunities is easy, and the support or recognition your PTA could receive will have a lasting impact in your work and community.
Below is where you’ll find an overview of what support and recognition opportunities are currently available. Remember, even if your PTA is not selected for an available opportunity, there are other ways to receive assistance and acknowledgement in your PTA’s work.
The National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement were established in 1995. The Guidelines for successful, meaningful parent involvement were developed by the National PTA in cooperation with education and parent involvement professionals. Research clearly shows that if parents are involved in their child’s education, the child can do better academically, socially and emotionally. This is true regardless of racial, economic or cultural background. Does your community really understand this critically important point? Remember – parent involvement has three distinct phases. Parents are their child’s first teacher. Then, they become a partner with the school. As parents see the bigger picture, many become an advocate for all children.
In the perfect world, when we think of summer, our thoughts are immediately drawn to relaxation, cookouts, the beach and more importantly “quietness”. Then reality sets in, and parents we are faced with keeping thier little ones busy and occupied during the summer months. Sound familiar?
We found a wonderful blog written by Ilene Jacobs, a freelance writer who suggested, 101 Fun Things to Do with Kids This Summer. The trick to a stress free summer is to plan your activities early. She recommends creating a summer bucket list. Be sure to include your children in the process. Spending quality time as a family is vital and rewarding to all. Enjoy your summer!
Check out the following resources:
Empowering Families,The West Virginia Family Engagement Center (WVFEC) provides customized, evidence-based approaches to family engagement that improve student achievement through stronger school-family-community partnerships.
National PTA’s Take Your Family to School Week will focus on the theme Supporting Student Success to promote family engagement solutions that are proven to help prevent the risks associated with high school dropout. Click button for more details of the opportunities available for PTA’s!
The National PTA “Take Your Family to School Week” page offers a collection of practical tools to help schools build strong family engagement. Resources include recorded webinars and tip sheets on topics like effective family-school partnerships and inclusion, short videos with real-world strategies, and ready-to-use program ideas for hosting engaging events. The page also features advocacy resources to help families and educators work together to support student success, along with planning guidance to make events welcoming, accessible, and impactful for all families.
National PTA represents parents, caregivers, educators and communities of all children, which enables us to best achieve PTA’s mission to make every child’s potential a reality. Our collective backgrounds, perspectives and ideas allow us to create the strongest future and direction for PTA.
The resources from National PTA can help you learn about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion issues, discuss these topics in your community and take action to more effectively serve ALL children and families, with a focus on historically marginalized and underrepresented populations. Visit www.pta.org for additional resources including:
This toolkit helps make sense of an often confusing system and educates families of newly diagnosed children with special needs on how to get the best special education, services and resources available to them.
Getting Started: An introduction to the Special Education process and how to advocate for your child.
From Pre-K to Graduation: Transitioning your student throughout his or her school career and preparing them for college or the workforce after graduation.
Understanding Federal Policy: An overview of federal disability and special needs policies, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
A Parent’s Dictionary: Key terms to know when getting started in special education.
Acronyms: An overview of acronyms used in special education and disability policies and programs.
Resources: A directory of tools and organizations that families can access for assistance.
Material presented on the National PTA website is intended for information purposes only. It is not intended as professional advice and should not be construed as such. National PTA is not engaged in rendering legal or other professional services by posting said material. Professional services should be sought if legal or other specific expert assistance is required.
Studies show students perform better when mothers and fathers are involved in the education of their children. School communities and PTAs also thrive because men and women think differently and bring different perspectives and skills to school and PTA activities.
Be sure to visit the Membership Resources tab for additional tools, ideas, and resources focused on increasing male engagement in PTA. You’ll find helpful information to support your efforts to welcome and involve dads, grandfathers, male caregivers, and other positive male role models in meaningful ways that strengthen your PTA and school community.
The West Virginia Department of Education’s Purple Star Award recognizes schools and school districts that demonstrate a special commitment to supporting military-connected children and their families. Military-connected students often face unique challenges, including frequent moves, school transitions and the deployment of a parent or family member. In fact, these students may transition between schools an average of six to nine times during their K–12 education. The Purple Star program encourages schools to create a welcoming, supportive environment that helps military-connected students and families feel connected to their school community.
To earn the Purple Star designation, a school must identify a trained military family point of contact, provide military-family resources through its website, develop a plan for supporting military-connected students and families, celebrate Purple Up Day during April’s Month of the Military Child, and conduct qualifying military-support activities. The recognition is awarded for a period of three school years.
PTAs can be valuable partners in helping their schools support military families and work toward Purple Star recognition. Local PTAs can help welcome newly arriving military families, promote Purple Up Day, recognize military-connected students and families, share available resources, and assist with activities that build a stronger sense of belonging within the school community. These efforts align closely with PTA’s commitment to ensuring that every child and family feel welcomed, supported and included.
West Virginia continues to expand the Purple Star program across the state. In May 2026, 74 schools received recognition as part of the sixth class of Purple Star recipients, bringing the statewide total to 319 Purple Star Schools and 18 Purple Star Districts.
Schools interested in becoming a Purple Star School can learn more about the requirements, resources and application process through the West Virginia Department of Education.
Nearly 44% of active-duty military members, and 43% of Reserve members, have children—an average of two children per military family. There are currently 1.2 million children of active-duty military members worldwide.
Approximately 2 million children in military families have experienced a parent’s deployment since 2001. During that time, 41,000 children have experienced a deployed service member parent being killed, wounded, injured, or seriously ill.
Military family moves may provide both positive and negative experiences for children, including increased family cohesiveness and resilience as well as stress and loneliness.
West Virginia PTA is a partner of the Common Ground Military Parnership. Partnering organizations focus on increasing the capacity of schools to ensure student success. By sharing each organization’s programs, opportunities, resources and information with schools, students will become aware of opportunities to serve as leaders within their communities and experience positive outcomes throughout their lives. This includes shared goals that all students will stay in school and graduate from high school, college and career ready. The partnership contributes to developing strong communities with a productive, civically active and well-educated workforce. The Common Ground website offers information supportive of schools, students and military families.
Visit the Common Ground Webpage for additional information and resources.
