Internet access has been critical during the pandemic, and many of your school’s families may have struggled with obtaining devices or getting or maintaining internet service. The Emergency Broadband Benefit is a temporary program from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that provides eligible households with discounts of up to $50/month for internet access and a one-time discount … Continue reading The Emergency Broadband Benefit
PTA Programs at Home
The pandemic has dramatically changed how we PTA over the past year. From virtual PTA meetings to running events and membership drives without face-to-face contact, PTAs have struggled to adapt to the changes brought on by the pandemic. National PTA has responded to this challenge by adapting several of its programs to provide at-home models. The … Continue reading PTA Programs at Home
National PTA Launches Healthy Minds
The pandemic has brought discussions of mental health to the forefront, but many families may be struggling with how to prioritize mental health for themselves and their children. National PTA, in cooperation with GoGuardian, Pear Deck, and the Allstate Foundation, has launched Healthy Minds, an ongoing collection of information and resources for PTAs and families regarding … Continue reading National PTA Launches Healthy Minds
May is Mental Health Month
There have been so many challenges throughout the pandemic, and many have struggled with their mental health in dealing with those challenges. The month of May is Mental Health Month, and Mental Health America has created a toolkit that your PTA can use to increase awareness and make a difference in the mental health of those in your school … Continue reading May is Mental Health Month
Every Kid Healthy Week is April 26-30
Every Kid Healthy Week is an annual event organized by Action for Healthy Kids to celebrate school health and wellness during the last full week of April. Each day of the week focuses on a specific way schools and families can improve the health and wellness of kids. Your PTA can host an Every Kid … Continue reading Every Kid Healthy Week is April 26-30
National PTA Launches New YouTube Series
National PTA is launching a new YouTube series called 10 Minutes to PTA the Transformative Way on March 29th. The series is part of National PTA’s Center for Family Engagement initiative and will help PTA leaders improve their family engagement efforts. As the title implies, the 10-minute videos will feature PTA leaders and experts in the field … Continue reading National PTA Launches New YouTube Series
Creating Meaningful Engagement Between Schools, Teachers, and Families
Last spring as the pandemic began to spread and schools shut down, how school districts communicated their plans with families was critical. National PTA partnered with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to investigate how schools engaged families and teachers in both school closing and reopening plans and to see what lessons could be learned … Continue reading Creating Meaningful Engagement Between Schools, Teachers, and Families
Take Your Family to School Week is February 14-21
Take Your Family to School Week occurs the week of February 17th to honor the day that PTA was founded in 1897 and is designed to provide families an opportunity to get more involved in their child’s education and to strengthen their relationships with their child’s teachers and administrators. Take Your Family to School Week 2021 may look … Continue reading Take Your Family to School Week is February 14-21
Running Your PTA in a Pandemic—Part 3: Fundraising
Last spring, Illinois PTA ran a series of articles on how to run your PTA when schools are closed. This fall, schools have opened in a variety of configurations, from online only, to all in-person, to some mix of the two, and may shuffle between those as local conditions change during the year. In addition, … Continue reading Running Your PTA in a Pandemic—Part 3: Fundraising
Running Your PTA in a Pandemic—Part 2: Events
Last spring, Illinois PTA ran a series of articles on how to run your PTA when schools are closed. This fall, schools have opened in a variety of configurations, from online only, to all in-person, to some mix of the two, and may shuffle between those as local conditions change during the year. In addition, … Continue reading Running Your PTA in a Pandemic—Part 2: Events
Notes from the Backpack Season 3—Even Better
Illinois PTA highlighted National PTA’s podcast Notes from the Backpack about a year ago as the first season finished up. The award-winning podcast is starting its third season, and PTA’s Center for Family Engagement is even more focused on providing the information that families need now and the resources to help spread the word. The third season has … Continue reading Notes from the Backpack Season 3—Even Better
How to Advocate for the Arts at Your School
Illinois funding of schools has long been woefully inadequate, and now the pandemic has made school finances even more challenging due to flat state funding and increased costs as schools struggle to provide online learning for all students or supplies for in-person classes. When school budgets get tight, the arts are often among the first … Continue reading How to Advocate for the Arts at Your School
Work with Your Child’s Teacher with Ready to Partner Resources
We’re big fans of Learning Heroes, and we’ve talked about their Readiness Check before. Now, in partnership with National PTA and Univision, Learning Heroes has launched Ready to Partner, a research-based bilingual resource to help parents and teachers work together for what will certainly be a different sort of school year. The Ready to Partner … Continue reading Work with Your Child’s Teacher with Ready to Partner Resources
Preparing Your PTA for Next Year
Illinois PTA has provided information to PTAs about end-of-year actions that they need to take and has shared the value of using the summer to plan the upcoming year. With the current pandemic and its associated uncertainties, planning for next year is both more important and more difficult for your PTA. Here are some things … Continue reading Preparing Your PTA for Next Year
COVID-19 and Education Town Hall Recap
On May 27th, Illinois PTA and Advance Illinois cohosted a Town Hall discussion on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected education, students, and families and what needs and concerns there may be when students return to school. The result was a lively discussion with dozens of PTA members from across the state. You can find … Continue reading COVID-19 and Education Town Hall Recap
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4-8
This year, Teacher Appreciation Week is certainly out of the ordinary. As schools closed and classes went online, social media filled up with posts from parents’ deeper appreciation for the work that teachers do. But without your kids in their classrooms, you may be unsure how to show that appreciation. National PTA has a Teacher … Continue reading Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4-8
Celebrate National Nutrition Month in March
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual nutrition education campaign led by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to encourage everyone to develop healthy eating and physical activity habits. Here are some ways your PTA can celebrate. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a National Nutrition Month toolkit. The toolkit has PDF handouts on … Continue reading Celebrate National Nutrition Month in March
How Learning Happens—Tools for PTAs and Families
It’s no secret that Illinois PTA is a big fan of Learning Heroes, both for their great resources for families and their eye-opening research. Learning Heroes has now collaborated with the National Commission on Social, Emotional, & Academic Development to create a communications playbook on How Learning Happens. The playbook includes videos, social media assets, … Continue reading How Learning Happens—Tools for PTAs and Families
Take Your Family to School Week is February 16-23
National PTA’s Take Your Family to School Week is coming up on February 16-23. You can start planning now to host an event to bring families into your school using National PTA’s toolkit for Take Your Family to School Week. The toolkit includes the resources you need to host one of four different types of … Continue reading Take Your Family to School Week is February 16-23
Human Trafficking: A Primer for PTAs
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. While you may not think that human trafficking is an issue in your community—a 2017 poll in Illinois indicated more than half disagreed that it was happening in their area—in fact, Illinois ranks 11th in the nation in the number of cases of human trafficking. What … Continue reading Human Trafficking: A Primer for PTAs
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