What is the PTA Reflections Program?

The National PTA Reflections art competition gives children ages K-12 a chance to share their voice in artistic ways. Each year, the National PTA chooses student submitted themes that are used for the year’s competition. These themes help encourage children to explore their feelings and thoughts and be able to share them with others. 

Children can often be overlooked when it comes to important ideas and opinions. Often adults feel that innovative ideas only come from experienced individuals. The Reflection’s program gives a voice to children in a way that can speak to everyone. The children can submit art in a variety of categories that could be picked to be displayed in Washington D.C. where people from all over can be touched by the children’s interpretation of current issues and solutions to resolve them. 

Each year, children nationwide are encouraged to think about problems and solutions to current issues and write a theme for the following year's Reflections competition. Out of hundreds of entries, one topic is chosen. The child who produced the topic gets recognized at the National PTA Convention and receives a $100 prize. 

Past themes for the Reflections competition have included ideas such as “I will change the world by…” or “Show your voice.” These themes not only inspire the artists competing in the Reflections contest, but also help inspire future and current leaders of the United States. 

Art submitted to the Reflections competition can be submitted in one of the following categories: visual art, music composition, dance choreography, film production, literature, and photography. The variety of categories gives any child a chance to express themselves artistically in a way that speaks to them. Being able to participate in a competition level can help children gain confidence in expressing themselves in peaceful and beautiful ways. 

The National PTA Reflections contest is a tiered competition. This means that it starts within local PTA participating schools. Children are encouraged to participate within their division at their own school’s competition. They then have a chance to advance with their art to district, region, state and then possibly even to the National competition level. Children with special needs have their own divisions which encourage every child to have a voice in this competition. 

Each school that wants to participate in the Reflections competition will need to be responsible for setting up and judging the entries from the children who attend the school. Each school’s PTA organization can set up an event to display and perform the entries for the Reflections contest at a local level. These events can be in person, virtual, or even a mix. 

zFairs Event Management Software Makes Hosting Events Easy

zFairs event managing software is available to help these fairs and programs to be successful. They not only allow ease of access for the event planners, but also allow parents and participants to access information and submit their work all in one convenient place online. Event management systems are the best way to save on paper printing as well. All forms can be uploaded to the system and managed by the school. Parents and students then can access the information for the program at their leisure and there is no worry of misplacing information. 

Event managing software is found in many different applications. zFairs management software has made managing school fairs and contests easy. They have years of experience in a variety of categories that have made many school events all over the nation operate with ease and success. 

zFairs event management software can help run the Reflections competition at all levels, including local, district, and regional levels. Student entries can be submitted through the software and then be viewed by the PTA and school staff. Judges can also access submissions through this software program and can easily keep track of scoring. zFairs event software can allow both a virtual and an in-person event to take place. Judges can virtually discuss each work with the participants over a video chat or can use their smart devices to score the work at an in-person event. With zFairs there is no software to download. All you need is the internet and it can be accessed from anywhere. 

Not everyone can attend an in-person event. Whether they are sick, busy, or it’s just too far to travel, zFairs helps keep interested parties connected and able to work together to achieve a successful event. With zFairs, there is a virtual showcase where entries can be viewed online, so even distant family members and friends can be able to see all the hard work the students have accomplished, and students can participate whatever their situation may be. 

The Reflections competition offers several awards, scholarships, and prizes for finalists in the National competition. The National PTA also provides trophies, ribbons and certificates that can be presented to participants in the various tiers of the competition. zFairs software makes it easy to determine your winners, print certificates, and create an awards program. It also allows you to sell merchandise, collect donations, and even advance your winners on to the next event. 

The Reflections Program Helps Children Express Themselves Through Art

PTA participating schools all are eligible to participate in the Reflections art competition. Competitions in all settings can encourage children to set and achieve goals, feel a sense of accomplishment, increase their confidence, and develop and improve their skills. The National PTA Reflections competition aims to help children in these ways while also helping them “develop artistic literacy… and finding a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life.” (National PTA) 

The Reflections art competition is a fun opportunity to allow children of all ages and diversity to express themselves. It can be very stressful and time consuming to put one of these events together. zFairs can help make this program fast, easy to run, and successful so volunteers, children, teachers and schools will want to participate in it for many years and the Nation will benefit from the things our children can inspire in us.