In May, National PTA’s Every Child in Focus campaign celebrates the arts and culture of Asian American/Pacific Islanders. Educators, families and PTAs are encouraged to deepen family engagement using the PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships and provided resources.

Student Artist Narhee Kim “Epiphany”
Explore additional arts and cultural resources for Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month provided by The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
To help paint the picture of family engagement, The National PTA Reflections award recipient Jordan Whitmer shares his original film titled “Forever Family” based on the 2013-2014 program theme: Believe, Dream, Inspire.

Jordan Whitmer and family
“Approximately ten years ago, in a snow-covered village in mainland China, a baby girl was born. Sadly, her parents were not able to keep her. Left in a basket in a very public place, this girl was found, and brought to an orphanage. One year later, this baby girl met her forever family. She will always be my sister.” – Jordan Whitmer
Watch Jordan’s award winning film production “Forever Family.”
“We are passionate about family. As parents, we pour into our kids every day, knowing that we only have a few short years to invest in their lives before they become adults. We are intentional about experiences that provide our kids with a chance to learn about a big world. As a family, we enjoy serving others in our local public schools, on a missions trip, or at our local food pantry.
We are so grateful for the partnership we have with our local public schools when it comes to the arts. Through band, choir, and PTA Reflections, our kids have had some amazing opportunities to learn and grow as young musicians and production artists. We have found this to be a great way to make a difference in the lives of others!” –Rick and Lisa Whitmer, parents of Jordan, Blake and Jenna Whitmer.
Interested in providing PTA Reflections in your school community? Visit PTA.org/Reflections to get started.
Email Reflections@pta.org to tell us your Reflections story.
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