Show Your PTA/PTSA’s Value and Grow Membership with the Reflections Program  

PTA Reflections

National PTA has a long-standing commitment to arts education because of the important role the arts play in boosting children’s confidence and success. By participating in the arts, children explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life.   

PTA believes all students deserve the opportunity to take part in the arts, both in school and in the community. The arts can positively affect the entire school culture—especially student motivation, attitudes and attendance—which encourages students to stay in school, succeed in school, succeed in work and succeed in life!  

Acting on this belief, National PTA has held the National PTA Reflections program for over 50 years. Each year, hundreds of thousands of students in pre-k through grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. National PTA announces over 200 student winners from across the country (see 2022-2023 Show Your Voice! Reflections winners) in the following arts categories:  

  • Dance Choreography  
  • Film Production  
  • Literature  
  • Music Composition  
  • Photography  
  • Visual Arts  

The program provides a uniquely accessible way for students to access the arts and arts education, especially when their schools may have limited art programming, or they have other barriers to participating.  

As Greenfield Elementary School PTA in Virginia shared, “The connection of the arts to the world around us is essential to the growth of all of our Greenfield students. The Reflections program allows our students to create meaningful works of art while also considering the deeper meaning associated with the theme of each year’s program.”  

The Reflections program is a benefit of PTA membership. It is a very impactful way of showing your members the value your PTA or PTSA brings to your community. Reflections entries may only be submitted to active PTAs or PTSAs affiliated with National PTA from across the nation, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and DoDEA school PTAs in Europe. As part of the 2023 National PTA Virtual Reflections Student Arts Showcase, several parents and students emphasized how access to the arts and the Reflections program has drastically benefited them, including featured artist Isaac Cinnamon, who shared, “I think it’s important to have, you know, programs in place like the PTA Reflections to just keep promoting art and keep challenging, you know, kids and teenagers to create and make something.”  

National PTA has a myriad of resources to walk PTA leaders through the entire process of implementing the Reflections program for the benefit of all children. And now, to help you show the value of your PTA or PTSA and grow and retain membership, National PTA has added the Reflections program to the YOU Belong in PTA suite of resources. We have a variety of YOU Belong resources available including social media graphics, pages that are ready to print in color or black and white, as well as customizable pieces and more for PTAs and PTSAs in both English and Spanish. Use the graphics and message pieces that best meet your available time and needs.  

Make sure to encourage people to tune in to the Outstanding Interpretation Reflections Show Your Voice! winners celebration July 19 at 7:00 p.m. EDT on YouTube.com/NationalPTA to see the value of PTA and support your PTA or PTSA with their membership. PTA membership makes the Reflections program possible at all levels of PTA to make a difference in the lives of children and youth and to contribute to having a more successful school community. Share your Reflections and membership promotion using the hashtag #HowWePTA.   

National PTA Reflections Virtual Showcase Highlights Young Artists and Family Members 

PTA Reflections

On January 25, 2023, National PTA concluded the celebration of the 2021-2022 “I Will Change the World By…” Reflections year with the Reflections Student Arts Virtual Showcase. This special event featured 20 extraordinary young creators sharing the inspiration for their national award-winning artwork, as well as a few of their parents who emphasized the importance of the arts and family engagement.  

Pictured: High schooler Ralienne Nacional (2021-2022 Award of Merit, Music Composition) shares the inspiration for her song, “Change the World.” 

The hour-long presentation, which includes closed captioning in English and Spanish, was attended live by over 900 virtual attendees and remains archived on National PTA’s YouTube channel

Clockwise, from left: Eden Salem, Award of Excellence in Film Production, Illinois; Arvin Nambi, Award of Merit in Music Composition, North Carolina; Isaac Cinnamon, Award of Merit in Film Production, South Carolina; Shirly Liu, Award of Excellence in Visual Arts, New Jersey; Sophia Cedillo, Award of Merit in Photography, Kentucky; Diara Giri, Award of Excellence in Literature, Illinois 

Meet Some of the Students Featured in the Showcase  

Nivedhitha “Nivi” Magesh (Award of Excellence in Visual Art, Georgia) shared the inspiration for her award-winning drawing “Warmth in Every Color” as well as other photos of her paintings. 

“I thought of using my art to relieve or help people if they are sad or stressed.” – Nivi Magesh 

Rhyanna Murdock (Award of Excellence in Photography, Idaho) invited us all to be our best selves by lifting others up through difficult times with her award-winning photograph “Rising Up.”  

“I lift others up by being a light when others can’t be.” – Rhyanna Murdock 

Tyme Anusonti-Inthra (Youth’s Benefit Elementary School PTA, Maryland) revealed how he supported conservation and biology projects as a “citizen scientist” in his delightful stop-motion film titled “Mission: Citizen Science.” 

“With the theme in mind, I decided to challenge myself to be a Citizen Scientist for one whole year. My data helps the scientists understand, and hopefully solve, real world problems that we are all facing.” – Tyme Anusonti-Inthra 

Cadence Stewart (Newington Elementary School PTA, South Carolina) shared the meaning behind her award-winning dance choreography “Overcome,” which was created in honor the lives lost to due to gun violence and racism. 

“I create dance choreography because it helps me express my feelings and thoughts when I can’t say it in words. My family supports me by always encouraging me to never give up and to send a message when I’m dancing.” – Cadence Stewart 

This year’s Showcase also featured appearances by several Reflections parents, each highlighting in their own way the role that family can play in nurturing students’ creativity. Here is what some of them had to say: 

“Parents and family members can support their students’ creative expression by just letting them be themselves. As parents, we see the potential in our children and there are things that we want them to accomplish, but we often overlook how they really feel and what they really want to do. Let’s continue to encourage our youth to explore, remain lifelong learners and trust the process.” – Candace Fladger (Cadence’s Mom) 

“When [my children] create art, I can see them trying to express these complex ideas that they have in their heads that they’re not really sure how to say…not really sure how to put it into words…but they can put it into art. – Tonya Hamill (Otto’s Mom) 

“There’s never a day without music in our family… As a family, watching them work hard on a piece to perform it on stage or to enter it into a competition, it’s so rewarding to watch and it makes us so proud because we know how much effort went into it.” – Preetha Nambi (Arvin’s Mom) 

Want to hear more from these and other special guests from the 2023 Reflections Showcase? Visit National PTA’s YouTube channel and watch an archived recording of the full 2021-2022 program year Showcase, along with a celebration video honoring the 7 Outstanding Interpretation awardees of 2021-2022.   

Congratulations, once again, to all the national winners from the 2021-2022 I Will Change the World By… Reflections program. To view the artwork and artist statements from all 200+ national Reflections winners, check out our virtual exhibit of student works at PTA.org/IWillChangeTheWorldBy

The national winners for the 2022-2023 Show Your Voice! Reflections program will be announced May 1 at PTA.org/ReflectionsAwards.  

In the meantime, stay connected to National PTA on social media @NationalPTA and #PTAReflections for the latest news from Reflections. For more information about the Reflections program, please visit PTA.org/Reflections. We welcome your support of this next generation of young creators! 

Cathleen O’Malley is the Arts Education Fellow at National PTA.