PTA Celebrates 50-Year Milestone in Europe

Jan Harp Domene, PTA national president, to Attend European Convention to Commemorate; Schedules Visits to European PTA’s and Military Bases

CHICAGO (May 13, 2008) — In February of 1958, the PTA national organization added its 52nd branch — the European Congress of American Parents, Teachers, and Students.  The newest congress represented the schools for American dependants in Germany, France, England, Italy, French Morocco, and Turkey.  These schools provided education for some 60,000 army, air force, and navy personnel, plus those of American civilians living on military bases in the areas.

Today, the European PTA is the strongest European organization working exclusively on behalf of children and youth of schools operating under the U.S. Department of Defense and its Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).  Over 56 of these 99 schools are registered with European PTA and they boast over 8,000 individual PTA members.  European PTA continues to:

• Advocate for interests that improve the education of children at American schools in Europe.
• Train local school PTA leaders at installations within all of the United States European Command, to include USAREUR, USAFE, and USNAVEUR.
• Represent common interests of local schools to DoDEA, the National PTA, and to United States Congress.
• Conduct activities and events that complement the overall DoDEA educational program.

This week, Jan Harp Domene, PTA national president, and Otha Thornton, PTA national board member, active duty United States Army Officer and Director of Human Resources at the White House Communications Agency, head to Europe to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the European PTA at the 50th annual European Convention.  Additionally, visits to seven military-based PTAs over a period of twelve days have been scheduled: 

The work of the European PTA Congress will be celebrated as Jan and Otha travel to congratulate the leadership on their continued work as “One Voice for Every Child” to help make the transitions for military families a positive experience through family involvement.

TO FIND OUT ABOUT MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDING AN INTERVIEW WITH NATIONAL PTA PRESIDENT JAN HARP DOMENE AND/OR OTHA THRONTON, OR TO JOIN EUROPE PTA, PLEASE CONTACT:

Judi Myers at 00-1-312-670-6782, ext. 306; or jmyers@pta.org; or Europe PTA at Office@EuropeanPTA.org