ALEXANDRIA, Va., (June 21, 2019)—National PTA is pleased to award grants to PTAs across the country to advance transformative family engagement practices, programs and policies in their states and school districts. The grants are part of the association’s Center for Family Engagement. 

“Family engagement is essential to both children’s success and school improvement efforts. However, traditional family engagement practices, programs and policies do not always meet the needs of all families, nor empower them as partners in their child’s and their school’s success,” said Jim Accomando, president of National PTA. “We are pleased to provide PTAs across the country with resources to advance more transformative approaches for family engagement in their states and school districts.”

Oregon PTA, Colorado PTA, Kentucky PTA, New Jersey PTA and North Carolina PTA have been selected to participate in the 2019-2020 State PTA Family Engagement Challenge. These PTAs will receive $1,000 each to help them engage diverse groups of parents, PTA members and leaders, as well as external stakeholders to develop a roadmap to advance transformative family engagement practices and policies across their state. The PTAs join Ohio PTA, Minnesota PTA, New York State PTA, Tennessee PTA and Oklahoma PTA, which participated in the first year of the State PTA Family Engagement Challenge and were awarded implementation funding. In this second year of the challenge, all 10 participating PTAs will be eligible to receive up to $5,000 in additional funding to implement their roadmaps.  

Austin Council of PTAs (Austin, Texas), Pinellas County Council PTA (Largo, Fla.) and Lake Washington PTSA Council (Redmond, Wash.) also have been chosen to receive a grant of $4,000 each. These grants will enable the PTAs to convene listening sessions with parents who are representative of their school communities and collaborate with stakeholders to identify opportunities to help their districts improve the way they engage families in whole-child learning. The PTAs will also contribute to national research that elevates the voice of parents in shaping how schools engage them in supporting holistic student success. This project is funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

“Research shows that family engagement is just as important as having a great principal and teachers, a strong curriculum and a positive school climate,” added Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. “Advancing transformative approaches to family engagement is critical to ensure all students have the support they need to thrive in school and beyond.”

About National PTA

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org.