Awards & Events - Reflections Arts Program

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National PTA Reflections Awards

Each year, students in Pre-K through Grade 12 are invited to create and submit original works of art in the areas of Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography and Visual Arts. Based on State PTA rules and guidelines, these works of art may be submitted for state and national level awards and recognition opportunities.

Congratulations to the 2022-2023 Show Your Voice! Reflections Winners

National PTA received over 900 student entries from 44 state PTA congresses in all the available arts categories. Of those submissions, we are thrilled to award over 200 student artists on the national level.

Congratulations to all of the 2022-2023 National PTA Reflections winners and our 7 Outstanding Interpretation awardees, who received the highest honors for their creative interpretation of the theme Show Your Voice! Check out National PTA's official press release celebrating the top awardees and acknowledging all the 2022-2023 national Reflections winners.

The 2022-2023 Reflections theme, Show Your Voice!, was submitted by Jason Yevin, from Salk/Macarthur PTSA in New York.

2022-2023 Reflections Winner List

View Winners

2022-2023 National PTA Reflections Outstanding Interpretation Awardees

These seven students achieved the Award of Outstanding Interpretation, which is given to the student artworks that achieved the highest scores for interpretation of theme. Join us in congratulating:

Alice Grieve: Visual Arts: "Paved the Way"
Juliet Auten: Music Composition: "Listen"
Minka Van Berkel: Literature: "The Girl Who Was Loud Even Though She Didn't Speak"
Nia McKnight: Dance Choreography: "Where Did the Night Go?"
Sarina Policastro: Film Production: "Amira's Letters"
Sebastian Tulin: Photography: "The Runner Triumphant"
Megan Lambert: Visual Arts-Special Artist Division: "Hear Me Roar"

Learn more about the Reflections 2022-2023 Outstanding Interpretation Winners

National PTA honored the top seven award winners and acknowledge all national winners during the 2022-2023 Outstanding Interpretation Winners Celebration, now available on National PTA’s YouTube channel. The celebration features student interviews and showcases each student's full piece.

You can also find more information about these talented student's and their award-winning Reflections artist statements through this featured blog post.

Check Out The Celebration!

Continue Your Celebration!!

Along with the prizes outlined below, National PTA will continue to celebrate our National award winners on National PTA’s website and social media channels. You can do the same! Download and share these template Reflections Winner graphics to highlight your artist accomplishments to everyone in your network: Student Winner Graphic, PTA Winner Graphic, PTSA Winner Graphic. Remember to use #PTAReflections to share your photos and artwork with us!

If you're a PTA leader, use our template press release for the 2022-2023 national Reflections winners to promote and celebrate the student artists in your PTA community! Download the template here.

Stay tuned to PTA.org/ReflectionsAwards for information on upcoming celebrations like our Student Arts Showcase in January 2024. Be sure to connect with National PTA on social media at @NationalPTA and through #PTAReflections as we continue to recognize and celebrate student talents throughout the year.

**Virtual Exhibit: 2022-2023 Show Your Voice! Awardees**

Check out our virtual exhibit from the 2022-2023 National PTA Reflections program, Show Your Voice!

Dance Choreography

Film Production

Literature

Music Composition

Photography

Visual Arts

National Level Reflections Awards

State PTAs are able, but not required, to submit 30 entries in total to the national level for review - one entry per arts category, per division. Of the national-level submissions, over 200 student Reflections participants will receive the following awards from National PTA:

Merit Award: Bronze Medal; Certificate of Merit; Work featured in the virtual exhibition

Award of Excellence: $200 Young Artist Scholarship; Silver Medal; Certificate of Excellence; Work featured in the virtual exhibition

Outstanding Interpretation Award: $800 Young Artist Scholarship; Gold Medal; Certificate of Outstanding Interpretation; Work featured in the virtual exhibition; $200 Prize for Local PTA Unit

National PTA celebrates the national Reflections winners and their artwork starting May 1 through the following calendar year. We feature our Outstanding Interpretation winners during National PTA’s Convention in June and select featured artists at the Reflections Student Arts Showcase in January.

Selection Criteria

Student entries submitted to the national level go through two rounds of review by esteemed arts professionals across the country. During the evaluation process, judges will consider the following criteria:

Interpretation: How closely the piece relates to the theme, based on the work itself and the artist statement.
Creativity: How creative and original the piece is in its conception of the theme and its presentation.
Technique: The level of skill demonstrated in the basic principles/techniques of the arts area.

Judges strongly consider the interpretation of the Reflections theme during the evaluation process. It is suggested that students give their submissions a title that stands out and describes how the piece relates to the student’s personal interpretation of the theme. The following guiding questions can be useful when developing a title and artist statement:

How does your work relate to the theme?
What is your personal connection to the theme?
What did you use to create your work (e.g., supplies, technology, instrumentation, props, etc.)?
What/who was your inspiration?

Arts Categories and Divisions

Students submit their completed works of art in one or all of the available arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts.

Students participate in the appropriate division for their grade:
Primary (Pre-K - Grade 2); Intermediate (Grades 3-5); Middle School (Grades 6-8); High School (Grades 9-12); and Special Artist (All grades welcome).

Students who identify as having a disability and may receive services under IDEA or ADA: Section 504 may enter in the Special Artist Division or grade division most closely aligned to their functional abilities.*

Previous National PTA Reflections Student Arts Celebrations

2022-2023 Show Your Voice! Reflections Program

The 2023 Virtual Outstanding Interpretation Reflections Winners Celebration honors the top seven national winners from the 2022-2023 Show Your Voice! Reflections program.

2021-2022 I Will Change the World By... Reflections Program

The 2022 Virtual Outstanding Interpretation Reflections Winners Celebration honors the top seven national winners from the 2021-2022 I Will Change the World By... Reflections program.

The 2023 Reflections Showcase featured a selection of artists and recognized all our national-level winning artists from the 2021-2022 National PTA Reflections program, I Will Change the World By...

2020-2021 I Matter Because... Reflections Program

The 2021 National PTA Convention awards program celebrates the Outstanding Interpretation Reflections winners for the 2020-2021 I Matter Because... Reflections program.

The 2022 Virtual Reflections Student Arts Showcase celebrates a selection of Reflections national winners from the 2020-2021 I Matter Because... program. National PTA is also proud to provide the 2022 Virtual Reflections Showcase in Spanish.

Annual Theme Search Contest

Help Inspire a Future Reflections Program

Every year, National PTA hosts our annual Reflections Theme Search Contest to select one student theme to inspire student artists as they participate in a future PTA Reflections program. The winning student will also receive a $100 award and national recognition.

We’re looking for the most original theme ideas, so past themes and duplicate submissions will not be considered. Explore the past 50+ years of winning themes for reference and inspiration! Themes are selected two years in advance.

How to Participate

Students can participate in the Reflections Theme Search Contest according to the process and guidelines outlined by their State PTA Reflections Program, which will include when and how to submit entries. National PTA only receives the top entries submitted by each state PTA.

Interested participants, parents or PTAs should reach out to their State PTA to learn how they can participate. You can use this resource map to find your state's Reflections webpages and get started!

Current and Upcoming Themes

2023-2024 Theme
Thanks to Alice Meko from Hampton Cove Elementary PTA in Alabama who submitted the current Reflections theme: I am Hopeful Because... Check out this spotlight blog to get inspired for the current Reflections program!

2024-2025 Theme
Congratulations to the most recent winner of the 2022 Annual Theme Search Contest, Paige Opaska from Barbara Bush Middle School PTA in Texas! Paige’s submission, Accepting Imperfection, will be the 2024-2025 Reflections theme. Read this blog spotlight to meet Paige and learn about her inspiration.

I Am Hopeful Because...

Annual Mary Lou Anderson Reflections Arts Enhancement Grant

Congratulations to the 2022 Mary Lou Anderson Reflections Arts Enhancement Grantees:

Jefferson PTA in Collinsville, Illinois
Jordan Elementary PTA in Whittier, California

Interested in applying for funding? Learn more about current opportunities at PTA.org/ArtsEd!

To learn more about this opportunity, visit our ArtsEd Resources.

REFLECTIONS HOME

Encourage and celebrate student participation in arts education.

START YOUR PROGRAM

Find tools to run your Local PTA's Reflections program.

ARTS ED RESOURCES

Apply for a grant and use our resources to advocate for arts education.

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