PTA Reflections Art Program

"I am hopeful because. . ." is the theme for 2023-2024.

Every year our students participate in the National Reflections Art Program. Students create original works of art in as many of the categories as they choose: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music, Photography and Visual Art.

Start creating art now! All entries are due the second Wednesday of November every year.

Entry Deadline: November 8th, 2023 (midnight)

Entries must be submitted digitally using the entry form linked below. Please keep your original work to advance to District judging. See the entry forms and rules below.

Prizes, certificates and ribbons are given to top entries. Award of Excellence entries move on to Plano ISD Council of PTAs Reflections. From there, a small percentage move on to the Texas PTA (State) and National PTA levels.

All entrants must have a current PTA member in their household for this school year. Click HERE to renew or join the PTA.

Intro to Reflections 

how to enter digitally

What Is The Reflections Art Program?

The National PTA Reflections Program is America's oldest and largest arts education program of its kind. Reflections welcomes students of all grade levels (Pre-K to 12th) and abilities to explore and be involved in the arts. Students are encouraged to reflect on the common theme and create original artistic works in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. 

Key Points:

• There is no limit on the number of entries per student as long as the rules are followed.
• Program Rules: English | Spanish
• Each entry must be accompanied by an official entry form linked above.
• You can type directly into the pdf.
• Reflect the current theme in each entry.
• In the Artist's Statement space provided, explain your art so that the judges understand what you are trying to communicate in your entry.
• Guidelines and requirements must be met or the entry will not be judged (see the program rules above).
• Submit completed entries in person or ONLINE (info updated here in the Fall).
• Entry Deadline: 2ND WEDNESDAY OF NOVEMBER each year (This year's due date: 11/8/2023)
• Please email with any questions.

What do we win? Is this a contest?

Judging:

• This is not technically a contest. It is truly a program hosted by PTAs (local, council, state and national), run by volunteers, created to give students a forum to explore the arts and expand their interests and talents.
• Entries are judged by local professionals volunteering their time and talents.
• Elementary age divisions are Primary: K-2 and Intermediate: 3-5 and Special Artist (for students who qualify)
• Entries are divided into Age Division then Art Category. Judges base decisions on the artist statement explaining how well the concept fits the theme, mastery of the medium (or how well students used the materials) and the overall creativity. *A well developed concept is more important than technique.*
• Students are individually judged on their entry and not in comparison to the other students so there can be multiple awards given within the groups.

Awards:

• Art prizes, certificates and ribbons are given to top entries!
• Ribbons and certificates will be given for the following awards (a percentage of entries receive awards):
• Award of Excellence (blue ribbon)
• Award of Merit (red ribbon)
• Honorable Mention (white ribbon)
• Entries will be displayed at the school and top entries will be featured in the yearbook.

What’s next:

• Local Award of Excellence entries advance to Plano ISD Council of PTAs judging in December every year.
• If the entry was submitted digitally, it will need to be turned in physically for Council judging.
• A small percentage of entries are awarded at Council; then one entry per age and category (no more than 30 total) advance to the Texas PTA State level. From there they may move on to the National PTA level.

• The Texas PTA judging rules state only a small percentage of items can be awarded at the Council level:

  Overall Award of Excellence 1 per age division and art category; maximum of 30 total items go to State
  Award of Excellence (Blue) 10% of the entries, OAE are chosen to move on to State from this group
  Award of Merit (Red) 15% of the entries
  Honorable Mention (Yellow) 25% of the entries
  

  To learn more about the judging processes or anything related to the National PTA Reflections Program, visit the Plano ISD Council of PTAs Reflections website.

• Overall Award of Excellence entries are chosen from the Award of Excellence group, so not all Award of Excellence will get the Overall award.
• Those entries are shipped to Texas PTA so they may not be returned until the end of the Spring semester.
• Entries awarded at the Council level will also be recognized at the last Spirit Rally of the year along with the Local awards.
• Students advancing past Council have chances to win monetary prizes for their art!
• Plano PTA Council of PTAs hosts an awards ceremony each year in the Spring (usually April) for students who participated in the Council level judging where they get ribbons and other prizes.
• Any awards from State judging by Texas PTA are also celebrated and awards are given by Texas PTA and their sponsors like Whataburger. Some students are invited to the awards ceremony in Austin. 

Reflections Theme Search 2025-2026 (DUE 11/5/23)

Every year, National PTA’s Reflections Program adopts a new theme that students use when creating their artwork. Theme ideas are submitted by students from across the country. The student who submits the winning entry receives $100 and his/her theme is used as the foundation for Reflections in a following year. For additional information, please visit the Texas PTA Reflections Theme Search page. 

For questions, contact JoAnn Roe and Jodi Mahmood at

reflections@stinsonpta.org