Whether students pursue learning through local community service or far-flung educational travel, universities appreciate applicants who take the initiative to seek out knowledge in unique ways.  This PTA Radio show will highlight some vehicles for young people to obtain those experiences and help them build their self-confidence.










Peg Thomas is President of People to People Ambassador Programs, an organization that provides educational travel experiences around the world for thousands of students each year.  Prior to her current position Ms. Thomas lived and worked in Bergamo, Italy as an English teacher.

Is Your Child Getting a Global Education?

That's right, it's not just your mother's PTA anymore. As times change, so do family structures. Across the country more men are getting involved in their child's education. However, there is a lot more work to do to get more men engaged and the guests of this PTA Radio show are doing something about it. Listen now if you are a PTA leader looking for ways to engage men or you want to be more involved in your child's life. 










In 1998 Eric Snow, Executive Director of WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) helped create the very first WATCH D.O.G.S. program through the PTA of his son and daughter’s school. Eric was appointed to the National PTA Board of Directors in June of 2012. Al Tamagni is Chair of the National PTA Male Engagement Committee, Prior to that he served on the National PTA Board of Directors.  He is also currently serving as President of Alaska PTA.

PTA to Men: MAN UP!

In the aftermath of the horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, children will look to us to help them make sense of what happened. They may us ask difficult questions, ones which we may not be prepared to answer. This PTA Radio show will address some of those questions and help parents reassure our children that they are safe in school.






Amy R. Smith is currently serving as the President of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) for the 2012–2013 term.  She is on sabbatical from her position as an Educational Consultant at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), the training arm of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education.

Reassuring Children that They are Safe in School

In the wake of one of the most devastating natural disasters in American history, National PTA® announces a grant program to assist schools impacted by Superstorm Sandy. Listen now to find out how your PTA can receive funding to rebuild your school community. Also, listen to a first-hand account of what families are going through from a parent leader on the ground in New Jersey







 Charlotte Arr is president of the  New Jersey PTA  Betsy Landers is president of the National Parent Teachers Association (NPTA). Her role in National PTA also included chairing the National PTA Advisory Board, the National Council of States, the Strategic Plan Committee, the Resource Development Committee, and the Finance Committee.
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National PTA Offers $500-$5000 Grants to Help with Storm Recovery

The most widely read magazine by PTA leaders and members just got better by going digital! The digital version of Our Children will contain features that help readers navigate to additional information with a single click. Social media and email options help readers share content just as easily. Video will enhance your reading experience and tabs will help readers go directly to any article. Of course, for those who like to "thumb" through the magazine from front to back, the digital Our Children behaves just like a print magazine. Subscribers will still receive the print issue as usual but now have the option of sharing information with one simple click. The August-September issue has already hit newsstands and laptops!









Marilyn Ferdinand is the editor in chief of Our Children, National PTA’s flagship magazine. Published five times during the school year, Our Children offers timely information helpful to parents, teachers, and PTA leaders who serve the needs of school children and their families across the United States and at our military outposts overseas.

Protecting Your Child When Driving

PTA's Our Children Magazine Goes Digital

National PTA Radio features an exclusive one-on-one conversation with the US Department of Education. Listen to find out how Today's PTA is working with the White House and the US Department of Education to call attention to the needs of parents at the grassroots level nationwide. From a grassroots recognition program called PTA Champions of Change to a White House briefing that will be streamed live online for all parents to watch. If you have ever wanted to know what's going on at the national level of education, do not miss this episode of National PTA Radio!. 



Massie Ritsch is Deputy Assistant Secretary for External Affairs and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education.

Dating Violence Growing in Schools; Is Your School Prepared?

PTA: From the Playground to Capitol Hill

With inadequate education funding and education budgets being sliced more and more every year across the country, communities are dealing with a growing number of school closures. The question from our listenership is: how do PTAs handle these controversial situations? To help answer this question and more, we speak to Janet Meyerson of the NYS PTA. She is the vice president of field support and region directors. 



Janet Meyerson is presently New York State PTA Vice President for Field Support and Region Directors. She has been involved in PTA for 25 years, starting as a local leader at the elementary level.

Coping with Closing Schools, Closing PTAs

Whether soldiers are on their tours of duty, at war or returning home, military families may have their own battle keeping as normal a family life as possible, especially for their children. This episode of National PTA Radio focuses on the challenges that military families face and how we, PTAs and the community, can help through these tough times as "War comes to PTA." Award-winning military mom, Amy Zink, and Region Director for Tennessee PTA joins this episode to talk about the effects of war on families. Since the end of the war in Iraq and as the Afghan war and negative media coverage of the war continues, communities should be aware that military families are still coping with the effects of war.

War Comes to  PTA

2012 is shaping up to be a big election year throughout the country. From local to national government, many parents and PTAs will experience a lot of political campaigns. Some PTAs may even want to get involved in the political process, but there are some very specific aspects that all PTAs should be aware of and careful with. PTAs can lose their 501c3 status if they misstep. Listen now to avoid any problems but still get the PTA message out!

Can PTAs Endorse Political Candidates?

It's unfortunate, but embezzlement sometimes happens within PTAs. Listen to this National PTA Radio segment to find out how to prevent it from happening to you and your PTA. National PTA President Betsy Landers tackles this issue with one of the experts, Laura Bay, National PTA Secretary-Treasurer. Laura has about 20 years of experience with PTA, including a two-year term as Washington State PTA President, as well as a two-year term on the National PTA Board of Directors.

Preventing Embezzling from Your PTA

National PTA Teacher Appreciation Week is approaching quickly... May 7th through May 11th! Tired of the same old ways of thanking teachers? National PTA Radio comes to the rescue by providing parents and PTA leaders with fresh ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week. Who else to hear them from than the 2011 Teacher of the Year! We'll also provide a teacher's perspective on what this special week really means to them.

Five Fresh Ideas for Thanking a Teacher

Believe it or not, it's a question many PTA leaders and members do not really know the answer to. National PTA Radio addresses this topic because that we hear PTAs across the country are struggling with it. So, who has the ultimate decision-making control over PTA funds? Is it the PTA president, school principal, the school district or anyone else? To answer these questions and more National PTA President Betsy Landers interviews the ultimate expert on this subject, Heather Dean, Deputy Executive Director in charge of finance and operations at National PTA.

Who Has Control of Your PTA Funds?

During the civil rights era National PTA made a statement to the world: segregation is wrong. Leading by example, the National Congress of Parents and Teachers merged with the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers to form what we now know as National PTA. In honor of Black History Month, National PTA Radio’s James Martinez digs deeper into how this milestone of a merger created the world’s largest child advocacy organization that truly speaks for every child with one voice and how the merger spoke volumes about the association’s three founders, including Selena Sloan Butler.

The Black History of National PTA

A local PTA president tells you how to earn a National PTA Take Your Family to School Week Grant, courtesy of the AXA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, and a Proud National Sponsor of PTA. Faith Frank, President and Chief Executive Officer of the AXA Foundation, Inc. and a Vice President for AXA Equitable also discusses how to get help for college. National PTA President Betsy Landers hosts a PTA Radio special on Take Your Family to School Week.

How to Secure a  $1,000  Grant for Your PTA

National PTA Radio presents an exclusive one-on-one interview with William Novelli, former CEO of AARP, former president of Porter Novelli (one of the world’s largest public relations agencies), and current professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. National PTA's Marilyn Ferdinand, editor-in-chief of Our Children (National PTA's flagship magazine), talk with Novelli about how the economy affects non-profits, appealing to a younger generation without alienating longstanding supporters and his efforts in education.

Advocacy and Leadership Insights from William Novelli

What’s the latest on education and child advocacy? National PTA’s Elizabeth Rorick, Director of Government Affairs, give listeners an inside look at National PTA’s advocacy efforts and how they affect you, the average parent. Find out how what’s going on in our nation’s Capital directly impacts your family, school and community. Also, listen for the latest information from National PTA’s Legislative Conference (March 7-8).

PTA Radio - National Parent Teachers Association

PTA Radio - National Parent Teachers Association

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