Congratulations to all the Texas PTA 2022-2023 Child Advocates!
Each year, Texas PTA accepts nominations for our Child Advocate Awards to honor and celebrate Local PTAs, Council PTAs, and students that seek to fulfill our mission to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. Award criteria are listed below.
Advocacy involves raising awareness and engaging others to make positive, lasting change. Oftentimes, advocacy begins when someone is willing to be the voice for a small group, but it grows as their effort and passion swell into something much bigger, an outstanding advocate.
Be the Voice
All eligible submissions will be recognized and receive a certificate in honor of their significant advocacy efforts.
| Local PTAs | Council PTAs |
| Brentwood Elementary PTA | Allen ISD Council |
| Canyon High PTSA | North East ISD Council |
| Hosp Elementary PTA | Spring Branch ISD Council |
| J.L. Huffines Middle PTA | Wylie ISD Council |
| Lively Middle PTSA |
Outstanding Advocates for Children
All eligible submissions will be recognized and receive a certificate in honor of their significant advocacy efforts. The top three (one Local PTA, one Council PTA, and one Student) will be honored on stage at LAUNCH.
| Local PTAs | Council PTAs | Students |
| Brentwood Elementary PTA | Allen ISD Council | |
| Clara Love Elementary PTA | Denton ISD Council | |
| Marcus High PTSA | Fort Worth ISD Council | |
| Westwood High PTSA | Leander ISD Council | |
| Lewisville ISD Council | ||
| Northside ISD Council | ||
| Round Rock ISD Council |
"Our children may be small, but they are mighty.
They are capable of so much and they surprise us each day.
It is our responsibility to make sure bills that pass work in their best interest."
Texas PTA Volunteer President, Suzi Kennon, on the importance of advocacy.
Local PTA Award Eligibility Council PTA Award Eligibility
Student Award Eligibility
Local PTA Award Eligibility
Local PTAs in good standing that meet the criteria below can apply to receive the Be the Voice or Outstanding Advocate for Children awards. Developed by the Texas PTA Advocacy Committee, the criteria include a list of activities that build awareness and engage elected officials and includes an opportunity for you to add an activity not listed. Your PTA may already be doing many of those activities.
These awards are largely based on the honor system of reporting actual work completed by your Local PTA. Submitting materials and/or documentation substantiating the advocacy work completed will strengthen your PTA’s chances of being recognized.
To earn the Be the Voice Award, Local PTAs must have completed at least three activities from the Building Awareness list and four activities from the Engaging Elected Officials list.
To earn the Outstanding Advocate Award, Local PTAs must have completed at least four activities from the Building Awareness list and six activities from the Engaging Elected Officials list, including attended Rally Day.
Local Building Awareness Activities
- Shared Texas PTA's advocacy information (e.g. legislative priorities, Rally Day invitations, instructions on how to sign up for Under the Dome).
- Encouraged your members to engage when sharing Texas PTA advocacy alerts and calls to action.
- Conducted advocacy training for members (e.g. summarize issues related to Texas PTA's priorities and train on advocacy techniques like how to research issues, find and track bills, communicate with legislators through in-person meetings, phone calls, letters, or postcards).
- Hosted a program or family event focused on one of Texas PTA's legislative priorities (e.g. invite a guest speaker, discuss topics, and have a related activity).
- Encouraged participation in Texas PTA's PTA Votes campaign (e.g. alert members to campaign, share photos of families voting on social media).
- Created change in your school community by promoting engagement related to a Texas PTA legislative position.
- Collaborated with other local PTAs, or community partners to elevate your work in promoting PTA's mission.
- Other
Local Engagement with Elected Officials Activities
- Communicated with elected officials regarding Texas PTA legislative issues (e.g. write letters, send postcards to share your concerns or support regarding Texas PTA legislative issues.
- Made phone calls, send emails, and use social media to communicate with elected officials in response to Texas PTA Legislative Alerts.
- Met with legislator or legislative staffer to discuss Texas PTA legislative priorities (can be part of Texas PTA Rally Day and collaboration with other local PTAs is encouraged).
- Invited school a board trustee or city council member to meet students, parents, counselors, teachers, and administrative staff and discuss how PTA legislative priorities impact your campus and community.
- Gave legislators a school tour to meet students, parents, counselors, teachers, and administrative staff and discuss how PTA legislative priorities impact your campus and community.
- Attended Texas PTA Rally Day.
- Engaged an elected official in effort to create change related to a Texas PTA legislative position in your community (e.g. meet with city council to request sidewalks to make walking and biking to school safer).
- Other
Council PTA Award Eligibility
Council PTAs in good standing that meet the criteria below can apply to receive the Be the Voice or Outstanding Advocate for Children awards. Developed by the Texas PTA Advocacy Committee, the criteria include a list of activities that build awareness and engage elected officials and includes an opportunity for you to add an activity not listed. Your Council may already be doing many of those activities.
These awards are largely based on the honor system of reporting actual work completed by your Local PTA. Submitting materials and/or documentation substantiating the advocacy work completed will strengthen your PTA’s chances of being recognized.
To earn the Be the Voice Award, Local PTAs must have completed at least three activities from the Building Awareness list and two activities from the Engaging Elected Officials list.
To earn the Outstanding Advocate Award, Local PTAs must have completed at least four activities from the Building Awareness list and three activities from the Engaging Elected Officials list, including attended Rally Day.
Council Building Awareness Activities
- Share Texas PTA's advocacy information (e.g. legislative priorities, Rally Day invitations, instructions on how to sign up for Under the Dome).
- Encourage Local PTA leaders to engage when sharing Texas PTA advocacy alerts and calls to action.
- Conduct advocacy training for local PTAs (e.g. summarize issues related to Texas PTA's priorities and train on advocacy techniques like how to research issues, find and track bills, communicate with legislators through in-person meetings, phone calls, letters, or postcards).
- Hosted a community event around one of Texas PTA's legislative priorities (e.g. invite guest speaker, discuss, and have a related activity).
- Encouraged participation in Texas PTA's PTA Votes campaign (e.g. alert leaders to campaign, share photos of families voting on social media).
- Created change in the broader community by promoting engagement related to a Texas PTA legislative position.
- Sought community partners to elevate your work in promoting PTA’s mission (e.g. ask city council and/or mayor to make a declaration supporting PTA’s mission like Love (your) ISD Day).
- Other
Council Engagement with Elected Officials Activities
- Communicated with elected officials regarding Texas PTA legislative issues (e.g. write letters, send postcards to share your concerns or support regarding Texas PTA legislative issues.
- Made phone calls, send emails, and use social media to communicate with elected officials in response to Texas PTA Legislative Alerts.
- Met with legislator or legislative staffer to discuss Texas PTA legislative priorities (can be part of Texas PTA Rally Day and collaboration with other local PTAs is encouraged).
- Invited legislators or school board trustees to a delegate meeting to meet Local PTA leaders and hear how PTA legislative priorities impact your community.
- Hosted school board trustee or legislative candidate forum.
- Sponsored a school board trustee or legislative candidate online questionnaire (sample questions can be found at txpta.org/local-advocacy or see Keller ISD Council).
- Promoted and attend Texas PTA Rally Day during legislative session.
- Engaged an elected official in effort to create change related to a Texas PTA legislative position in your community (e.g. work with school district and elected officials to create and share a campaign to reduce vaping in your community).
- Other
Student Award Eligibility
Students who are PTA members and meet the criteria below can apply to receive the Be the Voice or Outstanding Advocate for Children awards. Developed by the Texas PTA Advocacy Committee, the criteria include a list of activities that build awareness and engage elected officials and includes an opportunity for you to add an activity not listed.
These awards are largely based on the honor system of reporting actual work completed by your Local PTA. Submitting materials and/or documentation substantiating the advocacy work completed will strengthen your PTA’s chances of being recognized.
To earn the Be the Voice Award, students must have completed at least one activity from the Civic Engagement list.
To earn the Outstanding Advocate Award, students must have completed at least two activities from the Civic Engagement list.
Civic Engagement
- Shared Texas PTA's advocacy information (e.g. legislative priorities, Rally Day invitations, instructions on how to sign up for Under the Dome).
- Encouraged your friends and PTA members to engage when sharing Texas PTA advocacy alerts and calls to action.
- Conducted advocacy training for your friends and PTA members (e.g. summarize issues related to Texas PTA's priorities and train on advocacy techniques like how to research issues, find and track bills, communicate with legislators through in-person meetings, phone calls, letters, or postcards).
- Hosted a member program focused on one of Texas PTA's legislative priorities (e.g. invite a students and the community to hear a guest speaker, discuss topics, and have a related activity).
- Encouraged participation in Texas PTA's PTA Votes campaign (e.g. alert the community to campaign, share photos of families voting on social media).
- Created change in your community by promoting engagement related to a Texas PTA legislative position.
- Sponsored a voter registration drive.
- Hosted a voter education campaign (e.g. social media campaign highlighting issues related to Texas PTA's legislative positions and including where and when to vote).
- Communicated with elected officials regarding Texas PTA legislative issues (e.g. write letters, send postcards to share your concerns or support regarding Texas PTA legislative issues.
- Made phone calls, send emails, and use social media to communicate with elected officials in response to Texas PTA Legislative Alerts.
- Met with legislator or legislative staffer to discuss Texas PTA legislative priorities (can be part of Texas PTA Rally Day).
- Gave legislators school tours to meet students, parents, counselors, teachers, and administrative staff, and discuss how PTA legislative priorities impact your campus and community.
- Attended Texas PTA Rally Day.
- Created an online candidate questionnaire regarding PTA legislative priorities (collaboration with Council PTA or Local PTA encouraged, sample questions can be found at txpta.org/local-advocacy or see Keller ISD Council).
- Other