The entire Centennial Celebration Membership Toolkit is attached at the bottom of this page.
August:
Awards and Programs: What if Utah PTA got 100,000 PTA members this year? That is just 166 members per PTA unit. What can your PTA do to help Utah PTA achieve its goal? Be part of the 100-Year Visionary Club: Add 100 more members in the 2025-26, or double your membership if you had under 100 members, from the 2024-25 total to qualify for this award. The deadline to join the Visionary Club is March 1, 2026 by paying membership dues to Utah PTA. Additionally, every unit that has 100 memberships paid to the state office by October 25, 2025, will be recognized as a Utah PTA Centennial Unit.
Here are some kick-off membership campaign ideas to help your PTA celebrate 100 years of PTA:
- 100 members over last year’s total
- Back to school picnic
- Have an ice cream party with 100 scoops of ice cream
Form a Centennial Committee in your PTA – Consider committee members who represent parents, teachers, students, administration, school board members, community/civic organizations, and businesses. Assign one member to be the historian. Be sure to provide the committee with a sufficient budget. Their role is to coordinate the effort to spread the word about the work of your PTA, Utah PTA, and the Centennial celebration. Assign one member to be the spokesperson. They should know and be passionate about PTA history at all levels - local, state, and national. They should be a storyteller, comfortable speaking in public, be accessible to the media, be able to quickly think on their feet, and be positive and unflappable. Determine Your Audience: parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, anyone who cares about children. Additionally, organizations (non-profit and for-profit) that have a vested interest in the well-being of children and their future.
Ask your mayor and city council/commission to honor Utah PTA’s Centennial with a proclamation. Share with them the history and accomplishments of PTA. A proclamation is an official announcement or declaration, typically made by a government official, to make a specific announcement, recognize a special event, or commemorate a person or organization. It’s a way to draw attention to a particular issue or event and gain public recognition. For more details about how to write a proclamation, review the attachment below titled How to Write a Proclamation.
September:
Awards and Programs:
- Submit 50% of the previous year’s membership to Utah PTA by September 25th to earn the Early Bird award
- Apply to be a National PTA School of Excellence. Enroll by October 1st at pta.org
- Promote PTA Reflections: Have a goal of at least 100 Reflections entries. The 2025-26 theme is: I Belong!
Develop Fact Sheets – These can be fact sheets about your council/local PTA’s history. Utah PTA Historical Facts are available on the Utah PTA website under the https://www.utahpta.org/history. National PTA’s history is on their website: pta.org, under the “About PTA” tab: History & Mission
Develop a Media List – Gather e-mails and phone numbers from your area’s newspaper, local network-affiliated TV stations/cable, and local radio stations. Most importantly, utilize social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram). For more details about press releases and communicating with the media, see the attachment below titled Develop a Media List.
Here are some places in the community to do outreach:
- Chamber of Commerce
- Library
- Civic Organizations (Lions’ Club, VFW, Kiwanis Club, etc.)
- Businesses
- Churches & Synagogues
- City Council
- State Representatives
- Mayor’s Office
- Police and Fire
- Local Newspaper
- Local Cable
- Parks &
October:
Awards and Programs:
- Turn in 100 memberships to Utah PTA by October 25th to be recognized as a Centennial Unit.
- Submit 75% of the previous year’s membership to Utah PTA by October 25th to earn the On Target award.
- Host a Red Ribbon Week event and create a poster of 100 ways to stay drug-free.
Review event calendars for your school, district, and community. Be aware of places you can promote the efforts of your PTA, Utah PTA, and the Centennial celebration. Below are just a few examples of events:
- Parent Teacher Conferences
- PTA Meetings
- Staff Meetings
- School Board Meetings
- Founder’s Day Dinner
- City Council Meetings
- Chamber of Commerce Meeting
- Library Events
- Holidays
Connect with your local senior community center:
- Ask senior citizens in your community to share their own PTA stories
- Display PTA accomplishments, including your own PTA’s current events
- Offer memberships to the seniors in your town
- Highlight volunteer opportunities for seniors in your PTA
- Look for opportunities for your PTA to support seniors in your community
- Can your PTA perform 100 service hours for seniors?
Does your community have a Veteran’s Day, Holiday, and/or Memorial Day parade/celebration? Utah PTA has a Centennial banner that your PTA can borrow to display at a community event or carry in a parade. Contact Utah PTA, and we will send you a banner; email Centennial@utahpta.org.
November
Awards and Programs:
- Submit 100% + 1 of the previous year’s membership to Utah by November 25th to earn the Trailblazer award.
- Celebrate Healthy Lifestyles Month in November. Make a list of 100 ways for families to celebrate. Host a health fair at your school.
Gather your History:
Hopefully your PTA and/or Centennial Committee has an Historian who can gather all of your PTA’s rich history. Create a fact sheet about your PTA, a timeline of milestones or any other significant event, or a display board for events.
Make use of school, district and/or stadium electronic marquees to celebrate the 100th anniversary. Use the logo, or use facts as trivia etc.
Have a potluck or dessert birthday party to celebrate your PTA. Invite past presidents and officers. Ask them to share their memories and accomplishments. Have children make placemats for the event.
December
Awards and Programs: Submit 10% over the previous year’s membership to Utah PTA by December 25th to earn the Beehive award.
Remember the Local/State Angle – What does the work of the PTA and their 100th anniversary mean to your district, school, your town, your state? What is your story? List 100 ways your PTA advocates for kids.
Have families bring a donation for a local food bank or homeless shelter – 100 donations. Partner with a community group to have a toy/book/food drive for the holidays.
Gather PTA Members to ring in the New Year with a candle lighting ceremony (100 candles) and make a resolution to continue in the PTA tradition and support public education.
January
Awards and Programs: Collect 100 stories of how PTA has benefited your PTA members. You can submit your own story to Utah PTA about how you became involved in PTA and why you think it is important for all parents. Apply by March 1st on UtahPTA.org. Up to 3 winners will receive a PTA messenger bag.
We Want to Hear from You! – Let us know about your events for the Utah PTA calendar. We also want pictures and stories to share across the state. Email them to centennial@utahpta.org
Have a contest for children to write an essay or draw a picture with the theme, “What PTA means to me.” For middle and high school students, “What does it mean to be an advocate?” You can also have children draw/color pictures for a Happy 100th birthday card/display; ask them to include something PTA has done for them.
KEY POINTS MESSAGING SOUNDBITES:
- Every Child, One Voice
- PTA Supports Public Education
- The Utah Congress was formed in October 1925
- We celebrate 100 years of our parents’ and others’ engagement as advocates for Utah and nation’s children
- For 100 years and beyond we commit to our continued engagement for even more significant changes in our society, government, and schools so that all children will be safe and healthy, have access to quality education, and be secure and prosper as they grow into adulthood.
- National PTA is the oldest and largest volunteer association in the U.S. working exclusively on behalf of children and youth.
- Utah PTA is the oldest and largest volunteer association in Utah working exclusively on behalf of children and youth.