Arts in Education Handbook(password protected)
This handbook section includes citizenship and safety guidelines.

Arts Enhancement Grant Application(password protected)

Themes for 2011

Announcements and Information

Tennessee PTA Arts in Education Chairman Joyce Watson (email)

How to Promote Citizenship Programs
Promote the display of, the proper use of, and respect for the Flag of the United States of America in homes, schools and communities. Study the history of the American Flag. Have the school body recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning. Recite the Pledge at every meeting and school function.
Provide programs that help students strengthen their character and values, reinforcing virtues such as caring, respect, honesty, integrity, diligence, citizenship, fairness, courage, and responsibility.
Encourage attendance at meetings of the school board, city council, town hall, and county commission.
Promote projects involving the study of and interaction with local, county, state, and national government.
Attend naturalization ceremonies and invite new citizens to your PTA meetings.
Coordinate "register & vote" campaigns. Contact the local League of Women Voters for further assistance.
Provide programs regarding child welfare concerns.
Create the position of Legislative/Citizenship Chairman and send a representative to the annual Legislative Conference.
Participate in the Tennessee PTA Citizenship Literature Contest.
Display and/or create an exhibit expressing an appreciation of cultural diversity.
Consider sponsoring a Citizenship Week. Activities could include: inviting community leaders to participate in awards ceremonies and/or speak to student body; students voting in a mock election process; flag ceremonies conducted by Scouts, 4-H Clubs or ROTC group; drama and/or musical presentation of historical patriotic events; projects to collect items needed by local charities; inviting veterans, police and firemen to school for an appreciation/honor ceremony.

How to Start a Citizenship Literature Contest
Appoint a Citizenship Chairman and a committee to administer the program. Whether at the local, council, or region level, the job of the chairman and the committee includes the following:
Locating judges and setting judging dates
Enlisting support from the school and parents
Publicizing and promoting the program
Communicating the rules and deadlines
Determining costs of program and funds available
Arranging a lunch and/or small thank-you gift for the judges

1. Developing a calendar that includes the following:
Entry deadlines
Potential judging dates and locations
Awards ceremony dates
Date to contact local paper
Date to send selected entries to the next level (council or state)
Working with next level of PTA (council or state) to determine deadlines and how many works will advance.
Establishing recognition for participants such as an exhibit and/or awards ceremony.

2. Make sure students have a copy of and understand the rules of the program (materials in this handbook can be reproduced). Parents, friends, and teachers may not assist a student in the creation of the work.

3. Gain support. The literature contest offers the opportunity to showcase the importance of citizenship in education. It gives students a sense of achievement and recognition.

4. To enlist school and parent support, you should do the following:

Talk to your school principal and teachers to explain the value of the citizenship literature contest.
Arrange to talk to staff members at one of their meetings.
Decide with your teachers and the principal whether the entries should be written at home or at school.
Make sure parents get involved in the citizenship literature contest early.

Encouraging Participation in your Local Unit
Set up a "get started" workshop for participants. You may want to discuss the theme, but always leave room for individual interpretation.
Give your teachers copies of rules, and tell them that entries can be written in class, if desired, or at home.
Send letters to parents explaining the citizenship literature contest.
Use community and school bulletin boards to promote the contest.
Print citizenship entries from the previous year's program to encourage participation.

Sending Entries to the State Level
Complete the Citizenship Literature Contest - Local Unit Entry Form
Send or deliver your entries.
If you are sending them, investigate the best mailing option. Find a courier who can track the package in case it gets lost en route.
Remember to include your paperwork.
Literature Preparation: each piece needs to be in a plain manila folder. Staple the piece inside and staple the student’s entry form on the back exterior side of the folder.
Disqualifications could include:
Incorrect entry form
No entry form attached
Missing signature
Not submitted properly (manila folder)
Entries received after due date

Promotion and Publicity
Write a press release announcing the program’s kickoff as well as a later press release announcing all participation and the participants whose works are selected to advance to the next level. Announce any business donations. Send the release to your local newspaper, radio and TV stations.
Call your local paper or the community affairs department of your local stations to alert them to the program.

Planning your Budget
The following are some of the costs your program may incur:

Mailing top school entries to Nashville to State Office
Prizes or Certificates
Lunch for judges
Gifts for judges (small thank you)
Reception/Refreshments
Exact costs depend on the number of participants. Ask local businesses for contributions. Try to prepare a formal request so they understand the scope of the program. Be sure to give them credit in any written information you publish.

Collecting, Storing and Exhibiting the Entries
Find a place where students can submit their work, possibly some place at the participating school.
Check to make sure that each entry is eligible for judging. Each entry should meet the requirements specified. Leave a “grace period” of a week for students who may have misinterpreted the rules to adjust their works.
Try not to let students know their works were “disqualified” unless a parent pursues you for an answer. It could discourage a student from further endeavors.
Create a list of participants’ names, age divisions and addresses.
Try to display all participants’ entries in the school hallway or in a community forum such as your community center, local library, bank or a business. Try to display the works some place where parents can view them after regular working hours.
Locate a safe place to store the work.
Establish a return policy.

Recognition of your Participants
Make sure that all participants are recognized, including those with work advancing to another level. You may want to have a ceremony at a school assembly, an in-class presentation, or a PTA function. This can encourage future participation. Students see their peers enjoying the program and look forward to participating themselves.

You may want to do the following:

Include an article in your PTA newsletter or school newsletters.
Send congratulatory letters.
Set up a lunch or dinner party for the participants with the PTA president and/or school principal or teacher.
Have literature entrants read their works.
Acknowledge anyone who supported the program including parents, staff, volunteers, and community members.
Announce the names of the participants over the school public address (PA) system.
Provide a party or after-school event for participants.