PTSA - Parent Teacher Student Association

Any PTA may have student members. PTSAs are usually organized at the secondary level and may have students serving on the board. PTSAs ensure that all students are represented. You might say, PTSA is for all students. PTSAs can help promote all extra-curricular groups and ensure that families, educators, students and the community have a way to come together. 

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Student Membership

PTSAs provide student members with the vehicle to make a difference. Students offer significant insight into the issues facing today’s teen.  In turn, adult members gain a new perspective for program development as well as a better understanding of today's youth.

Through PTSA membership and participation, students learn about advocacy, develop public speaking and leadership skills, observe parliamentary procedure, improve their self esteem and contribute to their school and community.

Membership provides the opportunity to express opinions about the needs of the school and community and to help select and plan programs.  Students can receive volunteer hours and give back to their community.  Membership and involvement can enhance students’ college applications. 

When all ages work together for a common goal, it adds value to family life, school district and, ultimately, the entire community.  

Student Leadership Development

Many board, chair or committee positions provide leadership opportunities for students that will be beneficial when applying for college and/or employment and build the ethic for volunteering and giving back to the community.   These positions will develop skills, such as participating and leading a meeting, using parliamentary procedure, and working collaboratively.  Listed below are just a few possibilities.

Note: Careful consideration should be given prior to election or appointment to positions requiring signing of contracts or checks or handling of funds.  Students’ skills, time availability and talents should be matched with appropriate positions.

Possible Positions:

• Ambassador/Greeter – welcome attendees at meetings, ushering at events

• Reflections Chair – coordinate Reflections program and committee, encourage student participation, recruit judges, obtain prizes and incentives from area businesses, coordinate awards ceremony

• Box Top Coordinator – count, collect and coordinate shipping of box tops for fundraising

• College Night Chair – coordinate promotion of event and invitation to college representatives and financial aid providers

• Food, Clothes or School Supply Drive Chair – organize and coordinate a drive

• Historian – capture and preserve the history of the association and the activities for the year

• Membership Committee Member – develop a year-round membership recruiting plan, create promotional messages for announcements at school, recruit student members

• Student Representative – represent a particular grade level or a leadership group within the school on the PTSA board

• Webmaster – create and maintain PTSA website