State Reflections Network Meeting 3 How to support and participate in National Arts and Humanities Month To access the recording of this webinar, please use this link (https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9179820781302758925). If you have questions please email Reflections@PTA.org Webinar Overview: How can you imbed Reflections into National Arts and Humanities Month (NAHM) Defining what is NAHM? Exploring how NAHM goals and Reflections goals related Unpacking ideas for celebrating and launching Reflections in NAHM

National Arts and Humanities Month The arts and humanities allow people to explore ideas and express emotions provide transformational experiences to people from all backgrounds allow people to better appreciate cultures from around the world National Arts and Humanities Month Focuses on the arts at local, state, and national levels just like Reflections Raises public awareness about the role the arts and humanities play in our communities and lives National Arts & Humanities Month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the positive impact the arts bring to schools and communities. The month highlights the benefits of incorporating the arts and humanities into the lives of students and into school communities. Started by Americans for the Arts in 1993 NAHM is the largest annual celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation. Similar to Reflections the month has a holistic focus on national, state, and local art initiatives. National Arts & Humanities Month is also a free national event. National PTA’s partner, Americans for the Arts encourages organizations to offer discounted or free events in their communities—such as open houses, art walks, or demonstrations—in an effort to encourage maximum participation. However, there are often marketing and logistical costs involved in planning these activities. With all these in mind you can see why NAHM is a great launch pad for a Reflections program.

National Arts and Humanities Month and Reflections NAHM Goals Reflections Goals Focusing on the arts at local, state, and national levels Encouraging individuals and organizations to participate in the arts Allowing organizations and businesses to show their support of the arts Raising public awareness about the arts and humanities in communities and lives Encouraging Reflections registration Encouraging Reflections participation Collaborating with community artists, local museums, colleges, etc. Tying Reflections to the bigger picture of arts education and advocacy NAHM Goals and Reflections Goals – How they relate: Focusing on the arts at local, state, and national levels Reflections registration places emphasis on not only getting states registered, but all our units registered and Reflections ready The knowledge and information we glean from registration is invaluable in understanding the many levels and aspects of Reflections Ex: the knowledge of the % of students on free or reduced lunches can help us understand the impact the program is having on the kids who may need it most Encouraging individuals and organizations to participate in the arts An integral part of Reflections is simply participation. It is great to think about winning or placing but that should never be the sole focus Ex: Art for the sake of art, Creativity for the sake of creativity Use Reflections as a way to encourage people to participate in the arts during NAHM Allowing organizations and businesses to show their support of the arts Building relationships with organizations and businesses can benefit Reflections through donations, sponsorship or judging opportunities The relationships can also foster community building through the arts Raising public awareness about the arts and humanities in communities and lives Similarly to the importance of building relationships with organizations and businesses, building relationships with government can lead to donations, sponsorship or judging opportunities More importantly, however, public awareness of the importance of the arts can foster important conversations around the arts in education The PTA ArtsEd Leader's Guide and Appendices will help you establish an ArtsEd team, assess arts programs, practices and policies at your school and engage more families in school decision-making. 

Celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month Plan an arts and family engagement Reflections event Decorate schools with student artwork to promote Reflections participation Launch your Reflections Theme Search competition on Oct. 1 Plan an arts and family engagement Reflections event Host an event that allows parents and students to create together to foster conversations around how creativity can benefit student/parent relationships Use the event to educate parents on Reflections Decorate schools with student artwork to promote Reflections participation Having art around the school shows students that teachers and administrators value their creativity and their artwork Make sure your exhibit is in a prominent locations (e.g., Lobby, cafeteria, library or hallway) Ex: Encourage students to make art for an in-school exhibit in beginning of October, then collect art and debut it in a Fall festival exhibit later in the month Recruit parent and student volunteers to assist teachers with displays of student art in the classrooms and hallways Launch your Reflections Theme Search competition on Oct. 1 Use the Theme Search launch on Oct. 1 to encourage students to submit themes that can inspire others Ex. Messaging: ‘Make sure the arts continue to inspire – Submit your theme ideas TODAY! Download a State Theme Search packet on the State Reflections Library: https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections/State-PTA-Reflections-Library

Celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month Educate students and school communities about the arts and humanities in your communities or generally Partner with arts and humanities organizations to host special events Join the AFTA #ShowYourArt Instagram challenge and check out AFTA resources Educate students and school communities about the arts and humanities in your communities Take the NAHM platform as a time to education students on the arts in your state or in their communities Ex: In weekly flyers, morning announcements, etc. include a blurb about local arts and humanities or the arts in general Partner with arts and humanities organizations to host special events Work with organizations offer discounted or free events in their communities—such as open houses, art walks, or demonstrations Ex: a Creative Conversation - Gather local leaders (make it formal, or not!) to discuss the topic “How is the past shaping the future of the arts?”. Learn more about how to start or find an event on our Creative Conversations resource page. Join the AFTA #ShowYourArt Instagram challenge and check out AFTA resources (https://www.americansforthearts.org/events/national-arts-and-humanities-month/show-your-art) The Instagram challenge  is a social media campaign designed to engage arts advocates on local, state, and national levels, and to bring awareness of National Arts and Humanities Month to the public. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to share images on Instagram, and we repost some of our favorites throughout the month. AFTA offers daily themes to inspire Post along with AFTA and tag #PTAReflections all month long using #ShowYourArt2019.

Questions? To access the recording of this webinar, please use this link (https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9179820781302758925). If you have questions please email Reflections@PTA.org What barriers have prevented my PTA from participating in an official Reflections launch? How can I overcome them? What PTA events and communications are already happening in October that the arts can be incorporated into? What activities or events can I plan to connect my Reflections program to National Arts and Humanities Month?