Reflections Program

2026-2027 Reflections Chairs: Dr. Ayesa Kaur — Reflections (at) LWPTSA.net

Started in 1969, Reflections is a National PTA program and the largest of its kind in the United States. Reflections is open to all grades and abilities. Students express themselves through their own original works created around a theme that changes each year. This year’s theme: What my culture means to me.

Eligibility

Any PTA/PTSA in good standing may sponsor the Reflections program. Only students that attend at school with a PTA/PTSA can participate. Students submit their original artwork directly to their local PTA/PTSA. Parent groups not affiliated with National PTA are not eligible to sponsor this program.

Categories & Guidelines

A student may submit an entry in any of six categories:

  • Literature :  Works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, drama, short stories and lyrics.
  • Music Composition : Original musical composition, with or without words.
  • Photography : Color or black and white, included techniques: photogram, negative sandwich, and multiple exposure.
  • Visual Arts : Drawing, painting in tempera, oil, acrylic, watercolor & computer generated art, two-dimensional collage & mixed media, printmaking. LWPTSA council is not accepting 3D art. *Please no stretched canvas more that ¾ in. and please no framed art.*
  • Film/Video : Original works, with or without sound, of animation, narrative, documentary, experimental or music video/film.
  • Choreography/Dance : Originally choreographed dance composition.

Participation is organized by student age and grade levels. Student works are critiqued against others in the same grade division. This allows recognition and judging of artworks by appropriate developmental age and skill levels.

Primary: Preschool – Grade 2
Intermediate: Grades 3 – 5
Middle School: Grades 6 – 8
High School: Grades 9 – 12

For artists needing accommodations to participate, the Accessible Arts Division is an option for students with a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Generally, rules and guidelines within the Accessible Arts division are intended to ensure accessibility to the National PTA Reflections program and are modeled after the guidelines outlined in the ADA. Local PTA chairs should verify that artists meet the criteria before judging.

ACCEPTED FORMATS: Council accepts only digital entries (digital files, PDFs, etc.) submitted virtually. (Hard copies of finalist selections should be collected to display at our January 2027 open house.) See each category’s rules for acceptable file formats.

Judging

While the primary focus of Reflections is a celebration of creativity through positive recognition, finalists from local PTAs may advance to LWPTSA Council. Council-level finalists will advance to Washington State PTA. Lastly, WSPTA finalists who receive an “Outstanding Interpretation” award will advance to the National PTA round.

Entries are evaluated based on creative ability and interpretation of the theme by impartial volunteer judges identified from the community by our Reflections program committee. Students’ names and identifying information are concealed from the entries before judging, for purposes of fair evaluation. [See “Leader Resources” below for judges’ guide.]

Entry Forms

Leader Resources

Dates & Deadlines

Sept 21, 2026 -7PM Council Kick-off
Nov TBDEntry portal opens for uploading entries to council
Nov TBD
Standards of Affiliation CheckpointIf your PTA/PTSA is not in good standing (defined by WSPTA Standards of Affiliation) by this date, Council cannot accept your entries. Check with your president to confirm your PTA is in good standing.
Nov TBD – 11:59 PMEntries DUE and portal closesSubmit entries here when available
Nov TBD Check-in calls with councilSign-up for timeslot here when available
Jan TBDLWPTSA Council announces Results2025-2026 LWPTSA Reflections Results posted here when available
Jan TBDCouncil-Level Entries Due to WSPTANo action required from local chairs
Jan TBDHang art at the LWSD Resource CenterSend a representative to hang your school’s VA & PH entries and bring hard copies of literature. 
Jan TBDArt WalkReflections entries will be on display at the LWSD Resource Center and can be viewed during operational hours.
Jan TBD
LWSD Resource Center		LWPTSA Reflections Open HouseInvite your local families to come celebrate our Council Reflections entrants.
Jan TBDTake down art at the LWSD Resource CenterSend a representative to collect your school’s VA & PH entries and bring hard copies of literature to be returned to the students. 
March 2026WSPTA Announces State-Level Winners
May 2026National PTA announced winners

Past Winners

Questions?

Contact Reflections Chair at Reflections {at} LWPTSA.net.