Reflections 2025

REFLECTIONS 2024

Give students confidence in their abilities to explore ideas and learn through the arts! Enroll your school in the 2024-2025 national arts awards program starting July 1st. Each year hundreds of thousands of students in preschool through grade 12 create and submit original works in the areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts. Students may participate in the national awards program through their school’s PTA. The 2022-2023 theme “Show Your Voice!” video call for entries:

Five Reasons To Run The Reflections Program

1. Students who participate get an opportunity to explore the arts and culture, develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills, recognize themselves as artists, and become more interested in the ideas and works of others.
2. The Reflections Program is run by parent volunteers; therefore providing another opportunity to involve parents in their children’s education.
3. Participating in the Reflections Program gives students a chance to experiment in six art categories: literature, musical composition, photography, visual arts (including such forms as drawing, painting, printmaking, and collage), dance choreography, and film production.
4. When children express themselves through words, pictures, music, and other art media they grow intellectually – they learn to analyze their thoughts and feelings. (Students may not use trademarked images, i.e. Marvel and DC comics.)
5. The Reflections Program helps parents recognize, support, and enhance the continuous self-discovery process of their children.

2024-2025 Local Leader’s Guide

The English .PDF or Spanish .PDF provides an overview of the steps necessary to host a program at your school. You’ll also find helpful tools to recruit and train volunteers as well as plan educational activities and family celebrations.
Fillable Forms- English and Spanish * MUST BE COMPLETELY FILLED OUT FOR KY PTA TO ACCEPT** Parent/Guardian Signature is required!

*All entries are due to Kentucky PTA postmarked no later than December 15th. 15th (Louisville) and 16th (Lexington) please check with your district board to find out the deadline for your district. All other districts are automatically under the KY PTA and due December 15th. Submission guidelines are on the PDF directly below.

Submission Guidelines

Title and Artist’s Statement

Judges will consider your title and artist statement to learn more about your original work and creative interpretation of the theme. Give your work a title that stands out and describe how your work relates to your own personal interpretation of the theme.
Use these guiding questions to help you write an artist statement:

How does your work relate to the theme?
What is your personal connection to the theme?
What did you use to create your work (e.g., supplies, technology, instrumentation, props, etc.)
What/who was your inspiration?

Judging Criteria

Judges look for personal interpretations on the program theme that best exemplify creativity and technical skill.

• Interpretation: How closely the piece relates to the theme, based on the work itself and the artist statement.
• Creativity: How creative and original the piece is in its conception of the theme and its presentation.
• Technique: The level of skill demonstrated in the basic principles/techniques of the arts area.

Scholarships & Prizes

National level awards include the following:

Merit Award: Bronze Medal; Certificate of Merit; Work featured in the traveling exhibition.

Award of Excellence: $200 Young Artist Scholarship; Silver Medal; Certificate of Excellence; Work featured in the traveling exhibition.

Outstanding Interpretation Award: An expense-paid trip for awardee and chaperone to showcase work on stage at the National PTA Awards and Reflections Celebration; $800 Young Artist Scholarship; Gold Medal;

Certificate of Outstanding Interpretation; Work featured in the traveling exhibition; $200 Prize for Local PTA Unit.

Resources

General Reflections Flyer – both (.pdf)

Call for Entries Video (.mp4) available on YouTube

Thank-you Letter for Volunteers (.doc) || Spanish (.doc)

Email Reflections for more information and help!