Fourth District PTA Outreach Chairman:
Laura Zuchovicki   [ ]

Reach Out to the Diversity in Your Community

Outreach is PTA’s commitment to include the entire community in all phases of PTA programs and activities. It is of such importance that it must be given top priority when planning PTA activities.

Here are some ideas to help your PTA with its outreach efforts.

• Form an outreach committee whose members are representative of the school and community.
• Survey the school and community by questionnaire, by telephone, or door-to-door. Find out what type of activities would interest them. Find out what might prevent them from becoming involved: language barriers, transportation, baby-sitting needs, times of activities, etc. Find out what constitutes involvement to the people being surveyed.
• Develop an outreach plan that responds to the survey findings.
• Set reasonable goals. What does the PTA want to accomplish?
• Develop activities that include and would be of interest to students, single parent families, working parents, grandparents, senior citizens, people with disabilities, non-English speaking people, and community business people.
• Provide a translator for meetings, as needed.
• Reach out to other groups to co-sponsor events or activities. Examples include:
  • Other committees or chairmen within the PTA organization.
  • Student leadership and school organizations.
  • Parent advisory committees, such as local area councils, bilingual groups and boosters, and other unit, council and district PTAs in the community, area and state.
  • Community groups and agencies.
  • Government community groups and agencies, senior centers and civic organizations, cultural groups, local chambers of commerce and businesses.
• Promote and publicize activities through PTA newsletters, e-mail, Web site, flyers, local newspapers, personal telephone calls, public service announcements, and other newsletters.
• Determine the most effective method of distributing printed material: mail, take home, handouts, or personal delivery by adult.
• Communicate opportunities beyond PTA activities to appreciate and learn more about cultures from around the world (e.g., museums, festivals, special events/activities, books, TV programs, videos and movies).

If you have questions please contact: Laura Zuchovicki, Fourth District PTA Outreach Chairman.