National Congress of Parents and Teachers is a volunteer organization that unites the forces of home, school, and community to promote the education, health, and safety of children. The National Congress is commonly called the National PTA. Local units of the organization, known as Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA’s), operate in individual schools from the elementary to the high school level and in other community locations. In many high schools, the local groups are called Parent-Teacher-Student Associations (PTSA’s) because students also take part in their activities. PTA’s and PTSA’s encourage their members to become fully informed about education and to take an active interest in school programs. The units conduct regularly scheduled meetings and organize workshops and community service programs to benefit children, teenagers, and families.
PTA’s and PTSA’s design their programs to fit both their own needs and the goals of the National PTA. One of the National PTA’s goals is to provide students with the best possible mental and physical education. The group also calls for adequate laws to protect children and young people. In addition, the PTA promotes the welfare of youth in the community, home, and school.
The National PTA conducts programs at the national, state, and local levels. At the national level, projects have dealt with parent education and the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse. The National PTA issues an award-winning print magazine, Our Children, as well as an online edition, The PTA Magazine. The organization also offers planning kits, videos, and pamphlets for use by local units.
State branches of the National PTA are located in all 50 states, in Washington, D.C., and in Europe for U.S. military personnel there. Membership in local units is open to anyone who wants to help the association achieve its goals. A person who joins a local PTA or PTSA automatically becomes a member of the state branch and the national organization.
The National Congress of Parents and Teachers was founded as the National Congress of Mothers in 1897. State branches were organized the same year. Headquarters of the National PTA are in Chicago.
