Students have until Friday, Oct. 22, to digitally submit their entries to the annual Parent Teacher Student Association [PTSA] Reflections art contest, which offers up to $200 for the top prize.

Themed “I Will Change the World By…,” the competition gives students an opportunity to showcase their skills in categories such as dance choreography and visual arts.  

“With student activism at an all-time high, it’s a great way for students to use their voices through art to capture the theme,” said PTSA Reflections Art Program chairwoman Sheila Burgess, who’s coordinating the Reflections contest this year. “Our expectations are that the submissions that we do receive garner national recognition.”

To compete at the national Parent-Teacher Association level and at a chance to earn $800 for placing first in the country, local entries must place first place in their respective categories, Burgess said.

Students whose submissions are selected to advance from Local to State PTA have the opportunity to be submitted to the National review, where they may be eligible to receive any of the following awards:

• Merit Award: Students will receive a bronze medal, Certificate of Merit and their work will be featured in the traveling exhibition.
• Award of Excellence: Students will receive the $200 Young Artist Scholarship, a silver medal, Certificate of Excellence and their work will be featured in the traveling exhibition.
• Outstanding Interpretation Award: Students will receive the $800 Young Artist Scholarship, a gold medal, Certificate of Outstanding Interpretation and their work will be featured in the traveling exhibition.

For those that do not advance, they earn certificates of recognition for merit, excellence, interpretation and participation while their artworks will continue being celebrated at school.

Students must submit their work digitally using their school or personal email address by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 22. For example, if dancers want to submit a video of their performance related to this year’s theme, then they would have to attach a file with the email along with a response to the entry form, which can be found on the PTSA website.

Contestants will be required to virtually submit their work to the PTSA via email by Oct. 22 with their artwork and entry form.

Returning from a year where many students did not participate in the annual contest, Burgess hopes that more students will submit entries for a chance of being recognized at a high level and winning awards.

“The Reflections program is competing with all the activities students missed out on last year, so we have to work extra hard to promote the program to make sure we get a good amount of submissions for a successful year,” Burgess said.