Building Your Toolbox to PTA
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Catch up courses: Have you missed a workshop? If you have specific questions or need additional assistance with President workshop, Audit, or National Programs email jharris@illinoispta.org
NEW! Evaluate. Celebrate. Elevate.
Mon, Jan 26 | 10 AM & 7 PM
This interactive workshop guides PTA leaders through a supportive mid-year check-in to celebrate wins, assess progress, and make smart adjustments for the rest of the year. Walk away with practical tools, clear next steps, and renewed momentum to finish the year strong—together.
Register Here for 10 AM
Register Here for 7 PM
Bylaws review
Thu, Jan 29 | 7 PM
If your bylaws were last adopted by your membership in spring 2024 or earlier it’s time to make sure your bylaws describe how you operate or to catch them up. We’ll look at the template so you know where to look in your bylaws.
Register Here
Treasurer Q&A
Wed, Jan 28 | 7 PM
Need a mid-year financial review? Join us for a discussion on the most common questions from PTA treasurers.
Register Here
PTA 101: Road to Success
Tue, Jan 27 | 7 PM
Learn the PTA basics-from history, mission, and purpose, to running the PTA. This course is for everyone! The bylaws require this for all officers.
Register Here
Succession Planning
Mon, Feb 2 | 7 PM
How are we going to find leaders for next year? Please send someone from your unit to bring back recruiting and election tips.
Register Here
NEW! Managing Difficult Conversations
Tue, Feb 3 | 7PM
For PTA Volunteer Leaders and Members
Difficult conversations are an inevitable part of PTA leadership—and they often don’t come from formal meetings or agenda items. More often, they arise when a concerned parent, a member, or a former officer expresses frustration with how things are being done. These moments can quickly escalate when people avoid talking directly with one another and instead expect someone else to “fix” the situation.
This interactive workshop helps PTA members and leaders build confidence and skills to navigate these challenging moments with clarity, empathy, and purpose. Learn or reinforce skills for how to stay grounded, listen to what’s really being said, and respond in ways that de-escalate tension while maintaining the shared responsibility.
Designed for both current officers and members considering stepping into leadership roles, this session offers practical tools for:
- Addressing complaints without becoming defensive or overwhelmed
- Encouraging respectful, direct communication
- Managing emotionally charged conversations when expectations, history, or misunderstandings are involved
- Shifting from “someone else should fix this” to shared problem-solving
Register Here
Givebacks Q&A
Wed, Feb 4 | 7PM
See what items must be completed in Givebacks and then a tour of what is new in our ever-changing Givebacks.
This workshop would be valuable for presidents, treasurers, membership chairs, communications chairs and anyone using Givebacks.
Register Here
Secretary Course
Thur, Feb 5 | 7PM
This course will describe the actual duties of the secretary, what minutes are and are not and many helpful tips. Current secretaries and presidents who have not been able to attend president’s training would benefit from this course.
Register Here
Your Community Engagement Blueprint
Illinois PTA works diligently to support public schools and ensure all children and youth have equal opportunities and access to a quality education. Learn how to assist your PTA and community with education achievements, community involvement, and high standards of excellence through PTA Programs.
Do-It-Yourselves Membership Plan
Flex your creative mind in this interactive workshop that teaches how to facilitate a conversation with your board about ways to increase membership. Attendees will take-away a DIY planning tool to help with membership growth.
All About Your Grants! Grant Writing Basics and Success Stories
An introduction to looking for and completing grant applications to benefit your PTA and the programs you provide for your students and families. Come hear the recent news about the outstanding successes our Illinois PTA’s have been having recently and learn from successful grant writers.
DIVERSITY WORKSHOP | Valuing Diversity and Leading with Inclusion
A dream team includes people with different perspectives, skills, talents, and connections. During this workshop, we will talk about the vast perspectives of families at your school—members of your PTA. In an interactive activity, you will explore diversity and inclusion. Then model ways to be an inclusive leader so that your PTA cultivates the perspectives, skills, talents, and connections of all families who want to make your PTA and school stronger for students.
Growing Your PTA with National PTA’s School of Excellence Program – What and How?
Learn how a PTA of 12 members grew to 120 members and became a 2016-2018 National PTA School of Excellence. This all occurred during the first year of transition. Gain ideas for starting the process and how it works. Carry back these techniques and become the next Illinois PTA recognized as a National PTA School of Excellence.
Thrive Learning Community
Thrive is PTA’s new online learning community for volunteers. Thrive brings PTA leadership development to you. Through Thrive’s engaging, short courses, you can take training at your own time and place—even from football practice, a dance studio or a soccer field.
Membership Monday – Dues Submission Training
This training will show all PTA leaders the steps to submit their dues payments through Memberhub. Together we can unlock IL PTA’s membership potential to become a stronger voice for every child.
Membership Remix 2021
How Do You PTA? Virtually, of course!
The pandemic has changed the way we do many things. You may have asked, ‘If you can’t meet in-person, how do we PTA for our children?’ We have been asking the same question and are here to tell you it is possible and exciting the new opportunities virtual PTA opens up. We will provide you with tips from hosting a virtual meeting to holding an online family events. How we PTA may need to adjust and we are here to help you.
Missed the webinar? Watch the recording here!
Introduction to National PTA E-Learning
Meet the world of PTA e-learning. We will introduce you to the National PTA digital library that contains videos, eLearning courses, and resources to help you Become an Amazing PTA Leader, Gain Nonprofit Management Skills, Grow PTA Membership & Resources, and more. And the best part is, they are available when you are.
Missed the webinar? Watch the recording here!
Being A Voice for Your Child
Ever think to yourself… “Someone needs to speak up about that problem” … but felt that you couldn’t be the one because you didn’t know how or felt that no one would listen? Come explore the process and utilize National and Stater PTA Advocacy resources. Believe it or not you can be that person who speaks up for themselves and/or others. You can be the advocate your child needs.
Missed the webinar? Watch the recording here!
Keep them Coming and Keep them Connected
Engaging volunteers is an on-going activity for all local units. Join us to review key activities that put recruitment and advocating for our children at the top of your plans!
Discussion includes how to plan all year to engage current and new members, ideas to widen the net of potential volunteers, the need to be flexible in how we offer opportunities to participate and how to avoid over-managing volunteers. Bring your ideas and learn with each other for success this year and beyond.
Missed the webinar? Watch the recording here.
Who is Next to Lead?
Encouraging others to their next level of leadership is a goal of IL PTA. Being intentional in reaching out to local units leaders and showing them a path is the way that we sustain our organization and help it grow. Join us with a panel of local, regional, state and national leaders to discuss effective ways to develop leaders and mentor them into their next leadership opportunity. More to come on who will join our panel!
Missed the webinar? Watch the recording here.
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