Parent Involvement Archive

Want to find ways to get more parents active and engaged at your school? The articles below have tons of ideas and tips about connecting with dads, reaching out to families, and more. Find more information on the Parent Involvement resources page. (For articles about volunteer recruitment and building your PTO’s volunteer base, go to the Volunteers archive.)

Articles with a plus sign () are available to PTO Today Plus members only.

• Make the Case for Parent Involvement - When parents participate in the educational process, kids do better in school. Here’s how to tell parents what they need to know.
• Make Your School a Community - Your parent group can play a vital role in creating a welcoming, supportive atmosphere for everyone.
• How To Respond to Common Excuses - Try our No-Excuses Response Guide when "I'd love to, but..." is the answer you get from potential volunteers.
• How To Have a Great First Week - What you do at the start of the school year sets the tone for your group all year long.
• How To Fix Volunteering Roadblocks - The most common challenges to engaging new parents are actually fairly easy to fix.
• The Volunteering Gene - Time spent helping out could result in lifelong friendships—and your kids might follow your example as adults.
• Insights From a First-Time Volunteer - How do newbies perceive your parent group? A new volunteer’s insightful look at how others view the PTO.
• Put Parent Involvement Before Fundraising - Too much fundraising talk can take the focus off your primary goals.
• Secrets That Build Parent Involvement - Savvy tips and tricks to get parents more interested in volunteering, and get more out of them when they do.
• Reach Out to Parents With a Pledge Program - PTO volunteer pledge programs make a big difference for schools, one hour at a time.
• Make Your First Meeting Count - Use these tips to harness the energy of a new year for your PTO and set a positive tone you can build on all year long.
• Don’t Do It! - Sometimes it's more important to know what not to do. We outline 12 common mistakes PTOs make and offer positive alternatives.
• Is Your PTO Fun Enough? - PTOs and PTAs that aren't fun and welcoming will struggle more in their involvement efforts; working to change that might be the most important thing a parent leader can do.
• Supporting Adoptive Families - An adoptive parent starts a group to connect with other similar families at her school.
• Reach Out to Single Parents - Single moms and dads want to get involved. A small shift in focus by your parent group can help them get past the additional challenges they face.
• Are You Planting Roots? - Success has a life cycle; make yours last by nurturing new leaders.
• 13 Things To Do This Year - Get out your to do list and add these items to build involvement and strengthen your group.
• Beat the Midyear Volunteer Slump - A focus on recognition and communication can help energize your group's recruitment efforts.
• Taking Involvement Online - A parent puts her technology skills to work to increase involvement and improve the school.
• Homemaker Extraordinaire - This mom has the tools to make a difference—and she knows how to use them.

Dads

• Dads Club Creates an End-of-Year Camping Tradition - Happy campers in Paso Robles, Calif., gather for a night under the stars.
• Doughnuts With Dad and More - Muffins With Mom, Doughnuts With Dad: Tips for a successful family breakfast-theme event, no matter what time of day you hold it or who’s invited.
• More Dads Involved at School - School-based dads' clubs and parent group events geared toward dads may hold greater interest for fathers now than they did a decade ago, according to a 2009 survey by the National Center for Fathering and the National PTA.
• Dads Are Different - For more participation from dads, meet them on their level.
• Major Project: Dads Create Resource Room - The 2008 PTO Today Parent Group of the Year for Outstanding Job on a Completed Major Project simultaneously engaged dads while serving parents as a whole.
• Dad Pulls Out All the Stops - A committed crossing guard keeps students safe.
• When It's Time To Change - This time, Dad has to volunteer.
• This Dad Is Having a Blast - A background in design and illustration can make for one explosive family night.
• Superintendent Starts Dads' Clubs - Overcoming the skeptics, a superintendent created thriving involvement among dads at all of an urban district's schools.
• Start a Dads' Club - Fathers want to be involved, but they aren't necessarily going to respond to traditional parent group roles. A dads' club can give them a low-pressure way to take the first steps.
• Get Dads Involved - You can get dads connected and volunteering. It just takes a concerted effort and a different approach than you use for moms.
• Dad in Charge of the PTO - Single father Rich Linden wants everyone who gets involved with the parent group to have fun.
• Filmmaker Dad Finds Role in PTO - Even someone who doesn't see himself as a leader can make a difference by using his talents.
• "Computer Nerd" Takes Charge - He gave them a piece of his mind. They elected him president.
• Dads Plant Trees - A PTA group enhances its doughnuts with dad event by adding a school beautification project.
• Great-Grandfather, PTO Leader - When others would retire, this Navy veteran is just getting started.
• Dad's New Job: PTA President - A bank manager turned stay-at-home parent puts his skills to good use running the parent group.
• Dads Make a Difference - When dads get involved, kids perform better in school. PTO fathers talk about how to get more men to participate.