Parent group leaders at Trinity Christian School in Shorewood, Ill., have worked hard to make its Parent Teacher Ministry and the school a welcoming place for families. Speakers on topics of interest are featured at three mandatory PTM meetings, for example, and each family new to the school is paired with a more experienced one. Fun events throughout the year include an ice-cream social, Thanksgiving feast, Grandparents’ Day, and field day. The group also serves parents by posting meeting minutes in a visible spot in the lobby, as well as attending monthly meetings of the school staff and board of directors.

What the judges loved: Everything this outstandingly organized group does is in service of its vision: “Be Inspired. Be Informed. Be Involved.” Leaders distribute survey forms after each event and at the end of the year to find out what parents loved (or didn’t) or why they didn’t attend.

Cool fact: At the mid-year PTM meeting, administrators and school board members answer parents’ questions and share information about the “State of the School.”