As we enter 2021, COVID-19 continues to be a concern and is likely to impact the rest of the school year in some form. How has your PTA, PTO, or Booster Club adapted to this nontraditional school year? Many groups have felt like they’ve been sitting on their hands, unable to perform their regular school year functions. Others have dove in head first to change the way they operate and find ways to make an impact in the 2020-2021 school year. If you’re group is looking for more ways to help, here are seven ways parent teacher groups can find success during COVID-19.
Parent Teacher Organization Pick Up Bins
One popular way your PTA/PTO/Booster Club can help students is by creating pick up bins. These bins can be placed outside the school and filled with items to help families that have been hard hit by the Coronavirus. Families can stop by and pick up what they may need from the bins. The common types of bins items include food, toiletries, and clothing items. Parent teacher groups can also include entertainment items such as books, games, and toys.
School Food Delivery
Many parents and students have had difficulty adjusting to full or partially remote learning schedules. This situation can be extremely taxing for those students who rely on free or reduced-price meals through the school cafeteria. Your parent teacher group can find success by making sure your school’s students do not go hungry. You can help by collecting and delivering food to student families or organizing grab-and-go meals for pickup.
Turning Event Funds Into Community Support
Many schools and parent teacher groups canceled or scaled back events this school year. Some parent teacher groups with surplus funds for events turned them into community support. One way to support your community is by your PTA, PTO, or Booster Club, making donations to local community aid organizations. While many organizations are happy to receive material donations such as coat, toy, or food drives; it’s preferable to make a cash donation to a trusted organization. It may sound odd at first, but these organizations are able to use your monetary donation to buy what they need, when they need it. This purchase is often made at a reduced price meaning your donation money goes farther and there’s less risk of items expiring before they are used.
Fundraisers
Fundraising was hit hard by COVID-19 and many parent teacher groups are still looking for ways to refill their dwindling funds. Many PTA, PTO, and Booster Clubs have found success by running online auctions. In 2020, many fundraising sales partners turned their catalogs into an online store and added home delivery for products purchased. Group event walkathons were turned into family walk alongs. Families used pedometers and phone apps to log their steps to fundraise while maintaining social distance. Other schools found success by adding school-influenced PPE to their spirit store. The opportunities for fundraising this school year are only limited by your imagination! See more Fundraising Ideas from AIM.
Supporting Health Care Workers and First Responders
As the months continue and COVID-19 remains a threat to the general public the strain and fatigue on health care workers and first responders has only grown. Your parent teacher group can find success, like others have, by using their funds to provide aid to those giving their all to protect us. Your parent teacher group can reach out to local hospitals and clinics and see how you can help health care workers, such as by purchasing meals. Many PTA, PTO, and Booster Clubs have also rallied together to donate PPE to hospitals and first responders. Others have gone a step further and created PPE when there has been a shortage.
Online Community Building
Providing a tangible benefit to your parent teacher’s group is a priority, but don’t overlook your community’s intangible needs. The past year has left many people’s spirits deflated. Your group can help by trying to improve morale and to keep people’s spirits high during this time. In-person meetings may be limited, but there is a lot your group can do online to boost your community. Some PTA/PTO/Booster Clubs have found success by promoting read aloud story time online, hosting virtual singalongs, and organizing online spirit days with costumes, crazy socks, and pajama days.
Your group can also support the school experience online by helping to host and share student projects and presentations online for everyone in your community to see. Many educators are also looking for high quality, online educational resources. You can help them search and find reputable online resources that fit their class needs, such as those from Crash Course, Kahn Academy, and Vsauce.
Thanking Teachers
Teaching is a fulfilling, but difficult and demanding calling. This school year more than most has been a challenge for teachers across the nation. Your PTA, PTO, or Booster Club can help out by providing a little burst of gratitude and good feelings to teachers by helping classes create thank you messages to your school’s educators. Another way to help is by making sure the school teacher’s lounge is stocked with snacks to keep teachers fueled up for those extra long days. Other parent teacher groups have created small care packages for school faculty with PPE, immune-boosting items, and personal care items like lotion and scented candles to help teachers take care of themselves.
Parent Teacher Group COVID-19 Success and AIM
Is your parent teacher group going to try one of the above ways to make an impact in the 2020-2021 school year? A new approach to education and new type of parent teacher support may need a different type of insurance coverage to protect your group. AIM is here to help your parent teacher group make an impact this year in any way it can. Before your parent teacher group tries something new this year, Contact AIM. We can help your review your plans and determine the proper coverage to protect your parent teacher group.