The Multipurpose Room

There are an estimated 12 million children struggling with hunger in America. Schools play an integral part in not only teaching our children but also providing a steady meal source. In this episode, we speak with Andrew “Kappy” Kaplan about the challenges schools face in providing healthy and delicious-tasting meals and ways PTA's can help.

Writing grants can be a great way to boost your PTA or PTO funds without asking families for more money but it can also seem daunting! How do you get these grants? Where do you find them? What’s a winning submission? This episode will share leaders’ tips on these questions and more.

Additional Resources:

https://www.pta.org/home/run-your-pta/Awards-Grants

https://www.pta.org/docs/default-source/files/why-pta/2019/grant-writing-tips.pdf

https://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/86-finding-and-winning-grants

Games, prizes, kids and fun are what a school carnival is all about. But it can be a lot of work for a PTA. This episode will give you the details you need to plan your carnival from start to finish. Or, if you’re a carnival expert, tune in for some new ideas from other school leaders.

This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel (spirit wear and uniforms) while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/k12clothing

If you’re like most PTAs, PTOs, and PTSAs, you struggle to get enough parent volunteers for your group. You’re not alone - this is one of the most common questions on parent teacher association Facebook groups! In this episode, we will share the top tips that have worked to increase the number of participants in your school group.

This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel (spirit wear and uniforms) while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/k12clothing

The recent “Devious Lick” and “Slap a Teacher” campaigns on TikTok are extremely concerning and must be stopped. As PTA and PTO leaders, we are responsible for creating a positive impact on our students and that arguably includes helping to stop violent campaigns such as these but how? What's our role versus that of the administrators and what should we do? This episode is shares what PTAs and PTOs are doing across the country.

This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel (spirit wear and uniforms) while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/k12clothing

Whether you’re new to running a read-a-thon, or want some tips from experienced planners to boost your success, this episode’s for you. We share the basics, the learnings, and even sample language to make your event a success.

This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel (spirit wear and uniforms) while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/k12clothing

AmazonSmile is a great passive fundraiser for your PTA, PTO, PTSA or school group. But how much do you really make, how do you get started, and what are some tips for success? This episode will answer all those questions and more.

This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel (spirit wear and uniforms) while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/k12clothing

Are you looking for creative ways to fundraise for your PTA, PTO, PTSA or other school group? Tired of catalogue sales or just asking for cash? This episode will talk about a fundraiser that doesn't require buying any trinkets, raises money for your school group and can be a lot of fun. Join us to hear about how to run a calendar fundraiser.

This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel (spirit wear and uniforms) while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/k12clothing

Looking to modernize your PTO/A payment solutions? Some parents want to pay via credit card online yet others are totally opposed. How do PTAs and PTOs decide what’s right for their school and how do they decide between Venmo, cash, check and more robust online payment solutions. In today’s episode, we will discuss everything about online payment options for school groups. 

About Our Guest: Tracy Smith, Customer Success Manager, Cheddar Up

Tracy is the Customer Success Lead and PTA Vertical Lead for Cheddar Up. She is a tenured customer service and communications professional with over fifteen years of experience across a variety of industries. Tracy primarily focuses on addressing customer inquiries with empathy and an objective to improve their experience using the Cheddar Up platform. Prior to joining Cheddar Up, Tracy spent her career in corporate communications and community impact campaign management. Over the last seven years, Tracy invested a considerable amount of her time doing volunteer work, including three years as an elementary PTO president and several other years volunteering for church, Girl Scouts, and other school and community roles ranging from program leadership to fundraising management. Tracy grew up in Wisconsin and received her bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. She currently resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two children.

This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel (spirit wear and uniforms) while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/k12clothing

Want to get the kids back into the spirit for back to school? A logo design contest can be a great way to do so. This episode will walk you through how to run a logo design contest at your school.

This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel (spirit wear and uniforms) while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/k12clothing