Child Advocate
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December 2013 Issue 4, Volume 22
Establishing Healthy Habits in Your Home
Safety Tips for Home Alone Kids
Safety Concerns for Teen Drivers
NEWS BRIEFS
CONTENTS
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NEW PARTNERSHIP: PROJEKT KARMA
The Washington State PTA is pleased to announce a new affinity program partnership. Projekt Karma provides PTAs with a simple and efficient fundraising program that allows PTAs to share their projects with the community through social media so potential donors will find out about projects and make donations to the PTA’s designated account in support of its efforts for children. For a flyer to give to your members, go to http://www. wastatepta.org/sponsors/Projekt_Karma.pdf. More information is available at https://www. projektkarma.com/. n
PARTNERSHIP WITH VERIZON/
ETRAK
Verizon/eTrak, a new affinity partner with the WSPTA, which offers parents a device to help keep their kids safe, has announced a new pricing schedule for their service. PTA parents get the GPS location tracking system with a personal alert button a child can push if he/she gets lost, has an accident or perceives danger or only $199; the offer includes the device plus one year of service with no monthly fee! Plus the WSPTA, National PTA and local PTAs all receive donations for each subscription purchased! For a flyer to give to your members, go to http://www.wastatepta.org/member/ value_benefit/eTrak_flyer.pdf. More information is available at http://etrak.com/pta/. n
WSPTA CERTIFIES 33 OUTREACH SPECIALISTS!
Here’s what some of the attendees had to say about WSPTA’s Certificated Outreach Skills Training Session held this past weekend at
Highline Community College: “It exceeded all expectations!” “You really put on a fantastic event, really, it was awesome. I took away so many tidbits and it makes me want to do more, do it better, and not just for PTA, but for work. Great reminders how people should be treated. Hats off to you!” “You hit that training out of the park, and it was so appreciated. It was absolutely worth it, and I can’t thank you enough for that!” “The Skills Training was a very exciting and innovative approach to equipping and mobilizing the Regional Teams! It was a pleasure to work with your groups.” For a list of the newly certified outreach specialists, go to: http://wsptaleadershipnews.blogspot.com/2013/12/newlycertified-outreach-skills.html . n
URGE THE BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE TO STOP CUTS TO EDUCATION!
We need your help! Congress is considering a long-term budget plan, and we need PTA members to reach out to them asking them to replace the sequester cuts with balanced, smarter alternatives. For more information, go to http://wsptaleadershipnews.blogspot. com/2013/11/urge-budget-conferencecommittee-to.html. n
EXCLUSIVE OFFERS FOR PTA MEMBERS
Whether you’re buying school supplies for the kids, purchasing a smart phone, or renting a car for your next family vacation, PTA members can save money on everyday purchases thanks to National PTA’s Member Benefits Provider Program. Read more at http://www. pta.org/members/content.cfm?ItemNumber= 3409&navItemNumber=3445#RSC.
Membership Outreach
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Issue Focus
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Parent Engagement * Establishing Healthy Habits in Your Home * Safety Concerns for Teen Drivers
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* Safety Tips for Home Alone Kids
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Leadership Development
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Partners and Sponsors
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The Child Advocate is published online every month
from September through May by the Washington State PTA, 2003 65th Avenue West, Tacoma, WA 98466-6215, (253) 565-2153. Contributors are welcome. Call the State PTA office for guidelines. Whenever PTA is used it also refers to PTSA. PTA is a registered trademark of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers. Heather Gillette, Washington State PTA President Kathryn Hobbs, Executive Director Karen Fisker-Andersen, Editor
ABOUT THE WASHINGTON STATE PTA
Child Advocate
The
a Washington State PTA parent involvement publication
Washington State PTA 2003 65th Avenue West Tacoma, WA 98466-6215 Website: www.wastatepta.org Email: wapta@wastatepta.org Phone: (253) 565-2153 or 1-800-562-3804 Fax: (253) 565-7753
VISION:
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“Making every child’s potential a reality.”
MISSION:
PTA is: n A powerful voice for all children, n A relevant resource for families and communities, and n A strong advocate for the well-being and education of every child. The Washington State PTA accomplishes the mission of PTA by:
• Speaking on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community, and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children; • Supporting parents* in developing skills to raise, protect and advocate for their children; • Encouraging parent*, teacher, student and community involvement; • Promoting opportunities for positive outcomes for children; and • Being a financially stable, well-managed organization that promotes diversity, provides quality service, models best practices and values its members and employees. *Parent may include adults who play an important role in a child’s family life since other adults (grandparents, aunts, uncles, or guardians) may carry the primary responsibility for a child’s health, welfare, education and safety.
MEMBERSHIP OUTREACH
What is Child Advocacy? training and support those individuals. The Washington State PTA not only provides skills training to members interested in making a difference for children, but it’s purpose for existence is to improve the well-being and education of every child. You can start your journey as an advocate for children by joining the PTA and finding out what your local PTA is doing in the area of advocacy. Consider volunteering to serve on an advocacy committee and take advantage of training opportunities available to you. If your PTA doesn’t have an advocacy chair, consider stepping in to fill this valuable position.
A dvocacy means standing up for another person. Parents are natural advocates for their children. This can take place at school, in the community or at the state and national level. Whether you are concerned about special education, school bullies, arts in education, recess, school lunches, sidewalks around your school, extracurricular activities or many other issues, ISSUE FOCUS:
you can use your voice to make a difference by speaking up and educating others about the issue as well as offering some solutions. Advocacy is most effective when parents are speaking up about issues they are passionate about. PTA is natural place get involved in advocacy because PTA recognizes the value of a passionate individual and is structured to provide
Go to the advocacy tab on the website (www. wastatepta.org) and sign up for action alerts and follow the Grassroots Connection blog to become informed of statewide efforts. You can also get involved in advocacy by attending the upcoming WSPTA Focus Day in Olympia on February 4. For more information on this event, go to http://www.wastatepta.org/meetings/focus_day/index.html. n
PTA: A History of Child Advocacy
A t the state level, PTA has been involved in legislative advocacy for over a century. Some of the highlights include: •
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Upon the legalization of liquor in 1933, the State PTA helped establish laws preventing the giving and sale of liquor to minors, preventing the presence of minors in places where liquor was sold, and establishing laws against drinking and driving. In 1946, the WSPTA helped the Teacher Retirement Bill pass into law. This provided improvements in teacher salaries, retirements and working conditions, which was important because approximately a third of teachers in the state were teaching without certification due to a lack of qualified teachers. When school district levies failed in major school districts in the 1960s, putting kindergartens at risk of elimination, the WSPTA successfully advocated for tax-supported kindergarten programs. The WSPTA activated its grassroots network -- including recruiting convention delegates to make hundreds of timely phone calls -- to pass legislation in 1993 that established learning standards. In 2007, the WSPTA helped pass a state ballot measure to allow school levies to pass with a simple majority. In 2009, the WSPTA helped to pass a bill to redefine basic education (House Bill 2261) to include full-day kindergarten, small K-3 class sizes, a six-period day in middle and high school, and
The Child Advocate, December 2013
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the opportunity for all children to earn a 24-credit career and college-ready diploma, along with other comprehensive basic services. In 2010, the WSPTA helped pass legislation (Senate Bill 6696) that addressed school accountability, college and career learning standards, and family engagement.
Today PTA remains as committed to legislative advocacy as it was in the past. To find out more about the current legislative platform or how you can be involved in state- and nation-wide child advocacy at the grassroots level, please go to http://www.wastatepta.org/advocacy/association_position/index.html/. n
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PARENT ENGAGEMENT
Establishing Healthy Habits in Your Home the refrigerator the evening before. This gives them practice in choosing healthy food for themselves. Provide plenty of healthy options for children to choose for their lunches, so they don’t get tired of the same thing every day. If you plan to put cold items in their lunches, be sure to include an ice pack in their lunch box to keep these items cold. • Provide your students with a variety of healthy snacks to choose from. Some ideas include: Fruit and veggies with yogurt dip, peanut butter and celery, whole grain tortilla with melted cheese, soup with crackers, applesauce with cinnamon, string cheese, yogurt, whole-grain crackers with meat and cheese, fruit smoothie, and fruit kabobs. Save cookies, chips and candy for special occasions.
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ecember is a good time to focus on creating healthy habits in your home. Educating your kids about health may prevent them from the next cold or flu that circulates the school. Here’s some suggestions to get you started: Preventing illness
• Teach your kids that hands should always be washed after using the restroom, petting or handling animals, after blowing their noses, and before eating. Washing at least 20 seconds is the best defense against illnesses, using soap and water. When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner. • Parents can also cut down on the amount of viruses going around the school by helping their children learn how to cough and sneeze into their sleeve, rather than into their hands; and to keep their kids home from school if they have had a fever, have vomited, or have had diarrhea in the last 24 hours. • Clean more frequently, including the railings, door knobs and light switches, when you have an ill family member. Also, as a preventative measure, keep up to date on annual flu shots and other immunizations. • If you have an ill family member, designate a special hand towel for that individual so that others are not infected by germs that may possibly be transmitted to the hand towel. Eating healthy foods
• A healthy breakfast helps provide students with the energy and focus they need for school. If you are finding your morning schedule is a bit hectic and your children are not going to school with a good breakfast, get them up earlier so you can build this important time into your routine. •
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Encourage your children to make their own lunches and put them in
• Family dinner meals provide a wonderful opportunity for parents and kids to stay connected in their busy lives. Studies have shown that kids who take part in regular family meals are also more likely to eat healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables and less likely to fill up on junk-food. In addition, family meals provide kids with a glimpse of what foods are healthy to eat and an opportunity to try new foods. • To help children eat better, the first thing parents should do is purchase foods for their homes that are better choices for their families. Purchase lean meats and prepare them using healthy cooking methods, such as broiling, grilling, steaming or roasting. Purchase whole grain cereals and breads, and choose low fat dairy items. Avoid products that have been highly processed, or contain excessive amounts of fat, salt or sugar. Read the nutrition labels when selecting groceries. When choosing between two similar products, select the items that are higher in protein and lower in sugar, and contain no transfats, which may be listed as hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils. Also, limit the number of products you purchase with artificial colors or sweeteners. • On those occasions when you need to have dinner on the road, there are many more healthy choices available at fast food restaurants now. Look for those healthy choices for you and your children. Exercising regularly
• You don’t need to be a member of a gym to get regular exercise. Take a break with your kids before dinner or during a study break and play frisbee, tag, capture the flag, basketball, or a game of soccer in your yard. Go to your community swimming pool and enjoy an afternoon together playing in the pool or sign up for commnity-based organized sports. • Plan active vacations and weekends. Plan to take hikes, bike rides, walks and do other physical activities, such as snow skiing or kayaking, on your family vacations and on weekends. Sleeping patterns
• Finally, sleep is an important element in staying healthy and functioning to our full potential. In general, adults and teens need between 8-10 hours a night, and school-aged children need between 9-11 hours. n
a Washington State PTA parent engagement magazine
PARENT ENGAGEMENT
Teen Drivers: Keeping Them Safe on the Road D eveloping safe teen drivers is a joint effort by parents, teens and driving educators. Before turning your family car keys over to your teen, have the following conversations with your student driver: – Make sure your teens know that you expect them to follow all laws regarding driving – including no speeding. Explain that their privilege of using the family car depends on demonstrating continued safe driving skills. When establishing a curfew for your young driver to be home in the evenings, establish a “leave by” time rather than a “home by” time to eliminate the temptation to speed to make a curfew. Speeding
-- Require that your teens turn off their phones while they are driving. Suggest that they tell their friends that if they don’t hear right back from them it’s because they are driving. Be a good role model for your teens and turn off your own phone before you put the key in the ignition as well. Texting
(or using drug) -- Alcohol and drugs never mix with driving. Tell your teens that you expect them to call you if they are ever in a situation where they may be tempted to drive or ride in a car driven by someone who has had something to drink. If you receive this type of call, praise your teenager’s courage for making this tough call and avoid lecturing your teen for the decisions that led to this event. Later, you can discuss the dangers of drugs and alcohol in a different setting and situation, but parents should avoid punishing a teen who calls for a ride when one is needed. Drinking
–The Graduated Driver’s License law passed in July 2001 limits other teens from riding with a newly licensed teen driver, and imposes limits on late-night driving as well. This law was supported by the Washington State PTA in an effort to help keep our young drivers safe on the roads when they still have little experience and can be easily distracted. Expect your teenagers to follow these graduated driving restrictions and reinforce their importance in household conversations. When friends are in the car, teens are more likely to drive faster than they normally would, follow the car in front of them too closely, not wear their seat belts, and are generally sloppier in making lane changes. Teen passengers
The Child Advocate, December 2013
– Instruct your teens that all passengers (including the driver) should always wear seatbelts at all times— even if it’s just a short trip to the store. They should never have more people in a car than seatbelts available. Be a good role model for this behavior and always buckle-up. Seatbelt use
Other safety considerations:
• Drowsy driving—Teens should be aware that if they are feeling drowsy, they should never get behind the wheel of a car. In these situations, instruct them call you so you can pick them up and return the next day to retrieve the car. • GPS navigation systems—Learning to drive is a different skill than learning to navigate. It’s best for new drivers to gain experience first by driving to places they are familiar with. If your student needs to read a map, teach him (and model it yourself) to do this by pulling over and parking. When necessary, a GPS navigation system can be introduced to help them reach places they aren’t familiar with. However, parents should ride with their teen as they are getting used to the navigation system as these devices can also be distracting to young drivers until they have more experience driving with a navigation system. • Defensive driving—If young drivers see another vehicle weaving in traffic, driving unusually fast or slow, making sudden starts or stops or driving erratically in some way, they should stay clear of that vehicle because the driver may be under the influence of alcohol or another drug. • Anticipate events—Talk to your teen drivers about anticipating events that could take place. For example, if they are driving through a neighborhood and a ball rolls across the road, explain that they need to slow down because it’s highly likely that a child will jump out in front of them in pursuit of the ball. Another example, if they are merging onto a busy road, they need to anticipate the car in front of them suddenly stopping in response to difficulties in merging into heavy traffic. • Other distractions—Every day you see people on the road applying make-up, eating, reading a piece of paper or jotting down a note. The radio can also be a distraction to drivers. Explain to your teens that every time their eyes are not on the road even for a few seconds, they won’t see a car stopping quickly in front of them or any number of potential life-threatening situations. Having these conversations with your student drivers can help save lives. Be sure to make time for these important conversations. n
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PARENT ENGAGEMENT
Safety Tips For Home Alone Kids M
any factors need to be considered when deciding whether or not your child is mature enough to stay home alone. Does he make good decisions and follow your instructions? Does she feel comfortable staying home alone? Does he have a way to get home from school safely, such as walking with neighbor kids or riding the bus? Will she be in charge of watching younger siblings? If you think your child is up to the challenge, let him stay home alone first in shorter increments to see how he does before allowing him to stay home alone after school or with younger siblings. Getting home safely
Whether your children are walking home or riding the bus, there are some good habits parents can teach their children to stay safe on the way home from school. • Determine the safest route home and instruct your children to stick to that route. They should never take shortcuts through alleyways or through the woods. • Abide by safety rules: cross at crosswalks, look both ways, listen for cars and look again before crossing the street, • Instruct your children to walk with other neighborhood children. There is usually safety in numbers. • Remember what they have learned about stranger safety. Never stop to talk to someone in a car that pulls to the side and asks for directions. Remind them that you don’t want them getting into anyone’s car, even someone they know, unless they check with you or unless they person can supply the parents’ preestablished secret “ok” passcode. Home alone safety tips
• Instruct your children to call a parent when they get home and lock the door behind them. Your child should return his key to the place in his backpack where it belongs so he will have it the next day. Give a trusted neighbor a key in case your child forgets his. • Teach your children what to do in case of emergencies. Have a firstaid kit available and make sure they know how to handle basic first aid and have access to a phone to call 911 if needed. Make sure there are working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors at home and teach your children what to do so they know how to get out and call you if the alarm goes off while they are home alone. • Determine family rules for cooking, answering the door, using the
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Internet, and playing outdoors when you are not home. Children generally should not cook when you are not home, but if they do, then using a microwave is generally safer than the stove. Make sure they know how to use the microwave properly so they won’t burn themselves when removing hot things out. • Have phone numbers for neighbors and family members posted on the refrigerator in case your children need to reach someone in an emergency and you are not available. • Instruct your kids to never open the door to strangers. Some children might be tempted to open the door if it is a delivery person, but they should be taught not to do this when they are home alone. Instead, teach your children to call out the delivery person to leave the package on the doorstep, keeping the door closed. • Kids may also need to be reminded to not post on social media sites or tell people over the phone that they are home alone. n
a Washington State PTA parent engagement magazine
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
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Fundraising Basics For Nonprofits
und raising should be carried on within the framework of Washington State PTA policies and within the rules, regulations, and laws which govern fund raising by nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations. In deciding what fund raising activities are a good fit for your PTA, consider the following: • Is the fund raising activity something that will benefit children and youth? • Will it create goodwill for PTA? • Will it require a lot of volunteer hours? • If children take part in the project, is their welfare and safety being considered? • Is this activity covered by PTA’s liability insurance? Go to 18 in Money Matters to find out more about liability insurance. • Has the PTA assured itself that the funds raised by the activity will properly belong to the PTA? Go to pages 22-23 in WSPTA Money Matters to determine whether an activity is a PTA or an ASB activity. Types of fund raisers
Commercial fund raising events--generally provides PTA with a total package--a company, sales person, product, literature, brochures and a proven program. However, these kinds of fund raising programs often rely on students as fund raisers. Non-commercial fund raising events--includes festivals, carnivals, school directories, drama productions, walk-a-thons, fun nights, arts
fairs, auctions, garage sales or bake sales. These types of programs require a larger commitment in volunteer time and may involve an added cost to attend PTA events which could lead to decreased participation. Gambling events--such as carnival games, bingos and raffles are regulated by the Washington State Gambling Commission and requires PTAs to follow specific guidelines. More information on these types of activities is on pages 21-22 of WSPTA Money Matters. Grants--“gifts” of money to be used for a specific purpose. This type of fund raiser takes considerable time and thought to prepare, but has the potential for large amounts of money without a large amount of volunteer participation. More information on grants will follow in the January issue of The Child Advocate. Donations--gifts to PTA with no conditions on the use of the donated funds. WSPTA established a partnership with Projekt Karma to provide a means for PTAs to share their projects with the community through social media so potential donors will find out about projects and make donations to the PTA’s designated account in support of its efforts for children. More information is available at https://www.projektkarma.com/. All PTAs can accept donations, but only PTAs that are tax-exempt under section 501(c )(3) of the Internal Revenue Code can state that the donation is tax deductible by the donor.
LOCAL CONNECTIONS:
Mt. Pilchuck PTA Receives National PTA Grant for Take Your Family to School Week
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ongratulations to Mt. Pilchuck PTA 7.6.26, in Lake Stevens, who was selected for a National PTA Take Your Family to School Week Grant for $1,000. National PTA provided grants to 100 PTAs across the country to increase family engagement and safety awareness through PTA Take Your Family to School Week, February 18–22, which also coincides with PTA Founders’ Day.
Their plan for the Take Your Family to School Week will start with an author holding workshops with students for two days. Following, will be a school wide reada-thon, which will generate excitement for a special family evening. This will include a reading comedy act that highlights fun with reading continuing with reading stations and the Reading with Rover program. These activities will increase parent, teacher, and community involvement in their school. n
The Child Advocate, December 2013
Sponsorships--usually a gift from a local business. Consider the following before entering into a partnership with a business: Is the mission/product of the business consistent with your stated purpose as listed on your 1023 application with the IRS? For example, a cigarette company would probably not be consistent with a PTAs stated purpose. Is there anything within your standing rules that would prohibit or limit your ability to partner with businesses? Who within your PTA will be responsible for reviewing and signing the partnership agreement? As part of this sponsorship, you can offer to put their logo in your newsletter, Facebook page or website. There are a couple of prohibitions: 1) You can’t recommend that your members purchase goods/services from this partner. 2) You can’t make a qualitative judgment on their goods/ services such as saying, “Bob’s Ice Cream Parlor has the best ice cream in Washington state.” Student stores--many PTAs have student stores, or weekly popcorn sales, but are required to pay sales tax on these regular place of business sales. More information is available on page 19 of WSPTA Money Matters. Affinity programs--Verizon/eTrak, a new affinity partner with the WSPTA, which offers parents a device to help keep their kids safe. PTA parents can purchase a GPS location tracking system with a personal alert button a child can push if he/she gets lost, has an accident or perceives danger. plus the WSPTA, National PTA and local PTAs all receive donations for each purchase. More information is available at http://etrak.com/pta/. Membership service fees--PTAs may set their own membership service fees, and may choose to set them higher than the membership service fees established by the council (if the PTA is a member of a council) and the state and national organizations. Please note that for every membership purchased, there is one individual’s name attached to that membership. If a PTA wants to provide a family discount for membership, they need to make sure that the amount of the fee still covers the amount required to forward state and national membership service fees for each of those individuals. n
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PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
What are Corporate Partnerships? WSPTA’s sponsors play an important role in supporting the work PTA does for children. When you align your company with the WSPTA, your company demonstrates its commitment to improving the welfare and education of every child. Our members are highly engaged parents who are interested in innovative products and services to support their PTAs and their children. Sponsorships with the WSPTA
There are many sponsorship opportunities with the WSPTA from supporting one of our statewide events, such as convention, legislative assembly or region conferences, to providing yearround sponsorship to support the WSPTA and its vision to help all children reach their potential. Sponsors receive recognition in our newsletters, e-newsletters, website, blogs and at the annual convention. Partnerships with the WSPTA
WSPTA strives to create meaningful partnerships to further family engagement, improve student success, and share relevant resources and information. For more information on sponsorships and partnerships, contact khobbs@wastatepta.org.
SPONSORS McDONALD’S
Washington State PTA and the Washington-based owner/operators of McDonald’s franchises have entered into a partnership agreement to support the public school system and its educational resources while concurrently promoting a balanced diet and nutrition. Responding to both public comments and changing customer tastes, McDonald’s has recently expanded its menu offerings to include a number of lower-calorie and wholesome options, and of course promoting child health and wellbeing is a core value of Washington State PTA.
Association Insurance Management (AIM)
Through its partnership Washington State PTA, Association Insurance Management (AIM) supplies liability, medical injury, property, officers’ liability and bonding to Washington State PTAs, PTSAs and Councils at special discounted rates. The program provides coverage for activities such as concession stands, car washes, t-shirt sales, fun runs, carnivals and other PTA sponsored activities. More information about AIM and the services it provides to PTAs is available on its website, https://www.aim-companies.com/
Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET)
GET is Washington’s 529 Prepaid College Tuition Program. GET helps families save for college with a state guarantee, tax benefits and a nationwide choice of colleges. Enrollment is open Nov 1- May 31. http://www.get.wa.gov/
Internet Essentials Internet Essentials by COMCAST is the largest broadband adoption program ever undertaken to address components of the digital divide: low digital literacy, perceived lack of relevance of online content, and need for lowcost, quality computers and internet service.
PEMCO
Washington State PTA appreciates the support of PEMCO Insurance, the Northwest’s largest local provider of auto, home, boat, and umbrella coverage. More information is available on PEMCO’s website: http://www.pemco.com/ welcome.aspx
PARTNERS
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES Teen Driving Grant Available
Car crashes remain the number one cause of death for adolescents. An important program called Project Ignition is bringing together students, teachers and communities to address teen driver safety. You can be part of this successful program by helping a high school apply for a $2,000 Project Ignition grant for the 2013-2014 school year! For more information, go to http://www.nylc. org/Project_Ignition Pre-K Smart From the Start Grant Program
National PTA® and the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) have expanded their partnership to bring Smart from the Start, an early childhood health education grant program, to PTAs across the country. Through the Smart from the Start program, National PTA will award 10 Smart from the Start: Community Outreach grants of $10,000 each to district, council and regional PTAs to focus on a specific neighborhood community in which to improve access to healthy foods and safe physical activity options for young families. Applications for the grants will be available beginning in January 2014 at PTA.org. The deadline to submit applications is March 28, 2014. In addition to the community outreach grants, 25 Smart from the Start: Pre-K grants of $2,000 also will be awarded to PTAs in 2014 to implement the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation’s Energy Balance Pre-K curriculum. This grant application will be available in Spring 2014. WSPTA Awards 2013-14 Applegate Grants
The purpose of the Applegate Grant program is to provide opportunities for supplemental funding to units and councils for community-wide projects focusing on the health, welfare, safety, education, care, and protection of children. Each year, the Washington State PTA sets aside funds to be awarded to local units and councils for these programs, projects, and activities. For a list of the recipients of the 2013-14 Applicate Grants, go to http://www.wastatepta. org/programs/applegate/index.html