The beginning of the school year presents the perfect opportunity for PTOs to connect with families and the broader community. Back-to-school season can also set the tone for your PTO’s success throughout the year. Your PTO’s ability to build sustainable membership, recruit volunteers, and raise funds can make or break your school year efforts.
Looking to build momentum for the upcoming school year? By hosting creative, unique, and thoughtful events and initiatives, your PTO can set itself up for success. To help you get started, we’ve rounded up 12 of our favorite PTO back-to-school ideas to help you drive membership and engagement.
What Can My PTO Do for Back-to-School Season?
PTO members wear many hats, often serving as coordinators, event planners, and fundraisers at the same time! The back-to-school season is no different, and, if anything, it’s more intense.
Some of the roles that your PTO can play during back-to-school season include:
- Welcoming and connecting families. Hosting opportunities for families to interact with one another and school staff can help build a stronger school community.
- Supporting teachers and staff. Many PTOs help teachers throughout the year by providing them with supplies and resources.
- Building PTO membership and recruiting volunteers. Recruiting members and volunteers in advance of your school-year events is extremely important.
- Fundraising. PTO’s often fundraise for things like classroom materials, playground equipment, enrichment programs, and more.
- Getting organized for the school year. Think finalizing your PTO’s budget, mocking up calendars, and loosely organizing major events.
Hosting a PTO Back-to-School Night: Ideas & Pointers
The goals of a successful back-to-school night are to spark engagement and build excitement. With the following ideas, you’ll be sure to do both!
1. Add a Shoe Drive Fundraiser
Hosting two events at the same time is a great way to engage your community, and a shoe drive fundraiser can run seamlessly alongside your other back-to-school activities!
Funds2Orgs makes the process easy. Here are the three simple steps:
- Ask attendees to bring their gently worn, used and new shoes to a designated collection point (i.e., your PTO information table!).
- Funds2Orgs picks up the shoes you collected.
- You get paid based on the weight of your collection!
A shoe drive fundraiser is an awesome way to turn existing school traffic into fundraising potential! Plus, you get to help keep shoes out of landfills. It’s a win-win!
2. Host a Welcome Event
Think fun and engaging activities that drive informal interactions! Some of the best include:
- Back-to-School Picnics
- Ice Cream Socials
- Pancake Breakfasts
- New-Family Orientations
With these community-based events, you’ll help students and families forge stronger connections. As a bonus, attendees may turn into PTO members or volunteers!
3. Host a Community-Building Activity
Community-building activities encourage students and families to work together for the betterment of their school (and the broader community). Some of these events include:
- School Decorating
- Welcome Sign Crafting
- Classroom-Door Decorating
Any event that can unite your school community around a common goal is a great idea!
4. Partner With Local Businesses
Partnerships can drive engagement for your PTO and your local business owners! Consider asking local businesses to provide:
- Event Sponsorships
- Donated Food
- Giveaway Prizes
- Discounts for School Families
5. Get Your PTO Out There
The best way to get people involved is to help them understand what their involvement means! Host events and information sessions where you:
- Explain what PTO Membership Means
- Make Membership Accessible and Easy
- Collect Annual Dues (if applicable)
6. Reach Out to Your Community!
Maintaining consistent contact with your community is a great way to get your PTo out there. Get your PTO’s communication ready well in advance, and be ready to distribute it ahead of time! Communication can take the form of:
- PTO Calendars
- Newsletters
- Social Media Channels
- Online Recruitment Forms for Volunteers
Other PTO Event Ideas for Back-to-School Season
Even if your PTO isn’t hosting the event, you can still engage your community! Here are a few ideas to drive engagement if your school is hosting its own back-to-school event.
1. Set Up a PTO Information Table
Introduce families to the PTO with a dedicated information table at an open house, curriculum night, or your school’s welcome event! Share information about:
- Membership
- Upcoming events
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Fundraising Efforts
- Meeting Dates
Make sure that you streamline the process! Make it easy for families to sign up and ask questions about membership.
2. Launch a School-Supply Program
What better way to engage your community than around a common goal to support student success? Organizing a school-supply drive alongside your school’s back-to-school event is a great way to gear up for the school year.
★ Pro Tip: Collect supplies specifically for families who need assistance, and give those families a way to discreetly request support.
3. Sell Spirit Wear
The beginning of the year is full of back-to-school excitement, which makes it the perfect opportunity to sell school-branded merch! Consider selling a variety of wearable merchandise (t-shirts, hoodies, hats) and physical items (magnets, decals, tote bags).
★ Pro Tip: Use the proceeds to support PTO initiatives or other school priorities!
4. Support the School’s Event
Getting your PTO out there can be as simple as showing up for your school! Consider supporting your school’s event by helping with:
- Staff check-in
- Information Tables
- Directing Families around the school
- Providing snacks or refreshments
- Setup and cleanup
Non-Event Back-to-School Ideas for PTOs
Looking for ideas that aren’t events? Look no further! Here are a few engaging ideas that can drive engagement year-round.
1. Create a PTO Welcome Guide
Gather everything that new and returning families need to know about the PTO into one simple, straightforward guide. Include information like:
- PTO Contact Information
- Meeting Dates
- Membership Details
- Volunteer Opportunities
★ Pro Tip: If you’re tech-savvy, consider adding a QR code that links to your website, social media pages, or volunteer sign-up forms
2. Launch a Yearlong Volunteer Recruitment Initiative
You’ll need volunteers all year, so why not recruit them all year? Consider creating a general volunteer interest form at the start of the year, complete with various opportunities throughout the year.
★ Pro Tip: Offer different levels of volunteer commitment so that families can fit volunteering into their schedules.
Start the School Year with PTO Momentum
Driving PTO involvement doesn’t have to mean organizing a major event! Sometimes, simply showcasing your organization as a helping hand can be enough to drive interest and engagement. Choose ideas that match your school community’s resources and needs.
If an event is what you’re looking for, combining like efforts can be a great way to maximize impact. Looking for a fun way to drive engagement while keeping shoes out of landfills? A Funds2Orgs Sneaker Drive Fundraiser is perfect for you!
Ready to learn more? Get started here.
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