Bountiful Elementary students are invited to share their creativity in the 2026–2027 PTA Reflections program. This year’s theme, “What My Culture Means to Me,” gives every student a chance to tell a story that is uniquely their own. Submissions are due online by October 13.
Family traditions. Music. Food. Language. Places. Stories. Values. Community. The things we celebrate—and even the everyday things that make us who we are. Bountiful Elementary students are invited to turn their own answer into art for the 2026–2027 PTA Reflections competition.
This year’s National PTA Reflections theme is “What My Culture Means to Me,” and submissions are now open for Bountiful Elementary students.
Culture can mean something different to every student. It might be a tradition passed through generations, a favorite family gathering, a language spoken at home, music or food that connects you to people you love, a community you belong to, or simply the experiences and values that have helped shape who you are.
There isn’t one right way to interpret the theme. That personal interpretation is the point.
Find Your Way to Tell the Story
Students can take their idea in many different creative directions. Reflections entries may be submitted in:
Dance Choreography
Film Production
Literature
Music Composition
Photography
Visual Arts, including 2D and 3D artwork
National PTA Reflections is open free of charge to students of all grades and abilities, and Utah PTA provides an Accessible Arts division to support students with disabilities who may benefit from accommodations.
Students don’t have to consider themselves an “artist” to participate. Utah PTA judges entries on interpretation of the theme, creativity and technique, with interpretation receiving the greatest emphasis. A meaningful idea and the student’s individual voice matter.
The Artist Statement Matters
Each entry includes a title and artist statement explaining the student’s connection to the theme and the choices behind the work. Students might consider questions such as:
What does my creation say about my culture?
Why is this important to me?
What inspired my idea?
Why did I choose to tell my story this way?
The artist statement should remain in the student’s own voice. Utah PTA specifically encourages students to explain both their connection to the theme and the creative decisions that made the entry uniquely theirs.
Ready to Create?
Bountiful Elementary entries are due Tuesday, October 13, 2026. All entries must be submitted through the Utah PTA online Reflections system. Families should review the official rules for their chosen category before beginning, since requirements vary by art form.
Selected entries may earn recognition and advance from the school level to Council, Region and State, with state Award of Excellence recipients eligible to advance to National PTA competition.
So start with the question: What does your culture mean to you?
Then write it. Photograph it. Paint it. Compose it. Choreograph it. Film it.
Helpful Links
View the Bountiful Elementary Reflections Poster (PDF)
All Reflections entries must be submitted online at www.utahpta.org/ref. Parents will need to create an account and then have students click on "Submit Reflections Entries" to fill out an entry form and upload their entry.