Ohio PTA Membership Awards

EMMY AWARD

The Emmy Award has been a staple of our membership program for years, and we’re excited to continue it in 2025–2026 with some important updates. This award recognizes units that achieve our monthly membership goals, keeping momentum strong all year long. Units that meet some — but not all — of the monthly targets will be celebrated with recognition on social media and a printed certificate. However, only full Emmy Award winners will be recognized at the convention. Please note: the criteria for meeting each month’s goal has been updated this year, so be sure to review the new requirements carefully if your unit wants to take home an Emmy!

THE GOLDEN APPLE AWARD

A longtime fan favorite, the Golden Apple Award celebrates units that achieve 100% staff membership. While this award has always inspired excitement, we’ve also seen lots of “what about…” questions behind the scenes. To keep things clear and consistent this year: 100% staff includes all staff working in the school building full time. This does not include substitutes, part-time staff, or floaters. Golden Apple winners will be proudly recognized at convention for their commitment to building strong, united school communities.

THE ALBUM AWARDS

New for 2025–2026, the Album Awards bring a fresh, music-inspired way to celebrate membership growth! Units will complete “tracks” throughout the year by meeting key membership challenges. With each milestone reached, your unit earns album status: Gold Album for completing 3 tracks, Platinum Album for 5 tracks, and the ultimate Diamond Album for completing all 7 tracks. Gold and Platinum winners will be celebrated on social media and receive a printed certificate, while Diamond Album winners will be recognized at convention, receive one BOGO coupon to convention, and be entered to win $100. This is your unit’s chance to release a membership hit that everyone will remember!

CHALLENGES

From time to time, Ohio PTA will introduce special one-time membership challenges to keep enthusiasm high throughout the year. These challenges are a great way to engage your members, earn prizes, and have a little fun. Please note that these challenges are separate from our annual awards and will not be recognized at convention.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many membership awards are available for the 25/26 school year?

There are three awards: The Emmy, the Golden Apple, and the Album Awards. Breakdowns of each award can be found above.

Which staff are considered for the Golden Apple Award?

If you’re uncertain if a staff member is needed towards your goal to reach the Golden Apple Award, ask yourself two questions: Do they work full time for the district? Do they work full time in our building? If the answer to both questions are yes, then they are needed. If one or both questions are answered with no, then they are not needed.

Will my unit receive recognition/award at the Ohio PTA convention?

The following awards will be recognized at the Ohio PTA Convention: The Emmy Award, The Platinum Album Award, and The Golden Apple Award.

If my unit achieves the Platinum Album Award but does not attend convention, will we still be recognized?

Yes, units will be recognized on our social media platforms and be entered into the $100 giveaway.

Does my unit need to wait until March 30 to submit for an album award?

No. The deadline is 3/30, but units may submit requirements as soon as they have them. As soon as the requirements are reviewed, an emailed confirmation will be sent out.

Will Ohio PTA track my unit’s progress for the album awards?

We will track for the Emmy Award. However, it is very important that units understand that they will need to submit requirements via email to member-services@ohiopta.org to submit for the Golden Apple and the Album Awards.