This year, Utah’s students, families and schools are celebrating a milestone: Utah Parent Teacher Association turns 100. For a century, this volunteer-driven organization has been shaping education, student well-being and community engagement across the state.

Utah PTA President Julie Cluff says the organization’s century-long mission goes far beyond classroom parties.

“PTA volunteers sometimes get pegged as the ‘party moms,’ but our work has changed lives and we’ve shaped education policy in Utah for generations,” she said. “Our programs are the heart of what we do, but advocacy is why we started.”

Current and past Utah PTA presidents pose for a recent photo. (Photo courtesy of Utah PTA)

 The roots of Utah PTA stretch back to 1897 when three Utah delegates attended the first meeting of the nationwide parent-teacher movement, then called the National Congress of Mothers. A year later, Mrs. C.E. Allen established the Utah Congress of Mothers, laying the groundwork for organized parent advocacy. Though that early group dissolved by 1901, momentum continued. By 1910, the state formed a chapter of the National Education Association’s Department of School Patrons, and by October 1925, the Utah PTA officially began with Lucille Young Reid as the first president. In 1951, every school in the state had a PTA.

The mission established then remains at the heart of the organization: “To make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.”

Utah PTA President 2023-25 Corey Fairholm loves the mission.

“When they first started in 1925, they were worried about some of same things we're worried about — making sure children don't have access to smoke shops and here we are 100 years later, and we're worried about vape shops,” she said. “At the legislature, they realize I’m representing 70,000–80,000 members who are concerned so the legislators are listening. Because the power of PTA, we have kindergarten, school lunches, support for students with disabilities and so many things beneficial to schoolchildren.”

Through the decades, volunteers have donated more than 1 million hours in 605 schools, bridging families and educators while supporting programs which enhance children’s health, safety and education.

Displays showcased the advocacy and history of Utah’s PTA during its centennial celebration. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

 Utah PTA’s impact can be seen in nearly every corner of school life. In the 1930s, it advocated for school lunches, paving the way for the National School Lunch Program in 1941. In Utah, longtime PTA member Tibby Milne remembers its start.

“I was a first grader in Richfield Elementary, and they started hot lunch there in this little cabin on the school grounds,” she said. “Mrs. Rowley did it, and she went on to run it nationally. She cooked the best food. I still remember her homemade bread and peanut butter cookies.”

PTA helped establish school libraries through legislation signed in 1956 and introduced the Reflections arts program in 1969. Utah was the first to introduce categories of theater, 3D visual arts and film and to advocate for a special needs division. 

Last year, Utah had more than 17,000 Reflections entries statewide, with nearly half of its national submissions receiving awards. The state is also one of the few to have developed its own online submission portal, now a model for others across the country, Cluff said.

PTA promoted student safety in partnership with national organizations in the 1980s, including seat belt campaigns and bus safety programs. 

“Our PTA worked on helmets, which was part of our safety campaign, and getting seat belts into cars — that was not easy,” said Milne, who helped shape initiatives such as the DARE program and the National Child Protection Act. “We had to change attitudes, but it was for the safety of children.”

Utah PTA President Julie Cluff and other PTA officials supported Midvale City recognizing PTA’s 100 years at a recent city council meeting. (Photo courtesy of Julie Cluff/Utah PTA)

 One of Utah PTA’s most enduring accomplishments began in the 1980s, when a group of PTA parents discovered Utah’s trust lands — public lands granted by the federal government at statehood to benefit schools — were being mismanaged.

Those PTA parents put in motion a 30-year advocacy effort which completely transformed the handling of funds, Cluff said.

“Today, those efforts bring millions of dollars every year to Utah’s schoolchildren,” she said. “What’s even better is that it’s not just today’s kids who benefit, it’s tomorrow’s kids too.”

Utah PTA was among the first in the nation to create a state-level special needs committee. Led by PTA advocate Karen Conder, the committee successfully passed a national resolution in 2018 establishing “high expectations for students with special needs.”

Utah has since added new resolutions supporting students with dyslexia and learning disabilities and continues to update them every seven years to reflect current research.

“Our resolutions are what give us a voice,” Cluff said. “They’re how we can walk into the Capitol, sit down with lawmakers, and say, ‘Here’s what our members want for Utah’s kids.’”

State PTA President 2013-15 Liz Zentner discovered her passion for advocacy.

“The first time as a PTA president, I went up to the Capitol for PTA Day at the Capitol and I realized this is where I can make a difference,” she said. “Now I encourage all members to send your representative and your senator emails and tell them what you think about something.”

Utah PTA also runs unique programs such as the Battle of the Bands, a 23-year tradition which gives student musicians a stage to shine.

“It might not reach every kid, but it reaches kids who need that connection the most,” Cluff said. “Some of these students are not just talented musicians, they’re amazing and polite kids.”

Beyond education, the Utah PTA has tackled broader community issues which affect children’s ability to learn, including affordable housing, homelessness and food insecurity. Cluff has authored resolutions on these topics after seeing firsthand how unstable housing impacts students in her Midvale community.

“If kids don’t have a safe place to live, they can’t focus on learning,” she said.

Utah has hosted the National PTA convention twice, in 1938 and 1988, reflecting its leadership on a national stage. Most recently, in 2022, Utah PTA received the National PTA Outstanding State PTA Award and Gov. Spencer Cox has declared October 2025 as Utah PTA Centennial Celebration Month.

Through all its initiatives, Utah PTA teaches students to advocate for themselves. Each year, secondary students participate in PTSA Day at the Legislature, meeting lawmakers, discussing issues and even learning how to draft bills. 

“I really believe the kids can make a difference,” Milne said. 

After 100 years, Utah PTA remains a powerful advocate for children, families and educators. 

“When our community comes together with a shared mission, we can do a lot of good to ensure every child has the support and opportunities needed to thrive,” Cluff said.