ARTS CONTEST OPEN TO ALL PRE-K THROUGH 5TH GRADERS
This year's theme: "WHAT MY CULTURE MEANS TO ME"
Students can enter in more than 1 category
Categories include: Visual Arts * Literature * Photography
Reflections Program Timeline
Student Entry Deadline: The Mills Elementary deadline will be Friday, November 20th
Entry Forms and Rules
Students should download the Program Rules to ensure their art meets the requirements for each art category and also read more about this year’s theme below. Each entry must be accompanied by a completed Student Entry form.*
*Student Entry Form
Program Guidelines
Student Program Rules Packet
How to Apply 
Winning entries are then advanced over the next few months to the City/Regional, State and Nationwide levels.
Awards and Recognition 🏆
Each level of Reflections judging will determine how and when their participating students are celebrated. Mills recognition will be announced after the top entries advance to the City/Regional level.
What is the Reflections Program?
The Reflections Program is an arts program established in 1969 which has encouraged millions of students nationwide over the years to create works of art for fun and recognition. At its core, the goal of this program is for all children to have the chance to create an original work of art, experiment with different ways of expressing themselves, and feel good about their work! It's a powerful tool for affirming students’ creativity and critical thinking skills.
The Reflections Program gives students in preschool through 12th grade the opportunity to take a photo; create a painting, drawing, collage, or print; write a song, sonnet, poem, play, or short story; compose a concerto; produce a film, or choreograph a dance! Students may submit their entries interpreting this year’s theme in the visual arts, music composition, photography, literature, dance choreography, and film production arts categories. Students may submit more than one entry in any or all art categories. Entries may advance to multiple levels for recognition and awards. Texas PTA also provides an option for special education students to enter the Texas PTA Reflections Program.
Need a little help? Creative Ways to Explore “What My Culture Means To Me”
“What My Culture Means to Me” asks students to think about culture not only as something they inherit, but also something they live, celebrate, question and share. It encourages them to consider the people, places, traditions and values that have shaped their lives, and share those reflections through the arts.
Students might share:
- Ancestry, heritage or on a tradition passed down through generations
- What it feels like to learn, preserve or rediscover parts of their culture
- Reflections on how cultures around theme influence their own
- How culture influences their personality, school, neighborhood or chosen community
