Founder's Day Dinner Celebrates PTA Heritage

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Record Number: 9639
Displayed from: Feb 13, 2013 , until: Feb 19, 2013

The Fort Wayne Area PTA Council will host its annual Founder's Day Dinner Tuesday, Feb. 19, at Snider High School, 4600 Fairlawn Pass.

The annual dinner honors the history of the Parent Teacher Association, and its commitment to ensuring quality education for children. This year's keynote speaker is Superintendent Dr. Wendy Robinson.

Prior to the dinner, the PTA Council will host a Fundraiser Expo from 5-7 p.m., also at Snider High School. At least 20 vendors will be present at the Expo, which is free to attend and open to all school clubs and organizations looking for fundraising ideas and resources. Attendance at the dinner is not required to attend the expo.

PTA was founded Feb. 17, 1897, by Phoebe Apperson Hearst, Alice McLellan Birney and Selena Sloan Butler, the founder of Georgia's Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers, Selena Sloan Butler. The three understood the power of individual action, worked beyond the accepted barriers of their day and took action to change the world. They had a simple idea – to improve the lives and futures of all children. At their first PTA meeting, they had hoped to have 200 people show up – they had 2,000. In the Fort Wayne area, there are more than 5,629 PTA members at 49 schools. Founders Day is a reminder of the substantial role PTA has played locally, regionally and nationally in supporting parent involvement and working on behalf of children and families.


With nearly 30,000 students, Fort Wayne Community Schools is one of the largest school districts in Indiana. FWCS proudly allows families to choose any of its 50 schools through its successful school-choice program creating diversity in each school, including some with more than 75 languages spoken. FWCS offers seven magnet schools focusing on areas such as science and math, communication, fine arts or Montessori at the elementary and middle school level. In high school, students can choose from the prestigious International Baccalaureate program, Project Lead the Way or New Tech Academy as well as other rigorous academic and specialty training programs.