Whether students pursue learning through local community service or far-flung educational travel, universities appreciate applicants who take the initiative to seek out knowledge in unique ways. This PTA Radio show will highlight some vehicles for young people to obtain those experiences and help them build their self-confidence.

Peg Thomas is President of People to People Ambassador Programs, an organization that provides educational travel experiences around the world for thousands of students each year. Prior to her current position Ms. Thomas lived and worked in Bergamo, Italy as an English teacher.

That's right, it's not just your mother's PTA anymore. As times change, so do family structures. Across the country more men are getting involved in their child's education. However, there is a lot more work to do to get more men engaged and the guests of this PTA Radio show are doing something about it. Listen now if you are a PTA leader looking for ways to engage men or you want to be more involved in your child's life.

In 1998 Eric Snow, Executive Director of WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) helped create the very first WATCH D.O.G.S. program through the PTA of his son and daughter’s school. Eric was appointed to the National PTA Board of Directors in June of 2012. Al Tamagni is Chair of the National PTA Male Engagement Committee, Prior to that he served on the National PTA Board of Directors. He is also currently serving as President of Alaska PTA.

In the aftermath of the horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, children will look to us to help them make sense of what happened. They may us ask difficult questions, ones which we may not be prepared to answer. This PTA Radio show will address some of those questions and help parents reassure our children that they are safe in school.

Amy R. Smith is currently serving as the President of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) for the 2012–2013 term. She is on sabbatical from her position as an Educational Consultant at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), the training arm of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education.

In the wake of one of the most devastating natural disasters in American history, National PTA® announces a grant program to assist schools impacted by Superstorm Sandy. Listen now to find out how your PTA can receive funding to rebuild your school community. Also, listen to a first-hand account of what families are going through from a parent leader on the ground in New Jersey

Charlotte Arr is president of the New Jersey PTA Betsy Landers is president of the National Parent Teachers Association (NPTA). Her role in National PTA also included chairing the National PTA Advisory Board, the National Council of States, the Strategic Plan Committee, the Resource Development Committee, and the Finance Committee.

About 700 children ages 12 and younger die each year as car occupants. Though that number is down from years past, that's one child too many. Yet there is still a lot that parents do not know about child passenger safety. The good news is there's a lot that we as parents can do to protect our young travelers. Listen now to hear what the experts suggest that parents do and how your PTA can receive a free workshop for parents on the topic.

NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman is recognized as one of the nation's most visionary and passionate safety leaders who advocates for safety across all modes of transportation. Among her many initiatives, Chairman Hersman has focused attention and actions on distracted driving, child passenger safety, and helping accident victims and their families.

The most widely read magazine by PTA leaders and members just got better by going digital! The digital version of Our Children will contain features that help readers navigate to additional information with a single click. Social media and email options help readers share content just as easily. Video will enhance your reading experience and tabs will help readers go directly to any article. Of course, for those who like to "thumb" through the magazine from front to back, the digital Our Children behaves just like a print magazine. Subscribers will still receive the print issue as usual but now have the option of sharing information with one simple click. The August-September issue has already hit newsstands and laptops!

Marilyn Ferdinand is the editor in chief of Our Children, National PTA’s flagship magazine. Published five times during the school year, Our Children offers timely information helpful to parents, teachers, and PTA leaders who serve the needs of school children and their families across the United States and at our military outposts overseas.

Dating violence in American schools is on the rise. New research shows that a vast majority of school counselors report not having a protocol for incidents involving dating violence. Yet, more than half of them also report having to deal with such incidents in the last two years. Find out more about this growing concern in this new segment of National PTA Radio.

Marilyn Ferdinand is the editor in chief of Our Children, National PTA’s flagship magazine. Published five times during the school year, Our Children offers timely information helpful to parents, teachers, and PTA leaders who serve the needs of school children and their families across the United States and at our military outposts overseas.

National PTA Radio features an exclusive one-on-one conversation with the US Department of Education. Listen to find out how Today's PTA is working with the White House and the US Department of Education to call attention to the needs of parents at the grassroots level nationwide. From a grassroots recognition program called PTA Champions of Change to a White House briefing that will be streamed live online for all parents to watch. If you have ever wanted to know what's going on at the national level of education, do not miss this episode of National PTA Radio!.

Massie Ritsch is Deputy Assistant Secretary for External Affairs and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education.

With inadequate education funding and education budgets being sliced more and more every year across the country, communities are dealing with a growing number of school closures. The question from our listenership is: how do PTAs handle these controversial situations? To help answer this question and more, we speak to Janet Meyerson of the NYS PTA. She is the vice president of field support and region directors.

Janet Meyerson is presently New York State PTA Vice President for Field Support and Region Directors. She has been involved in PTA for 25 years, starting as a local leader at the elementary level.

Whether soldiers are on their tours of duty, at war or returning home, military families may have their own battle keeping as normal a family life as possible, especially for their children. This episode of National PTA Radio focuses on the challenges that military families face and how we, PTAs and the community, can help through these tough times as "War comes to PTA." Award-winning military mom, Amy Zink, and Region Director for Tennessee PTA joins this episode to talk about the effects of war on families. Since the end of the war in Iraq and as the Afghan war and negative media coverage of the war continues, communities should be aware that military families are still coping with the effects of war.