PTA COMMITTEES
Committees are where most of the PTA's work happens. Each one is a small group of families working on one thing — the library, the schoolyard, movie nights, teacher appreciation.
Most take a few hours a month, and plenty of people help with one event and leave it there. You don't need experience, and you don't need to commit to a year.
Open any committee below to see what it does and who to email. If two or three appeal, email all of them — they'd rather hear from you twice than not at all.
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Helps organize the after-school programs running in and around PS 20 — visual arts, dance, gymnastics and more. The committee keeps the list of local programs on ps20.org current, and works with providers on pick-up logistics and special offers for PS 20 families.
Good fit if you're already navigating after-school for your own child and want to make it easier for the next family.
afterschool-committee@ps20.org -
Keeps families informed about what's happening in the school. We send regular updates, manage Konstella and the school website, maintain the PS 20 Handbook, and coordinate flyer backpacking.
We’re always looking for help with class parent leads · graphic design · social media · Konstella and email · multilingual speakers, especially French, Arabic, Spanish and Italian · anyone who wants to help PS 20 communicate better
comm@ps20.org -
Works to make sure every PS 20 family has their basic material needs met. Runs the Community Closet — stocked with items any family can take — and organizes donation drives and resource-sharing in response to what the community needs.
Good fit if you want practical, direct work with a visible result. All families welcome, whether you're giving or receiving.
A JEDI subcommittee.
supportservice@ps20.org -
Organises and supports PS 20 events, from Movie Nights to Parents' Night Out. The main focus is parent community events, with support for school events like the Holiday Concert and Brotherhood Dinner, and fundraisers like the Social Justice Run.
Good fit if you like making things happen on the day and don't want a year-round commitment — most help is event by event.
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Works with facilities and custodial staff on improving the building: advocating for city budget allocations, increasing accessibility, running hybrid events, and expanding outdoor learning space.
Good fit if you have a background in construction, architecture, accessibility or city budgeting — or just strong opinions about the schoolyard.
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Organises the events and campaigns that fund school and PTA programs. Recent years have raised around $100,000 annually — money that pays for Green Arts, School Aides, Mosaic and the rest.
Good fit if you have ideas, contacts, or enthusiasm for rallying people. No fundraising experience required.
fund@ps20.org -
Funds and supports the art and gardening teachers who work with every grade during the school week. Green Arts is a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach that broadens how students think and solve problems. We keep beehives on the school roof and collaborate with local institutions including Fort Greene Park.
Good fit if you garden, keep bees, teach, or just want to be outside with kids.
greenarts@ps20.org -
Holds monthly events celebrating the cultural diversity of PS 20, and supports immigrant families through their school experience in New York.
Good fit if you'd like to share your family's culture with the school, or help a family newer to the city than you are.
A JEDI subcommittee.
international@ps20.org -
Supports the PS 20 community in pursuing racial justice and advancing equity, diversity and inclusion across the school.
JEDI is an umbrella with three subcommittees, each listed separately below: International & Multicultural Families, Community Support and Service, and the Rainbow Committee, which supports our LGBTQ+ families.
jedi@ps20.org -
Works on the PS 20 Library - cleaning, organising and improving it so every student has access to good books. Also supports reading events across the school.
Good fit if you'd enjoy a few hours among books with a visible result at the end.
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Designs, orders and sells PS 20 merchandise — tees, sweatshirts and tote bags — at pop-up tables during school events. Proceeds go back to the PTA.
Good fit if you have design skills, or just enjoy running a table and talking to people.
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Supports Mosaic, the PTA-funded after-school program running Monday to Friday from dismissal until 6pm, with tiered pricing so it's available to every PS 20 family. The committee helps with oversight, enrollment and making sure it stays accessible.
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Produces the monthly outdoor movie nights in the schoolyard. We work in shifts - audio/visual setup at the front, refreshments at the back. We keep it low-waste: bring your own reusable cups, plates and forks, and we avoid single-use plastics.
Good fit if you want a one-evening commitment with an immediate payoff. It's genuinely a good time.
movienight@ps20.org -
Supports LGBTQ+ families and students at PS 20, and works to make the school a place where every family sees itself reflected.
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Confronts the preventable epidemic of traffic violence in our neighborhoods - advocating for life-saving street changes and supporting those who have been affected.
Good fit if you walk or bike your child to school and have thoughts about the route.
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Brings hands-on science and technology into the school — from science-fair style STEAM Nights to astronomy outings with local groups. Current focus is the Utopia Lab maker space, including the 3D printers, and the Green Arts room.
Good fit if you work in a STEAM field, or you're the parent whose kitchen table is covered in half-finished projects.
steam@ps20.org -
Organizes support and appreciation for PS 20 teachers and staff throughout the year, culminating in Teacher Appreciation Day in May.
Good fit if you want a low-commitment way in — most of the work happens in short bursts around a handful of dates.
Committees change from year to year as families bring new ideas. Several of the ones above started exactly that way. If you've got something you'd like to build, reach out to the PTA to find members or fill out the funding request form.