National PTA Names Jan Harp Domene Award Recipients and Healthy Minds Fellows

National PTA Names Jan Harp Domene Award Recipients and Healthy Minds Fellows

ALEXANDRIA, Va., (Feb. 13, 2026)-National PTA is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2026 Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Awards, along with five local PTA leaders selected to serve as Healthy Minds Fellows with its Center for Family Engagement.

The Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Awards honor PTAs for outstanding efforts in making sure the perspectives and needs of all communities are heard and represented. The 2026 Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award recipients are:

• Edwin Aldrin PTA (Schaumburg, Ill.) has been dedicated to facilitating access to all families and welcoming their community's racial, cultural and linguistic diversity.
  

• Challenger Middle School PTSA (Huntsville, Ala.) has made intentional efforts to diversify their membership and leadership to be more reflective and inclusive of their school community, recognizing their school's Title I classification with over 50% of students from low-income families and a large Spanish-speaking population.
  

• Redlands Special Education PTA (Redlands, Calif.)has focused on reaching families who have historically been left out of both PTA and school activities-particularly families of children with disabilities and families who are English Language Learners.
  

The fellowship is part of National PTA's efforts to advance its Healthy Minds and Healthy Lifestyles initiatives nationwide. The Healthy Minds Fellows are:

• Nisheena Clemens (Nickajack Elementary PTA, Smyrna, Ga.) brings personal and professional lived experience to the fellowship and will concentrate on bringing students and families together to engage in hands-on activities focused on positive mental health practices.
  

• Kimberly McDonough (Mulrennan Middle School PTSA, Valrico, Fla.) is a current PTA leader and has a psychology degree and several certificates in mental health. She is also a certified mental health first aid responder. Her goal for the fellowship is to spread knowledge and awareness focused on teens and social media use.
  

• Laura Pugh (West Hills PTA, Bremerton, Wash.) is an elementary school educator and a member of a small PTA in her community. Through the fellowship, she will focus on providing parents and caregivers with the tools to engage their children around mental health, mainly youth anxiety, and will also focus on improving her advocacy skills as a parent and an educator.
  

• Katy Leach (Tuscawilla Middle School PTSA, Winter Springs, Fla.) is a mom of three students and a substitute teacher and sees firsthand how mental health needs change across ages and how they show up both at home and in the classroom. Through the fellowship, she wants to bring back to her school community practical solutions that make mental health resources more accessible and less intimidating, so every family feels empowered to support their child's well-being.
  

• Tyler Porter (Lynn Wood Elementary PTA, Broken Arrow, Okla.) is president of her PTA, a mom of three children and a former teacher and has seen how mental health directly affects student learning, family engagement and the overall well-being of families. Her goal for the fellowship is to gain strategies and tools to bridge gaps and create lasting meaningful connections between mental health resources and families.
  

"Our 2026 Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award recipients and Healthy Minds Fellows have demonstrated a commitment to ensuring all families feel welcomed, supported and included; bringing knowledge, tools and resources into the lives of families; and meeting the critical needs of students, families and schools," said Yvonne Johnson, president of National PTA. "We're thrilled to recognize their efforts and have them as fellows."

The Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Awards are named after past National PTA President (2007-2009) Jan Harp Domene, who was dedicated to ensuring that families of all backgrounds felt welcomed in PTA and their school communities. The award recipients are selected by National PTA's Diversity, Inclusion & Outreach Committee, which also works to ensure diversity and inclusion in PTA. Edwin Aldrin PTA, Challenger Middle School PTSA and Redlands Special Education PTA will each receive $1,000 in recognition of their efforts to further their work. They will be recognized during National PTA's 2026 Convention, June 18-20 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Healthy Minds Fellows will receive a $1,500 stipend for their participation, thanks to support from the New York Life Foundation. As fellows, these PTA leaders will identify a local problem of practice with the goal of strengthening their leadership around mental health and National PTA's Healthy Minds program; develop and implement an action plan around their problem of practice; and facilitate train-the-trainer workshops to educate other PTA leaders about Healthy Minds.

"We applaud the efforts and commitment of our fellows and award recipients," added Howie Berman, MA, CAE, National PTA executive director. "By engaging underrepresented families; offering support to diverse groups; and ensuring all perspectives are included, heard and valued, they have and will continue to enrich the experiences of all students and families and help advance strategies and programs that will make a real impact for students, families and schools."

Read more about the work of the 2026 Jan Harp Domene Award recipients at PTA.org/DiversityAward, and read more about the Healthy Minds Fellows at PTA.org/HealthyMindsFellows.

About National PTA

National PTA? comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org.

PTA is committed to advancing and ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels of the association. If you have witnessed or experienced bias in your PTA, please reach out to [email protected].