Just passing the word along.....
Councilmember Guidry would
like you to have information about a parent leadership initiative, PLTI-NOLA, which may be of value to the families you
are working with. The local program will be hosted by
the Orleans Public Education Network (OPEN) through funding from the Greater New
Orleans Foundation. Please see below:
New
Initiative Builds Capacity and Empowers Parents Through Civic
Engagement
New Orleans Selected
to Launch Unique, National Parent Leadership Initiative in
LA
The Orleans Public
Education Network (OPEN) is pleased to introduce a unique, parent leadership
initiative to the state of Louisiana. This national initiative was founded by
the Connecticut Commission on Children. The Parent Leadership Training Institute
(PLTI) trains, inspires and enables parents to become effective advocates for
children. Applications for the inaugural class of the Parent Leadership Training
Institute of New Orleans (PLTI-NOLA) are now being accepted. In other
communities, PLTI graduates have gone on to lead community organizations, serve
on local school boards, and win election to the state legislature. The local
program (PLTI-NOLA), will be hosted by the Orleans Public Education Network,
thanks to funding recently awarded by the Greater New Orleans
Foundation.
The Parent Leadership
Training Institute is a series of 20 sessions on leadership training, civic
literacy, and civic participation skills. A primary goal of this initiative is
to transform how we do business in supporting parents and creating a safe space
for parents to connect around the commonality of 21st century parenting and
building the community, city, and state our children deserve! Deirdre Johnson
Burel, Executive Director of Orleans Public Education Network (OPEN) proclaims,
"If you can envision an initiative based on diversity that focuses on and
effectively reaches members of our community spanning from St. Charles Avenue to
St. Claude Street and beyond, then you can imagine the Parent Leadership
Training Institute."
This unique leadership
opportunity is made possible by the collective and collaborative work of the
PLTI Civic Design Team. The Civic Design Team is the governing body of the
Parent Leadership Training Institute. According to PLTI-NOLA Civic Design Team
member Barbara LeBlanc, LCSW, Director-The Parenting Center at Children's
Hospital, "PLTI offers parents from every New Orleans neighborhood a unique
opportunity to get to know one another and join forces around important issues
affecting the families in our city. I look forward to seeing how this first
group of parents uses the training to better our community." PLTI Facilitator
(instructor) Bonnie Goldblum shares, "I think that this is a great opportunity
to bring together diverse communities to achieve a common goal, which is
positive outcomes for our youth." Prospective participant, Katherine Hutton is a
single parent of 3 school-age children. Hutton declares, "I think it's a
wonderful opportunity for our parents in New Orleans. PLTI will provide a
beautiful foundation for parent leadership. It will give parents an opportunity
to develop a good foundation for leadership in New Orleans." Catherine Robin,
Agenda for Children-Director of K-12 Initiatives, contends, "It's important that
parents develop skills and techniques to be able to advocate on behalf of their
children and community. PLTI provides this opportunity in a safe and nurturing
environment."
Each year this
opportunity is offered to 25 participants who are screened and selected based on
their availability and readiness to become effective change agents on behalf of
children, youth and families. This initiative develops parent leadership through
trust, participation, skills building, hope and high expectations. These
ingredients offer parents, who seek to create change for their children and
others, a ladder towards leadership. Previous national PLTI classes have
included a cross-section of people including young adults to
grandparents, single moms, dads, couples, those with community leadership
experience and those who are just beginning the journey of civic engagement.
Through this 20-week training, parents are offered leadership training that
includes the following:
* An initial retreat on
February 15, 2013; program begins in February and ends in June
* Two 10-week
sessions that focus on knowledge about the change process, skill building, and
tools of civic engagement
* The development of
a personal community project
Sessions include, but
are not limited to, training on using the media, public speaking, forming useful
coalitions and building community, understanding policy and municipal budgets,
and becoming familiar with city, state and federal law.
Who should
apply? Parents, single
parents, grandparents, other family members, young adults, foster parents,
community members and others who wish to receive training to become effective
leaders and change agents on behalf of children, youth, and families. This
opportunity is only offered to 25-50 participants who are screened through an
interview process. PLTI-NOLA is offered free of charge.
In exchange for FREE
registration, participants give the commitment of time reflected in class
attendance and a community project. If the Parent Leadership Training Institute
is the right opportunity for you, please apply. For more information, or to
request a hard copy application to participate in this exciting program, contact
Carol Alexander-Lewis at 504.339.5310 or via email at info@pltinola.org. Application deadline
is January 25, 2013.
PLTI-NOLA is a
collaborative of Agenda for Children, Black Men of Labor, Central City
Renaissance Alliance, Children's Defense Fund, Greater New Orleans Foundation,
Institute of Mental Health, Modern Parents Magazine, Orleans Public Education
Network, The Parenting Center-Children's Hospital, Total Community Action, Urban
League-GNO, Urban Strategies, Inc.
Contacts:
Deirdre Johnson Burel,
504-821-4004
Carol Alexander-Lewis,
504.339.5310
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