Parent leadership training grants available

MIDDLETOWN >> Schools and organizations from across Connecticut are invited to submit proposals for funding parent leadership training on becoming a skilled advocate for children.

The request for proposals (RFP), issued by the State Education Resource Center and its CT Parent Information and Resource Center, covers programming under the Parent Trust Fund grant for the 2016-17 school year. Qualified public and community agencies and organizations that apply must describe the parent leadership training model they would use, such as the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), Parents Supporting Educational Excellence (Parents SEE), People Empowering People (PEP), and Voices for Families (VFF).

Proposals are due Friday, Sept. 9. For additional information and to access the RFP, go to http://ctserc.org/ ptfg.

In the 2015-16 school year, the 15th-anniversary year of the program, the Parent Trust Fund grant funded 25 schools and organizations using one of the above models. Every year, more than 1,000 additional Connecticut parents, grandparents, foster parents, and others have become strong voices for children.

“These programs empower parents not only to advocate for their children and volunteer in their schools, but also to become agents of change,” said Nicole Vitale, SERC/CT PIRC consultant and coordinator of the grant. “They gain leadership skills. They learn conflict resolution skills. They build networks with other parents and members of their communities and may even take leadership roles, all on behalf of the kids of the community.”

SERC/CT PIRC administers the grant through its partnership with the CT State Department of Education (CSDE) and in collaboration with the Parent Trust Fund Collaborative Management Team, which includes representatives from the CT Center for School Change; the CT Commission on Women, Children & Seniors; the CSDE; SERC/ CT PIRC, the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund; and the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, Department of Extension. The grant is funded by the CSDE with additional support from the Graustein Fund.

The General Assembly authorized the Parent Trust Fund in 2001 and allocated funding this spring for the upcoming school year. The goals of the annual grants include promoting culturally responsive practices and diverse leadership that is representative of the population; expanding the range of opportunities and the number of communities offering parent leadership training; increasing awareness of issues that matter most to families, and how families can lead change efforts; and enhancing collaboration and links among parent leadership training sponsors to create an integrated system of sustainable civic involvement within communities.

The State Education Resource Center (SERC) (ctserc.org) provides professional development, resources, and a centralized Library to Connecticut educators, service providers, families, and others to support its vision: Equity. Excellence. Education.

The CT Parent Information and Resource Center (CT PIRC) (ctpirc.org) is based at SERC in Middletown and works with partners across Connecticut to ensure that families have a voice in education that is sought, respected, and valued.