What Happens When Parents Lead:Civic Engagement and Systems Change2017NationalFamilyandCommunityEngagementConferenceEngagingFamilies:TransformationalMoments,SustainablePracticesDonnaThompson-Bennett,Co-Director,NationalParentLeadershipInstitute(NPLI)

PattiKeckeisen,Co-Director,NPLI

ZulemaGomez,ParentLeaderCoordinator,NPLI

AaronLequia,ParentLeader,ParentLeadershipTrainingInstitute,Merced,CA

OurMission

TheNationalParentLeadershipInstitute(NPLI)

existstocoordinateandincreasethecivicskillsand

impactofdiverseparentstoimprovechildand

communityoutcomesastheybuildcaring

communities.

ParentsWhoCareCanBecomeParentsWhoLead!

WhatWeDo

Wearedevelopingthefieldofparentleadershipby

embracingacross-race,cross-class,parent-informed

andpro-social learningapproachtobuildingparents

asaconstituencyforcommunityandrecognizing

childrenasthebeneficiaries.

ParentsWhoCareCanBecomeParentsWhoLead!

HowWeDoItNPLIworkswithandtrainsparents,agencies,

communityorganizations,local/stategovernments

andothersystemstopartnerwithparentsas

valuableleaders andassets workingtobuildcaring

communities.

ParentsWhoCareCanBecomeParentsWhoLead!

TheParentLeadershipTrainingInstitutePLTI

Ourcoreworkwithparentsacrossthenation,andinternationally• California• Colorado• Connecticut• Florida• Hawaii• Louisiana• Maine• Massachusetts• Michigan• NewYork• RhodeIsland• Virginia• Washington• WindRiverNation• Wyoming• NowinQueensland,AU

Source:NationalParentLeadershipTrainingInstitutePLTIPre-PostSurveyResults,2015-2016RMCResearchCorporation

Source:NationalParentLeadershipTrainingInstitutePLTIPre-PostSurveyResults,2015-2016RMCResearchCorporation

So, what happens when parents lead?

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When parents lead…

Outcomes from the 2015-2016 evaluation of PLTI Graduates include: • Increasedinvolvement inpublicactivitiesincludingspeaking,presenting,andattendingatcommunitymeetingsandcontactinglocalofficials.

• Increaseduseofcivicskills includingconsensusbuildingskillsandcommunityorganizingskills.• Increasedparticipationincivicactivities suchasadvocatingformeaningfulcommunityissuesorpolicies,advocatingforanissueorpublicpolicy,developingprogramstoaddresscommunityissues,andassessingcommunitystrengths.

• Increasedknowledge ofhowstateandlocalgovernmentswork,includinga69%increaseintheirknowledgeofhowstatebudgetsaremade

• Greatersenseofself-confidence toinfluencechangeandtounderstandandnavigatecommunitysystems.Ratingschangedfromlittleornounderstandingoftheconfigurationofcommunitysystemstounderstandingthesesystemsnearly“mostofthetime”.

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PLTI Outcomes

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BeforeparticipatinginPLTI:

lessthan50% ofparticipantsunderstood

howbudgetsorstatelawsaremade,or

whorepresentedtheminstateandlocal

government.

42% ofparticipantsknewtheirelected

Staterepresentative.

just33% ofparticipantswouldspeakat

publicmeetings

After participating in PLTI:

84%-91% of parent leaders reported

knowledge of these processes

86% of parent participants knew their

elected officials.

56% speak at public meetings

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For more information on NPLI:Patti Keckeisen

Donna Thompson-Bennettinfo.parentswholead@gmail.com

203-665-2303www.ParentsWhoLead.org @NationalPLI