Program Design
Participants define the FLTI curriculum and participate in its evaluation and outcomes. Family supports, such as transportation, child care and dinner, are included. Each class of parents mentors the next class, creating a pyramid effect of community caring and developing a broad base of parent leaders that bands together for communal impact.
FLTI History
In 1992, the Connecticut Commission on Children worked collaboratively with the American Leadership Forum and Leadership Greater Hartford to design the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) as a result of information garnered from statewide parent focus groups. The cornerstones of the program are respect, validation and a belief that when the tools of democracy are understood, the public will become active participants in communities.
Click here to read about PLTI program development at the CCC website.
In 2015, OPEN doubled down on its three-year-strong PLTI program with the creation of a two-generation pipeline for the Children’s Leadership Training Institute, a parallel program for the children of parent leaders. Through the program’s public advocacy, governmental relations, media and leadership training, families develop together as civic leaders and champions for change — an organic bridge for parents and children to share the leadership experience. The program as a whole is now the Family Leadership Training Institute.
CLTI uses literacy as a base, creating a full spectrum of activities that parallel the PLTI course and encompass multiple intelligences. Multiple intelligence is a new name for an old theory. Each community has niches and roles for the storyteller, the healer, the bean counter, the singer, the diplomat, the builder, the poet, the problem solver. CLTI’s model relies on recognizing and developing the unique intelligence in every child.
This is what makes groups work, what enriches and strengthens them: valuing the multiple dimensions and strengths of each member.
FLTI has three goals:
• To increase civic leadership among families: Developing a network of parents and young people who have the skills, networks and ability to translate their concern for the issues in their community into leadership that improves educational, health and environmental outcomes for all of the city’s children.
• To strengthen familial relationships: Supporting parent and child’s healthy mutual development through connections between their programs.
• To improve child-serving institutions and programs: Facilitating participants’ improvement of policies and practices in child-serving organizations to better incorporate the interests and concerns of families into everything that they do.
At a time when our city grapples with persistent child poverty rates, violence and economic contention, FLTI is turning the tide at the anchor institution – the family.
The FLTI Process
The FLTI program is a two-generation strategy to bolster parental involvement while promoting children’s issues. The program integrates child development leadership and democracy skills into a parent-friendly curriculum. Participants attend a 20-week program consisting of one three-hour session per week. The application process is competitive, and the participants are selected on the basis of their commitment and passion for their community.
The FLTI curriculum consists of four separate phases:
1. A retreat to promote cohort development and define the mission.
2. A 10-week course on parent leadership.
3. A 10-week study of politics, policy and media.
4. A community project to practice the learning within a community context.
FLTI Modules
Retreat: Creating a Caring Community for Children Session I: Thriving with Diversity in the Group Process Session II: The Change Process
Session III: Parents as Change Agents
Session IV: How to Define a Problem and Work Toward a Solution Session V: The Intentional Use of Language
Session VI: Learning How a Community Works
Session VII: How Local Systems Work and How to Interact with Them Session VIII: Networks
Session IX: The Power of the Media and How to Use it
Session X: Using Your Voice
Session XI: The Life Cycle of the Child and the Functions of the Family Session XII: Social and Economic Trends Affecting Children and Families Session XIII What is Public Policy?
Session XIV: How the State Works
Session XV: How a City Works
Special Session: Practicum Power Session
Session XVI: How Do We Understand the Law?
Session XVII: Budgets – From Wallets to State – It’s all Money and Priorities Session XVIII: Evaluation, Outcomes and Accountability
Session XIX: The Magic of the Unexpected: Forming New Alliances Session XX: Language: Packaging and Moving Agendas
