Thursday, October 25, 2012

PLTI grad brings international art to Hartford

If you're in Hartford in December, stop by the Legislative Office Building and check out the international artwork that will be on display thanks to Miguel Barreto, a 2012 Danbury PLTI graduate from Bethel.

Miguel is director of operations for Creative Connections, a nonprofit cultural exchange organization that currently connects about 100 classrooms with partners in more than 29 countries. Some of the artwork produced in these classrooms will go on display at the LOB,where it will be seen by legislators, their staff, and the public. Congratulations, Miguel!

Directions to the LOB

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Helping her fellow Danbury parents

When Danbury High School held a workshop to help parents of English language learners get acquainted with school rules, the grading system, and everything else they needed to know to help their children succeed, Danbury PLTI alum Maryangela Amendola was there to help.

As the Danbury News Times described it:
High school parent Maryangela Amendola spoke Spanish and English as she told parents about the School Governance Council, a group of parents, community members and educators who advise the principal on improving the school. She explained that the state required the council be established because the high school's test scores were not adequate.
 Way to go, Maryangela.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Kathy Thompson shares her story

Kathy Thompson, a graduate of the Waterbury Parents Supporting Educational Excellence (Parents SEE), recently wrote an article for the National Center for Learning Disabilities website on her struggle to get her son Jeffrey's reading disability diagnosed and treated. The headline of her article says it all: "Parent Determination Leads to Son's Success with Assistive Technology." Here, she's pictured with Gov. Dannel Malloy, who met with Jeffrey last year and gave encouragement and inspiration by describing his own battles with dyslexia. Kathy has also served on the state Special Education Advisory Council and the African-American Affairs Commission.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Can't get enough on parent engagement? Then this one's for you.

The Parent Engagement section of our website has a lot of great resources, but we've just made it even more useful by adding a list of documents, videos, links entitled More Parent Engagement Resources. Among the new documents there is "A Sampler of Parent Leadership Training
in Connecticut," which gives an overview of the major parent-engagement programs around Connecticut.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

PLTI profiled on 'For the People'

"For the People," a public affairs program of WFOX-FM ("95.9 The Fox") profiled PLTI for its July 13 program, with host John Voket interviewing the Commission's Dawn Homer-Bouthiette and several parent leaders, including Tom Stoto, Mark Kaufman, and Yasmine Blackburne. Nice job by everybody! You can listen to it here.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Congrats to Danbury PLTI's Darla Shaw and Barry Finch

The Danbury News Times recently profiled the members of Ridgefield's Founders Hall Band, who include Danbury PLTI graduates Darla Shaw and Barry Finch. The band, also known as the Senior Melodiers, rehearses at the local senior center and has performed everywhere from birthday parties to concert venues.

Darla, a Western Connecticut State University professor as well as the band's manager, started playing the accordion nine years ago. "We're still evolving," she told the News Times. "We want to continue to grow and learn. If we're not the best musicians, that's OK."

Monday, May 14, 2012

Two awards for PLTI

The Bridgeport PLTI site has received a Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award from the Connecticut Valley Chapter of Advancing Women in Transportation. The nomination was submitted by Crystal Engram, PLTI Class of 2007, who works for Greater Bridgeport Transit.

Meanwhile, the New Haven PLIT site has received the Community Service Award from The Mount Zion Seventh Day Adventist Church in Hamden. The nomination for that award came from Kim Harris, a parent in the 2012 class in New Haven.

Congratulations to everyone in Bridgeport and New Haven for making the awards possible!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Help us celebrate 20 years of PLTI

It's true -- the first class graduated from PLTI in 1992. We'll be celebrating the occasion in the coming months with events, articles, and more, including remembrances from PLTI alumni and supporters. You can share your memories in the comment section below or e-mail them to kevin.flood@cga.ct.gov. We're also looking for photos and other memorabilia.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

United Way of Milford gives a shout out to PLTI

PLTI of Milford is spotlighted in the "Champion the Cause" section of the United Way of Milford's latest newsletter:

Milford’s 4th Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), a collaborative effort between the Milford Health Department, Milford Public Schools, the United Way of Milford, and Kids Count of Milford, began this past January. PLTI was developed by the State of Connecticut’s Commission on Children to enable parents to become leading advocates for children. Cornerstones of the program are respect, validation, and a belief that when the tools of democracy are understood the public will actively engage in civic life. PLTI students participate in an 18-week program designed to provide the civic and leadership skills needed to work in the community on behalf of children. Participants also complete a community project that contributes to the well-being of Milford’s children. This year's participants are Colleen Berry, Joyce Carloto, Lindsay Carlson, Eamteong Chay, Richard Ferrari, Talina Galvez, Beth Granger, August Harrigan, Tracey Irby, Tori Lawlor, Jen Mino-Scopp, Nuha Musallam, Jane Mirmina, Kelly Nealy, Pat Pritchard, Marie Romano, Kerry Sciuto, Christine Surel, Jessica Theisen, and Larissa Watt. For more information about the program, contact PLTI coordinator Lesley Darling at the Milford Health Department (203) 783-3314.
H/T to Patti Keckeisen for noticing this.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Check out the PLTI banner hanging outside the State Office Building!

How cool is this? The banner will hang at the corner of Washington Street and Capitol Avenue in downtown Hartford -- in full view of state officials and anyone else driving in and out of the state Capitol -- all this week.


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