PLTI grads lead in the health care discussion

PLTI graduates were among those who came to the Legislative Office Building in Hartford last week to participate in "This is What Health Care Should Be," a forum on how to continue making Connecticut’s health-care system more responsive, more accessible, and less expensive now that the federal Affordable Care Act has been enacted. The event was sponsored by Christian Community Action (CCA) Inc. and the Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut (LARCC).

In the photo above, clockwise from top left: Dawn Herring, Jonathan Stewart, Marilyn M. Carson, and Claudette Deer. In the photos below: Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman shares a few remarks with the gathering, and Mr. Stewart poses with state Social Services Commissioner Roderick L. Bremby. Photos by Kelly Martin.

West Hartford class gets under way

The West Hartford Class of 2015--the fourth PLTI class in that town--began meeting on January 10 with 21 parents attending the retreat. In the bottom photo, Mayor Scott Slifka welcomes them.

'PLTI makes you rise above yourself...'

Nice article in Tribuna.com about PLTI in Danbury, with translations in Spanish and Portuguese: http://www.tribunact.com/plti-program-enables-parents-become-leading-advocates-children/

Kellogg awards grant to expand PLTI nationally

The W. K. Kellogg Foundation has awarded a $500,000, two-year grant to the Commission on Children for a national expansion of its ground-breaking Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI). The funding will also allow expansion of the program to a two-generation strategy, so that it includes the children of participating parents. Read more about it in this news release.

WTIC-AM morning host Ray Dunaway interviewed Commission Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman about the grant. You can listen to it here.

2014 PLTI sites and contact information

The Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) sites for 2014 are Bridgeport, Danbury, Hartford, Meriden, Middlesex County, Milford, Norwalk, Stamford, Waterbury, West Central Connecticut, and West Hartford. You'll find contact information for each here. Learn more about PLTI here.

Pictures from an exhibition

Thanks to Doug Edwards for taking these great photos of the reception held at the state Capitol in Hartford on Thursday night in honor of "Illuminate! Bringing My Culture to Light," an exhibit of children's artwork from around the world. Danbury PLTI grad Miguel Barreto engineered the exhibit in his capacity as director of operations for Creative Commons, a nonprofit organization based in Norwalk. The exhibit can be seen throughout December in the concourse that connects the Capitol to the Legislative Office Building. For more details, see the previous post.

PLTI grad brings international art exhibit to the Capitol

Danbury PLTI graduate Miguel Barreto is brightening the state Capitol with "Illuminate! Bringing My Culture to Light," an exhibit of children's artwork from around the world. As director of operations for Creative Commons, a Norwalk-based nonprofit organization, Miguel gathered examples of the artwork created under Creative Connections’ ArtLink program, a six-month program in which American and foreign students make art that express a common theme but still reflects their own cultures. This year, students were asked to highlight otherwise-hidden aspects of their cultures by placing a source of light on them.

The exhibit, consisting of work from 17 countries, lines the concourse connecting the state Capitol with the Legislative Office Building. It will remain there through December and can be viewed on weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is free parking in a garage attached to the LOB, at 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. (Directions)

Creative Connections created the exhibit in collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance and with the support of the Connecticut Commission on Children, which operates PLTI. 

• Commission on Children news release