|
|
 Danbury Children First Updates
Parent Leadership / Parent Engagement
|
|
| October 2009 |
Volume 2, Number 4
|
 Save the Date!
December 10, 2009
Holiday Breakfast to Celebrate and Support
Parent Leadership Programs!
For more information contact Danbury Children First
at 797-8088
|
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
Take the bus with us! Danbury Children First is traveling to Meriden on Saturday, November 14 to attend an event supporting the education of young children. Please join us! See below for details....
It's that time of year again. We're now recruiting for the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) and People Empowering People (PEP). These FREE programs help parents learn how to to do great things for children in the Danbury Community. See below about how to get involved--you'll meet other parents and learn how to make a difference in the lives of Danbury kids! Remember, childcare and a meal are offered at all classes.
Alumni from the 2009 PEP class held a highly successful Resource Fair at the First Congregational Church in Danbury on September 25. It was a great way for parents to find out about the many services available in Danbury to help their children! Read more below....
And on October 13, Lee y serás (Read and You Will Be Anything) graduated nine more parents. Those parents had fun while gaining the skills they need to help their children learn to read.
If you have questions about any of these programs, please email me at carolinel@danburychildrenfirst.org.
Caroline LaFleur
Communications Coordinator
| |
Take the Bus With Us!! Statewide Public Meeting to Support the Education of Our Young ChildrenSaturday, November 14, 2009
1-3 pm
Thomas Edison Middle School
1355 N. Broad St.
Meriden
Sponsored by CT Parent Power, Meriden Children First, and CT Early Childhood Alliance
Featured Speaker: Jacqueline Jones, Senior Advisor for Early Learning, Office of the Secretary of the US Department of Education. Other Speakers: Mark McQuillan, CT Commissioner of Education; Rep. Chris Donovan, Speaker of the House; and Sen. Tom Gaffey, Chair of the Education Committee.
Bus will leave Danbury at 11 am and return at about 5 pm.
Childcare and a light lunch will be provided!
To register for the bus, you must call Danbury Children First at 797-8088 or email carolinel@danburychildrenfirst.org and let us know how many adults and children will be traveling with us.
|
Now Recruiting for Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) and People Empowering People (PEP)
Classes Start in January! Don't Miss the Opportunity to Learn How to Make a Difference for Danbury's Kids
 The next session of the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) in Danbury will begin on January 9, 2010. Applications are being accepted NOW for this class. This is a FREE 20-week program with family dinner and childcare provided. Classes are held on Thursdays, with dinner at 5 pm and class beginning at 6 pm.
What will I learn in PLTI?
How to work with others in the community to create change to benefit kids.
How city and state governments work and how to advocate on family issues.
How to work with the media, agencies, and other community systems to accomplish your goals for children.
Past graduates have gone on to develop programs in Danbury and beyond, such as:
- Indoor open play gym
- Library book swap
- Soccer for children with special needs
- Community garden
- Support groups for moms
- and many more...
The 2010 PLTI Class is filling quickly. To apply, download the PLTI Application by clicking here. Or you can call Lauren Halpin at Danbury Children First at 797-8088, or email her at laurenh@danburychildrenfirst.org for more information.
The People Empowering People (PEP) program will also begin in January. PEP gives Spanish-speaking parents the opportunity to connect with Danbury and statewide resources and gain the experiences and skills they need to help their families build better lives and a better community for children. Parents work together on a community project to benefit Danbury families--see below about the PEP Alumni's Family Resource Fair!
PEP is a FREE 10-week program that includes a family dinner and childcare. For information about how to participate in PEP call Gloria Mora at 797-8088, or email gloriam@danburychildrenfirst.org.
|
People Empowering People (PEP) Alumni Sponsor Family Resource Fair
 It was a great way to find out about community services and meet other parents!
On the evening of September 25, 2009, alumni of the People Empowering People (PEP) program, class of 2009, sponsored a Resource Fair at the First Congregational Church in Danbury.
More than 50 parents attended the event, which included information from 25 different community agencies, health providers, and social service providers including: WeCAHR, Danbury WIC, the Women's Center, Samaritan Health Center, Head Start, and the Danbury Public Schools Extended Learning Program.
 In the picture above left, Catia Monaco from Head Start and Rachel Torres O'Leary from United Way talk to children and parents at the fair about the resources available to families through their programs. In the picture, left, dental hygienist Wanda from Dr. Mark Einzig's office talks to children about good oral health practices.
Congratulations to the PEP Alumni for sponsoring such a valuable and successful event!
|
Parents Graduate from the Lee y serás (Read and You Will Be Anything) Program
It was a fun, festive atmosphere in the Farioly Program Room at the Danbury Library on the evening of October 13 as nine more parents graduated from the Lee y serás early literacy program.
This program teaches parents how to use fun, family activities--such as singing, reading, and making rhymes--to build early literacy skills in their children. While their children play and work on arts and crafts, the parents learn about the important role families can play in early literacy, how teaching children reading skills can be a fun part of family life, and the significance of storytelling, culture, and traditions.
 As part of the class, parents and children receive library cards and learn about library services. Parents receive a book for their child at each class. For more information about Lee y serás, call Danbury Children First at 797-8088.
Lee y serás graduates and facilitators are pictured at their graduation ceremony. Bottom row, from left to right: Patricia Maza and son Christopher, Rosa Quintura, Adelayda Valdiviezo, Sara Sánchez, and Rubi Reyes. Top row, from left to right: Rosa Buestan, Ricardo Lameza (facilitator), Gladys Jerez, Rosa Códova, Manuel Morocho, and Gloria Mora (facilitator).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
