DCFI LogoDanbury Children First Updates
Parent Leadership / Parent Engagement
June 2010    Volume 3, Number 3
In This Issue
Danbury Parent Leaders Graduate from PEP and PLTI
Danbury Children Receive Camp Scholarships
12 Parents Graduate from Early Literacy Program
FREE Boot Camp for Incoming Kindergarteners
Parents Meet with Congressman Chris Murphy
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Congratulations to the Danbury PLTI and PEP classes of 2010!

On Friday, June 18, thirty-one parents from the Greater Danbury area graduated from two civic leadership programs that teach parents how to make changes in the community for children, People Empowering People (PEP) and the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI). The parents are now ready to take the skills they learned and make Danbury a better place to raise a family! For more information and pictures, see below.

And another session of the Lee y serás Early Literacy program is taking place this summer at the Danbury Public Schools new Family Literacy Center. Before the summer session began, 12 more parents graduated in April!

The Family Literacy Center is also offering a FREE Kindergarten Boot Camp to this summer for children who have had no prior preschool experience. Details are below.

Please consider making a donation to Danbury Children First by clicking on the link to the left in the Quick Links Box. More funds are needed to keep running our programs that benefit Danbury's children and parents.

Have a great summer!

Caroline LaFleur
Communications Coordinator
31 New Parents Graduate from Danbury Leadership Programs

The June calendar is always filled with graduations, but on June 18, at Danbury's Hatter's Park Banquet Hall, the graduation had a different twist. This time the parents were receiving diplomas as their proud children looked on.

PEP Class of 2010.
PEP Grads
On that night, 16 parents graduated from the People Empowering People (PEP) program, a program that teaches parents new skills to help them take greater control of their lives, while also learning about ways to work together to improve the community for families. The graduates are now working together on a project to promote family unity, preserve cultural values, and prevent juvenile delinquency through parental communication.

PLTI Class of 2010.
PLTIGrads


The PEP graduates were joined by 15 graduates of the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI). PLTI gives parents the tools they need to make changes for children in the community by teaching them about civics, local and state governments, and how to effectively communicate and advocate for children. Each PLTI student completes a community project to benefit children. Some of this year's community projects were:
  • The Writer's Corner. A partnership with Hayesown elementary School that enables third-graders to create a parent/child book.
  • Unified Sports Volleyball Clinic. A program that brings together middle schoolers with special needs and typical children.
  • Leader as a Single Parent. Helps single parents share their struggles and learn positive strategies for raising children.
A state-wide graduation ceremony for the PLTI graduates was held on June 23 at the Capitol Building in Hartford.

PLTI and PEP are sponsored in Danbury by Danbury ChildrenFirst, with support from the Connecticut Commission on Children, the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System, the United Way of Western Connecticut, the Greater Danbury Parent Leaders, and private and corporate donors.

Both programs are free to parents and a light dinner and childcare are provided at each session. For more information about PLTI and PEP, call Danbury Children First at 203-797-8088.

Ten Danbury Children Receive Danbury Children First Scholarships to Hillside Summer Camp
Danbury Children First is pleased to announce that 10 children living in Danbury are able to attend Hillside Summer Camp this summer, under the Danbury Children First Scholarship program.

The camp, which is located at Green Chimneys, in Brewster, NY,  gives children the opportunity to experience the outdoors, learn about wildlife and farm animals, and interact with their peers. The scholarship program enables these 10 children to attend a camp that they might not be able to afford otherwise.

Danbury Children First thanks Green Chimneys for working in partnership with us to provide these scholarships to Danbury children.
 
 Hillside Logo
Twelve More Parents Graduate from the Lee y serás Early Literacy Program

April 20 was a special night for 12 parents and their families as they celebrated and received diplomas for attending the Lee y serás family literacy program sponsored by Danbury Children First.

Parents, children, and facilitators have fun talking about early literacy skills at Lee y serás.
Fun at LYS
The Lee y serás 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.

A new session of Lee y serás is taking place throughout the months of June and July at the Danbury Public Schools new Family Literacy Center. For more information about Lee y serás, and to find out about participating in the June/July session, call Gloria Mora at Danbury Children First at 203-797-8088.

Free "Boot Camp" for Incoming Kindergarten Students

The Danbury Public Schools Family Literacy Center will be running a FREE "Boot Camp" for incoming kindergarten students. The goal is to prepare children for kindergarten.

The camp is open to 4- and 5-year-old children who have not participaBootCampted in a pre-school program. It will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays beginning July 6th and ending on August 19th. The sessions will be held in the mornings from 9:30 am to 11:30 am at The Family Literacy Center at 49 Osborne St., Danbury. Lunch will be provided.

For more information and to register, call the Family Literacy Center at 203-797-4734. Or complete the following registration forms and mail them to The Family Literacy Center, 49 Osborne St., Danbury, CT 06810

English Registration Form
Spanish Registration Form

What a great opportunity for Danbury's young children!

Pictured at the April 5 meeting are (from left to right): Caroline LaFleur, Communications Coordinator, Danbury Children First; Linda Kosko, Executive Director, Danbury Children First; Sherri Edgar, Parent Advisory Board Member; Congressman Chris Murphy; and Leticia Rocha, Tom Thomassen, and Angelina Hernandez, all Parent Advisory Board Members.
Chris Murphy meeting
Danbury Parents and Danbury Children First Staff Meet With Congressman Chris Murphy

On April 5, the Parent Advisory Board of the Danbury Discovery Initiative met with 5th District Congressman Chis Murphy to present their plans for a Family Community Center of Danbury.

The members of this Parent Advisory Board have been working for the past two
years, researching the need for a Family Community Center, identifying the components of the center, and developing a preliminary concept design. If funding is secured, the Center would be a place where all of Danbury's families could connect with the resources they need to raise happy, healthy children. It would be a family gathering place for community activities, information, and support--and a place where parents could meet, make friendships, and share stories.

To view a document describing the project and a drawing of a preliminary floorplan of the building, click here.

Danbury Chidren First staff and the parents also discussed with the Congressman potential funding opportunities for components of Danbury's 3R's Community-Wide Plan for young children. The proposal they discussed includes funds for:
  • More home visits to at-risk families to prevent child abuse and neglect
  • Expanding the use of developmental screenings in the community to identify health and social-emotional issues in children to ensure they get the services they need as soon as possible
  • Developing a directory of family support services in Danbury
  • Providing resources for playgroups and parent-child activity groups.