Empowered families advocate on behalf of their children and communities. They take on leadership roles in schools and beyond. We support two approaches to leadership development: teaching advocacy skills and engaging parents in decision-making, and training parents to provide peer-to-peer support to others.

Engagement in decision-making is multi-faceted. It teaches leadership and advocacy skills while supporting participants to build their confidence and use their own voice. This may include advocacy training, learning about how to navigate schools and plus social services, and supporting opportunities to take on leadership roles within schools and other community institutions. Developing family leaders requires that schools and organizations build their own capacity to view families as equal partners and to welcome their participation in decision-making and problem solving.

In peer support efforts, caregivers are given the opportunity to learn from each other and increase their confidence to get involved in their children’s education and wellbeing by recognizing the value they bring in being part of it. Some examples that we support through funding and partnership include family support groups, affinity groups, parent ambassadors, promotoras, and peer learning communities.