Be the Change

above: Current Board of Education member Versha Munshi-South standing sixth from left and her cohort at their 2021 graduation.

For nearly three decades the Parent Leadership Training Institute has trained local leaders to advocate  for Stamford’s children

Regan Allan and Versha Munshi-South came to Stamford’s Parent Leadership Training Institute two decades apart and from different geographical backgrounds. Each of them left the program with a better understanding of the community, new friendships and a deeper appreciation for developing coalitions to improve children’s lives.

Allan, who moved from Westchester County and has lived in Stamford since 1998, was a member of the PLTI class in 2000, one of the program’s first. Munshi-South moved from New York City in 2018 and spent her professional career in education. She went through the PLTI in 2021. Both women found the 20-week course life-changing from multiple perspectives.

“It’s the only group in Stamford that matches people with all of the city’s different demographics,’’ said Allan, who has been the PLTI coordinator since 2016. The program was established in Connecticut in 1992.The first class in town convened in 1996 and is now run by the Stamford Public Education Foundation. SPEF is a local nonprofit whose mission is to elevate student success by delivering educational programs that promote equitable access to quality public education and offer a range of initiatives for K-12 students. “They are people with different education levels, professional responsibilities and racial diversity. It is very strength-based. We’re giving them tools to develop leadership skills and make change.”

The curriculum includes a community-building retreat, instructional courses on community, personal development, and parent leadership, a civics course on politics, policy, and media. Students must also complete a cumulative final community project.

The time commitment is extensive. Leadership members meet for three hours once a week and are required to attend one all-day retreat. The group enjoys a family-style dinner beforehand, and Allan said retention rates exceed 90 percent. Tuition is free. Child care, transportation, and laptops can also be provided.

The program is broken down into two 10-week phases. In the first, participants learn about group systems, discuss visions for successful child outcomes, and build a community with classmates. In the second phase, participants learn how state and local governments work, using data and accountability, and how to work with media.

“We go through the commitments beforehand, so people know what is expected of them,’’ Allan said. “A lot of people come in with a specific focus on their child. They start to learn that they are not the only ones with that concern. They broaden their vision and realize early on that this program will benefit all children in Stamford. We try to eliminate any barriers to participation.”

Like Allan, Munshi-South knew very little about Stamford when she moved here. When Covid hit, she felt even more isolated. “I thought about how I could get involved in the community in a meaningful way,’’ Munshi-South said. “I had tried volunteering with PTOs. I felt like I could offer a little more. I was looking to diversify who I knew in Stamford. I wanted to meet lots of different people from all sections.”

One PLTI objective is to help participants learn more about the city’s unique political system. “I didn’t know much,’’ Munshi-South said. “I had never gotten involved in local government. I didn’t know about the structure or the state representatives. It was a great way to get exposed to how local government runs, and it helped me build relationships with people that otherwise I would not have met.”

One of the best attributes of the program is the diversity of the people who participate. Reflective of the city, PLTI includes a wide range of people who have had different life experiences. The program helps participants learn new perspectives.

“Being with people who are different [from you], you are learning about their background and their experiences,’’ Allan said. “We are a diverse city. You need to take a walk in other people’s shoes. It’s not just residents of the West Side or the Latino community or parents with children in school. The reality is our school district is very diverse. It’s important to use the strengths of everyone in the community.”

Founded in Connecticut by former executive director of the Commission on Children, Elaine Zimmerman, to help center parents in family policy development, PLTI is now a nationwide initiative in more than 80 communities across the country (and even one in Australia). The overarching objective is to train people with a civil tool kit to improve the lives of families and demonstrate how people working together can improve the overall community.

Many PLTI graduates have gone on to become involved more deeply in Stamford. Munshi-South, for example, is now a member of the Board of Education along with PLTI alums Antonia Better-Wirz and Gabriela Koc. Others have served on the Board of Representatives, the Democratic City Committee, the Republican Town Committee, at Domus, the Ferguson Library and so many more. An optional parallel course for the children of participants, CLTI, also turns out graduates contributing to our community in big ways like Geraldine Uribe who serves as a special assistant to Mayor Caroline Simmons.

“We have so many people who have such great ideas,’’ Munshi-South said. “They want to try out and implement programs, but it’s very hard to do that by yourself. There are also a lot of great programs that are already happening. This program shows that you can build a coalition, and you don’t have to do it alone. It’s a great way to connect with others who have similar interests and passions, and develop tools that can enrich your life in many ways.”

SPEF is recruiting right now for the 2025 session set to start in January. Contact Allan at rallan@spefct.org or at 203-539-1722 for more information.