BRIDGEPORT PLTI
Parents are their children’s best advocates.
The Parent Leadership Training Institute
(PLTI), created by the Connecticut
Commission on Children, the American
Leadership Forum, and Leadership Greater
Hartford, upholds this belief in communities
throughout the state and nation. PLTI offers
a stimulating curriculum designed to boost
parents’ leadership skills in order for them to
improve the life long health, safety, and
learning of children. Parents enhance their
ability to speak out on issues and inform
policy makers, the media, and others about
the needs of families.
PROGRAM
Parents participate in 3 phases of training
utilizing interactive adult learning practices.
Phase 1: A retreat to develop a sense of
community among the class members.
Phase 2: A 10-week instructional session
on
community
and
personal
development.
Phase 3: A 10-week instructional session
discussing
government,
and
civic
relations.
Each parent concludes the program with an
individual project of interest.
GOALS
 Broaden the awareness of PLTI in the
Bridgeport community.
 Enrich the power of parents to become
change agents and assume leadership
roles.
 Increase a parent’s capacity to develop
and implement projects that will
significantly impact the community.
 Establish a network for parents to become
advocates and decision makers at the
local, state, and national level.
PLTI ALUMNI
1998
Judy Blackman
Mildred Bost*
Diane Brassell
Marta Calderon
Sandy Eng
Ivette Galarza
Kay Harp
Galawez Kareem
Mariah Natee
June McClendon
Ana Planas
Margie Powell
Carmen Rodriguez
Monico Rodriguez
Xiomara Rodriguez
Margie Schwartz*
Susan Simpson
Meria Terrell
Gabrielle Turner
1999
Dennis Dalton
Marie Lloyd-Duncan*
Sophia Grisby
Levonia Hamilton
Danyne Mercer
Ana Nieves*
Phyllis Reis
Louis Tolbert
2000
Barbara A.-Johnson
Carol Artwell
Gloria Brown
Lewis Bryan
Yvrose Colas
Donna Cruz
Helen Eneh
Tina Espinal
Lehem Felican
Leilani Hensley
Lissette Garay
Wanda Gonzalez
Rebecca Grable
Carolyn Graves
Darlene Jones*
Danette Jones
Dorine Manlapit
Gloria Negron
Carmen Padron
Candida Paul
Valerie Payne-Masse
Lidell Pettway
Lillian Reid
Jean Smith
2001
Caramia Bohlke
Elizabeth Ciambrello
Sonia Colon
Anna C. Cruz
Nicolas Durand
Brenda Dye
Loretta D. Ebron
Patricia Garcia
Eva Gardner
Greg Gardner
Christopher Hayes*
Tanya Lazaro
Carmen A. Nieves
Irma Ortiz
Yolanda Ortiz
Victor Rivera
Krysta Sajous
Rosa Sanchez
JoAnn D. Slade
Carla Wright
2002
Vineta Bryan
Blanca Carrasquillo
Edith Castro
Berta Conner
Sheryl B. D’Haiti
Jeffery Grice
Pamela Harris
Clodia M. Lesnick
Carolyn Y. Lockley
Verónica Needham
Carmen L. Nieves
Samurie Robinson
Alturo Rodriguez
Ruth Rodriguez
Nivia Davila-Ruiz
Christina R. Stroman
Celeste R. Tompkins
Katie L. Tompkins
2003
Suzie Brice
Luis Canales
Anita D. Charlestin
Sandra Mars-Dorvil
Hernan Illinworth
Diana M. LaBoy-Lugo*
Marticia D. Lee
Rev. James McQueen
Maria Olenka Porcile
Merlene Reynolds
Nadia Virgile
Lola White
Priscilla Anne Womak
Linh A. Wong
*Deceased
2004
Sarah Baker
Betsy Calderon
Daniel Carmichael
Sandra Carmichael
Nekita Carroll
Paula Dofat
Mary Green
Shanda Hargrove-Sanders
Phyllis Harrison
Leslie Jones
Tanya Lloyd
Tamika McPhail
Mohini Monteiro
Frances Morales
Dulce Nieves
Alonda Powell
Ellen Upchurch
2005
Maria Acevedo
Gloria Allen
Susan Coda
Pamela Dawson
Barbara Edwards
Gale Gilbert
Diana Gonzalez
Catherine Kendall
Lenore Lewis-Foreman
Joseph Lisboa
Marjorie McAllister
Denise Morgan
Aldonna Powell
Marianela Rivera
Lucius Sadler
Melonie Scott
Jamal Stroman
Susan Thomas-Knight
Arlie Thompson
Terrence Washington
Devora Williams
Yolanda Worrell
Leola Young
2006
Olga Digsby
Lilia Figueroa
Laurie Goldson
Tanya Hughes
Ana Mercado
Lavern Moore
Peter Osbourne
Cordelia Scudder
Milagrosa S.-Benegas
Tanara Semedo
Alfreda Stewart
Marcie Wilson
2007
Shirlee Agueda
Elizabeth Barreria
Valerie Billingsley
George Andrew Brown
Frances Dicks
Crystal Engram
Cirell Gallimore
Kiana Gallimore
Donna Gordon
Kenia Guevara
Maxine Hines
Ron Muhammad
Creuza Nascimento
LaShawnda Preston
Chuck Przybylowicz
Dean Reid
Harriet Shelby
Pamela Vielot
Anna Washington
Jose Zapata
2008
Johnette Bennett
Dorcas Blue
Jaidine DeJesus
Marilin Feliciano
Aline Lacerda
Laura Maranon
Arlene Santos
Melissa Santos-Jefferies
Maria Valentin
Jennifer Wieland
John Wilkins
Tracey Wilkins
2009
Albert Benejan
Ramona Black
LaQuita Bright
Randolph Brown
Loraine Dawkins
Miriam Egea
Millicent Henry
Nettie Jenkins
Donald Luster
Rolanda Murphy
Marilyn Perez
Esther Perkins
Richard Pezzella
Lisa Softleigh
Lynda Stack
Lori Stern
Elisa Thompson-Peeler
Mary Lou Thompson
Debbie Wong
2010
Patricia Berry
Iboki Bolelembe
Sharon Bridges
Ramon Bulerin
Marie Charleus
Fernando Echeverri
Iris Gonzalez
Alva Jeffreys
Patricia Kurowski
Maria Lambert
Latasha Nelson
Michael Nembhard
L.Tina Patrick
Clara Payne
Claudine Phaire
Alicia Robinson
Alisha Smith
Yolanda Stinson
Jasedia Toro
Nathaniel Vinson
Michelle Walker
Alice Williams
2011
Clova Anderson
Stacey Bennett-Kendrick
William Carter
Korene Garcia
Diane Hardison
Jeannette Harris
Alexi Hope
Melanie Jackson
Karen Jackson
Maurice Jones III
Crystal Mack
Darrin McAllister
DeeDee McAllister
Varrick Nelson
Carol Nunley
Shakira Simpson
Yolanda Soto
Tina McIver-Stevens
Zoila Vasconez
Camilla Villaroel
2012
Yasmin Blackburn
Denise Burke
Kathleen Calliste
Tonisha Cohen-King
Iris Correa
Priscilla Cummings
Migdalia Feliciano
Maria Geigel
Ebony Hargrove
Ranceen Hunter
Mark Kaufman
Wanda Nkwo
Tara Ross-Dickey
Shanika Rucker
Mustafa Salahuddin
Josephine Thomas
Alicia Thompson
Gracie Woods
2013
Eric D. Alicea
Kislene Bosse
Cheryl Butler
Edmee Domingue
LaWanza M. Holder
Edwine Jean Jacques
Cynthia M. Moore
Tinesha R. Sneed
Tammy Roseboro
Ivy Royster
Leticia R. Sepulveda
Maria G. Sepulveda
Bridgeport PLTI Civic Design Team (CDT)
The Children’s Leadership Training Institute
A component of the Bridgeport PLTI
The goal of the Children’s Leadership Training Institute
is to enrich the power of children to become change
agents and assume leadership roles while increasing
children’s capacity to develop and implement projects
that will impact the community and foster continued
community service. This is done through a 20-week
literacy based curriculum that parallel’s the Bridgeport
PLTI.
2013 Children’s Projects:
 Penny drives for the Center of Women and
Families and the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation.
 Non-perishable goods were collected to be donated to
Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes and Homes for the
Brave.
For more information on CLTI please contact:
Gina LeVon Simpson at (203) 275-1751
The Teen Leadership Institute (TLI)
This 20-week course could be just what you need. Come learn
how to use your voice to help yourself and others. Help improve
things in your community.
The TLI initiative is designed to engage youth in individual
leadership development and as a collective voice around an issue
that concerns them. Teens from the Bridgeport and surrounding
communities gather for dinner and then a two-hour session with
experienced youth facilitators, mentors, young adult guest
speakers and other community leaders.
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Learn about:
Civics & Democracy
Implementing a Community Action Project
Effectively Using Your Voice, Writing &
Communication
How City, State, & Local Systems Work
2013 TLI Community Projects:
TLI designed two community projects that address “Teens &
Sexual Assault” and “Changing Perception of Urban Youth”.
The teen leaders have created their own video which they plan to
showcase at their schools and host a community forum to
address these two very real social issues amongst youth.
Bus Tokens are available for those in need of transportation.
People Empowering People (PEP) in Spanish
Un programa que enseña destrezas para vivir mejor, y
que ayuda a adultos y jóvenes de las organizaciones de
la comunidad, grupos de fe, y de los vecindarios.
En solamente 11 semanas usted aprenderá:
 Como comunicarse mejor
 Como planear actividades hábilmente
 Como evaluar eficazmente una comunidad
 Como identificar situaciones en una comunidad
 Como se desarrollan los niños
La clase comienza Jueves, Marzo 6 en el Centro De
Padres, 900 Boston Avenue de 5-7:30 PM y duraran por
11 semanas todos los Jueves. Cena y Cuidado de Ninos
es Gratuito.
Aplique en el Centro De Padres, 900 Boston Avenue.
For more information on PLTI, TLI and/or PEP
please contact Rosa Hernandez at
The Bridgeport BOE Parent Center
900 Boston Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06610
Tel. (203) 275-1754
E-Mail: rhernandez@ryasap.org
Website: www.ryasap.org
/BridgeportTLI
All initiatives are free of charge and include dinner
And curriculum materials.
Rosa Hernandez, Executive Coordinator
Diane Brassel, PLTI Alumna ‘98
Sandra Carmichael, PLTI Alumna ‘04
Lenore Lewis-Foreman, PLTI Alumna ’05 - Co-Chair
Mary Pat Healy, BCAC
Marge Hiller, Bridgeport Public Education Fund
Hernan Illingworth, PLTI Alumnus ‘03
Patricia Keckeisen, Parent Leader
Phyllis Machledt, Habitat For Humanity
June Malone, BAYC
Yvette Martinez, Parent Center
Cleopatra Middleton, TLI Alumna ‘13
Lisa Pavlich, Parent Center Director
Carlos A. Reinoso, Jr., CT Council on Problem Gambling
Felipe Reinoso, Honorary Member
Ivy Royster, PLTI Alumna ‘13
Alex Sayan, TLI Alumnus ‘13
Gina LeVon Simpson, CLTI Lead Teacher
Milagrosa Seguinot-Benegas, PLTI Alumna ‘06
Donna Thompson-Bennett, Honorary Member
Michael Thornberg, Volunteer
Carolyn Vermont, Urban Family Development
Denique Weidema-Lewis, RYASAP Director of Prevention
Dawn Homer-Bouthiette, Commission on Children
Robert Francis, RYASAP Executive Director
Many Thanks to our Supporters:
Bridgeport BOE, Public and Private Grants
Bridgeport Parent Center
Burroughs Community Center
People’s Bank
First Book
The Fairfield County Community Foundation
Parent Trust Fund -SERC
Newman’s Own Foundation
Perrin Family Foundation
Private Donors
Of Fairfield
Catering Provided by:
Ceviche Palace
Ms. Brown
Fairfield Pizza
The Bridgeport
Parent
Leadership
Training
Institute
A Connecticut Commission on Children Family Civics
Initiative
Mission Statement
The Parent Leadership Training Institute
(PLTI) seeks to enable parents to become
leading advocates for children. The
cornerstones of the program are respect,
validation and a belief that when the tools
of democracy are understood, the public
will actively engage in civic life.
Bridgeport PLTI is a division of:
catalyst for community change