What is the Parent Engagement Collaborative Action Network?
In collaboration with the National Parent Leadership Institute, the Parent Engagement Collaborative Action Network (PECAN) is the table where parents come together to inform systems level change for improvments in cradle to career outcomes.
Read our statement on Racial Trauma across the Rochester City School District
PECAN Manifesto
Parents in our community are gravely concerned about the challenges facing their children, especially Black and Brown children. Parents have indisputable expertise based in part on their lived experience. Parents are highly motivated to partner with leaders and service providers to create a more effective infrastructure to improve outcomes for all our children. However, too frequently services and
systems-level efforts in Rochester have not included participant, family, or youth voices. When they have, often it has not been done in a meaningful way but rather as a token effort. This manifesto seeks to transform services for children in Rochester by utilizing families’ lived experience and expertise to shape, guide and lead.
Meet the New PECAN Co-Chairs
Meet Nahmese
Nahmese is the mother of two children, Nhaziah, grade 5 and Mehki, grade 11, who both attend World of Inquiry School #58. In addition to being a mother, parent leader, and community change agent, she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Brockport in Healthcare Administration with a minor in Business. In her role as co-chair, she wants to ensure that parents are seen as the experts in their children’s lives. She is looking forward to elevating the voices of parents by collaborating and organizing with other parent groups for the benefit of all children. What she wants parents to know is that it is imperative that they support one another and become informed about the policies that no longer serve our children. She wants parents to be effective change agents to disrupt and dismantle systems that are not meeting the needs of children. Her desire is for parents to be confident when advocating because she believes parents have the power to hold systems accountable. Once fun fact about Nahmese is that she loves to travel with her children and celebrate life.
Nahmese authored a blog about her experience at the building level in relation to getting her kids signed up for return to in-person learning. Read more here and see her tips for parent advocacy.
Meet Maurice
Maurice is the proud father of Maurice, Jr., age 12 and Malcolm, age 7, both of World of Inquiry School #58. He serves as the MultiSite Director for Quad A for Kids. In his role as co-chair, he is most looking forward to representing parent voice in change settings. He wants parents to know that they have the power to engage, explore and create change in the systems that impact the children of the village. One fun fact about Maurice is that he love audiobooks. He listens to at least 4 books per month.
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