Over the past 9 months, PECAN parent leaders have engaged actively in amplifying the power of parent voice within ROC the Future Alliance (RtFA), in the greater Rochester area, and nationally through StriveTogether. We extend a special congratulations to PECAN Co-Chair Maurice Haskins for joining the ED Trust New York State Parent Advisory Board.
In March 2020, RtFA was invited by the Greater Rochester Health Foundation to participate in the Healthy and Equitable Futures Learning Collaborative Grant. For the past two years, parent leaders Kearstin Brown-Warren, Leslie Knox, and Caroline McClendon have participated in this collaborative, supporting RtFA in centering racial equity and parent leadership, principles which ground the work of the alliance.
Many of the strategic goals set by PECAN leadership were also accomplished within the past year, such as:
- Establishing a parent stipend process.
- Increasing parent leader recruitment and membership to inform the work of RtFA.
- Improving parent engagement opportunities to inform systems change and partnership funding priorities.
- Increasing opportunities for parent and youth development through partnerships with: the Youth Leadership Coalition; Families Together in New York State/ University Youth Power; and initiating collective impact collaborations with other parent led organizations.
- Continuing community engagement by hosting bi-monthly public information sessions led by parents and centering parent priorities through topics like:
Back to school meeting with Superintendent Myers-Small
Sara Taylor’s BIPOC PEEEEEK Mental Health
December Parent Holiday Celebration
PLTI partnership teacher diversity data share
Healthy & Equitable Futures Learning Collaborative
Collective Impact parent partnership opportunities
Thank you to all the parent leaders and family partners that have worked collaboratively to make all of these accomplishments possible.