· COFI trains parents to be powerful leaders... and COFI-trained parents accomplish great things....

COFI trains parents to be powerful leaders...

and COFI-trained parents accomplish great things.

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Grassroots parents are making big changes with an innovative approach that works in today’s complex world. COFI’s mission is to strengthen the power and voice of low-income and working families at all levels of civic life—from local institutions and communities to local, state, and national policy making.

COFI has trained and organized thousands of parents in some of the toughest neighborhoods anywhere. These leaders—and most of them are women—are winning improvements in their schools and communities, leading their own organizations and programs, and changing policies on key issues that affect families.

Welcome to COFI!

End of Year Wrap-UpDECEMBER 14, 2014

It’s been an exciting year of growth for COFI. December has been packed with victories.

NEWS SPOTLIGHT

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Pushing to Raise the Illinois Minimum WageNOVEMBER 14, 2014

Parent members celebrated the passage of the Illinois ....

Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI)1436 W. Randolph4th FloorChicago, IL 60607(312) 226-5141

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Community

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POWER-PAC Parent Leader Cye Cye Simms was featured in

The Chicago Sun-Times, “Faces of Minimum Wage” series this

past weekend. Unfortunately, Cye Cye’s experiences aren’t all

that uncommon; many of the people who work the hardest in

our state are paid the least.

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Alicia Gregorio

I learned about self-esteem—not just my own, but also my kids. We are not raised to see our...

Meet some parent leaders, hear their stories.

Rosazlia Grillier

COFI has helped me change my entire life. Five years ago, I was really in despair...

Doña Patricia Lozano

A few years ago, parent involve-ment at Nixon School was limited to a few parents...

Policy and Systems Change

The COFI Way

How a diverse group of moms

and grandmoms, raising their

families in some of the toughest

neighborhoods anywhere,

engage decision makers

and win

Just released!Read The COFI Way

THE COFI WAY PARENT CAMPAIGNS

COFICommunity Organizing and Family Issues

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Family Focused Organizing Family Focused Organizing uses parents’ strengths and commitment to their children and to their neighborhoods to help make positive change in their own lives, their families and their communities. It emphasizes the commonalities (rather than the differences) between family and community leadership, and between private and public issues. In Family Focused Organizing:

1. Self: Leadership begins from within. Parents individually assess their needs, wants and values. They create supportive teams with one another, set goals, and establish plans for achieving those goals.

2. Family: Parents become stronger leaders in their families. Parents support one another in gaining skills and confidence as family leaders, and also learn to set goals with their family members.

3. Community: Parents work together to create change in community institutions such as schools, day care centers and social service agencies. To make their community more family-friendly, parent leaders meet with neighbors, find common ground, develop new programs, organize community-wide campaigns, and realize the power of a collective voice.

4. Policy and Systems: Parent leaders create a community-based policy agenda that starts with common concerns raised by parents, such as childcare, safety and school quality. Together, parent leaders organize to communicate their ideas and concerns to community decision makers. They may change programs and challenge policies that aren’t meeting the needs of families, and they build partnerships with professionals to develop programs and policies that work.

Family Focused Organizing is distinct from, but also can be complementary to, more “traditional” community organizing models. COFI targets its organizing work toward a population that is often not involved in traditional organizing or the public sphere — very low income families including welfare recipients, recent immigrants (primarily mothers), and grandmothers raising grandchildren.

Our Model Values Curriculum Training Manuals

Os non con pera volut aci culpa sintiate reptasperate

The COFI Way



The COFI Way AboutParent Campaigns Publications ContactLearn How DonateNews

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The COFI Way > Our Model

POWER-PAC parents are changing the way things get done! POWER-PAC is a cross-cultural, citywide membership organization of low-income parents. Our mission is to build a strong voice for low-income, immigrant and working families by uniting parents across race and community around issues of importance to families.

POWER-PAC members are from throughout Chicago, including the neighborhoods of Austin, Englewood, Grand Boulevard, Humboldt Park, Lawndale, Little Village, Pilsen, and West Town.

POWER-PAC’s innovative organizing campaigns include:

Elementary JusticeParents are helping break the school-to-prison pipeline, by replacing punitive discipline practices with policies of restorative justice.

Recess for All! Healthy ChildrenIn 2005, 82% of Chicago public elementary schools did not have daily recess.


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Stepping Out of Poverty(STOP)Parents are active leaders for policy change to increase economic security for low-income families.

Celebrating TogetherParents organize Celebration of Hope, for families to find and celebrate common ground, across neighborhood, racial, and ethnic boundaries.

Early Learning CampaignParents uncovered obstacles that kept as many as 60% of eligible children from enrolling in early learning programs.

Moms on a MissionLegislative action is essential to creating statewide policy change on the issues that matter to families.

Charlene Campbell, Leadership Council Charlene Campbell is an African-American mom from the community of Kenwood. She is on the NCLB Parent Advisory Council at her school, is one of the founding members of the Reavis Elementary parent action team, and is a COFI peer trainer. Concepción Escobar, Leadership Council Concepción Escobar is a Mexican immigrant mother trained in COFI’s leadership model through Head Start and is a COFI Head Start Ambassador. She also is active as a peer health worker in the Chicago Community Health Workers’ Network. Rosazlia Grillier, Co-Chair Rosazlia Grillier, a single African-American mom, is a long-time member of POWER-PAC representing the Englewood community and is a COFI peer trainer. She was awarded Allstate’s 2011 Give Back Day Award, a national recognition honoring community volunteers. Deborah Hope, Leadership Council Deborah Hope is one of the founders of Cabrini Mothers in Power, a COFI-supported parent organization of public housing residents organizing for more early educations programs and a safer community. She is an African-American mother from the Near North / Cabrini Green area and was elected the Neighborhood Chairperson for the 4th Presbyterian Church.

POWER-PAC Executive Board and Leadership Council

Introduction POWER-PAC (Chicago-wide) Victories in the Neighborhoods

Parent Campaigns




POWER-PAC Newsletter Check out POWER-PAC’s quarterly newsletter to see what we’re working on now, what meetings are coming up, and other important parent campaign news.

Parent Campaigns > POWER-PAC (Chicago-wide)


Parent Campaigns




POWER-PAC Newsletter Check out POWER-PAC’s quarterly newsletter to see what we’re working on now, what meetings are coming up, and other important parent campaign news. Click any date to open a PDF.

• Spring 2015

• Winter 2014

• Fall 2014

• Summer 2014

• Spring 2014

• Winter 2013

• Fall 2013

• Summer 2013

• Spring 2013

• Winter 2012

• Fall 2012

• Summer 2012

• Spring 2012


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Parent Campaigns > POWER-PAC (Chicago-wide) > POWER-PAC Newsletter

Headline about Victories in the Neighborhoods! In partnerships with local community groups and family service agencies, COFI builds parent action teams in local schools and neighborhoods, and pulls them together into community based networks.

Parent teams work together on local goals, and they help connect emerging leaders to COFI’s citywide, cross-cultural network of parents impacting social and policy changes, POWER-PAC.

Parent action teams have fought for and won a wide range of community improvements for low-income children and families like after-school and adult education programs, family centers and increasing parent participation in schools.

In the past year alone, COFI trained 184 parents, at fifteen local sites. Three parent action teams went door-to-door in their neighborhoods and talked with almost two thousand neighbors, teachers, community leaders, and students. As a result, work is being done to build a play lot for a school in Englewood, launch a safety campaign in Humboldt Park, and focus on issues of gentrification in Lawndale.

Over its history, COFI has helped organize more than 45 parent teams in 10 Chicago communities and trained over 3000 low-income parents to become civic leaders, engaging them in public life - many for the first time in their lives.

If you are interested in partnering with COFI around parent leadership training and organizing, please call or email us.

Campaign NameParents are helping break the school-to-prison pipeline, by replacing punitive discipline practices with policies of restorative justice.

Campaign NameIn 2005, 82% of Chicago public elementary schools did not have daily recess.

Campaign NameParents uncovered obstacles that kept as many as 60% of eligible children from enrolling in early learning programs.


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Parent Campaigns > Victories in the Neighborhoods

Early Learning CampaignIn 2007, POWER-PAC leaders launched a new policy and public awareness campaign, the Early Learning Campaign, focused on overcoming access barriers to quality early learning opportunities for low-income families. This campaign grew out of POWER-PAC’s successful work on the Elementary Justice Campaign and the concerns of parents that despite success in eliminating punitive, zero-tolerance policies in the Chicago Public School discipline code, too many children still face academic failure and discipline issues. POWER-PAC leaders believe that the large numbers of children not attending preschool can contribute to achievement gaps.

And research supports the parents’ concerns. Longitudinal studies show children who participate in high quality early learning programs are less likely to need special education, to be involved in juvenile crime, or to drop out of school, and are more likely to participate in post-secondary learning and have higher earnings. Access to high quality early childhood education is proven to be part of the path out of poverty and critical to avoiding the “Cradle-to-Prison” pipeline that catches too many of our city’s African-American and Latino young people.

In 2009, COFI and POWER-PAC released an initial report on these efforts, “Why isn’t Johnny in Preschool?” which sheds light on the question of why so many preschool-eligible children are not enrolled and presents recommendations for policy changes to address these barriers. Then in 2012 and 2013, COFI and POWER-PAC released follow-up practice and policy briefs, “How We Got Johnny, Jada and Jose in Preschool”. These briefs provide compelling evidence that solutions to intractable community challenges can happen when there is real investment in building leadership capacity among low-income parents.

Related documents: EL Pilot Results Newsletter ENG 2014 and EL Pilot Results Newsletter Span 2014


Parent Campaigns




More about this Campaign For a better understanding, read this detailed summary of the campaign with important milestones.

Other POWER-PAC Campaigns • Elementary Justice

• Recess for All! Healthy Kids

• Stepping Out of Poverty (STOP)

• Celebrating Together

• Moms on a Mission

Longitudinal studies show children who participate in high quality early learning programs are less likely to need special education.


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Parent Campaigns > POWER-PAC (Chicago-wide) > Early Learning Campaign

Details: Early Learning CampaignAccess to high quality early care and learning opportunities can be difficult for low-income children and families. Parent leaders pushed for the creation of a seamless system for all children ages zero to five, which includes quality, full-day, year-round and universal preschool.

Background

• In some pockets of Chicago, as many as 60% of preschool-aged children who are eligible for public-funded early education programs are not enrolled.

• The effects of quality early childhood education include higher reading and math scores, higher high school graduation and college attendance rates, and lower grade retention and dropout rates.

• Children who attend quality preschools develop stronger social and emotional skills and increased self-confidence.

• Over a lifetime, children who participate in quality early childhood education are less likely to become involved in the juvenile justice system or become teen parents, and they tend to have higher incomes, lower crime and incarceration rates, and lower unemployment rates.

• 90% of a child’s brain growth occurs before their 5th birthday.

Recommendations

• Provide transportation to get children to and from preschool including van and bus service or creative solutions like Walking Preschool Buses.

• Adjust preschool schedules so they can accommodate family and work schedules.

• Support parent-to-parent outreach to families with the message about the importance of early learning and to help connect them to quality programs.

• Fund home-visiting programs that bring resources, education, and support to parents and caregivers.

• Reduce co-payments for child care for low-income families so that they can afford all-day combined preschool and child care programs.

• Simplify the registration process and paperwork, make it more family-friendly, and do not require Social Security numbers, so families can register quickly and easily.

• Help families who receive child care subsidies to understand how they can still enroll children in preschool or Head Start.

• Create more slots for children where they are needed and support recruitment efforts where slots are not filled.

Highlights and Victories

In 2008, parents partnered with Illinois Action for Children and others and went door-to-door in 19 low and moderate-income communities to talk with over 5,000 parents and caregivers about why participation in early childhood programs is so low. Parent leaders organized forums in Englewood and the West Loop that brought parents, educators and policymakers together to develop recommendations to address access barriers. One long-time POWER-PAC member and mother and grandmother from the Austin community, was appointed to the Illinois Early Learning Council.

In 2009, the parents released Why Isn’t Johnny in Preschool?—a report that documents what was learned in parent-to-parent outreach about barriers to access and provides real-world recommendations to get more children into quality programs. That same year, they won funding from the City of Chicago to launch the Head Start Ambassador program, a parent-to-parent, door-to-door, outreach project to connect low-income families to early childhood resources and programs. Head Start reached full enrollment every year after the Ambassador project began.

In 2010, CPS agreed to support a pilot program for Walking Preschool Buses which in 2014 was expanded to 10 schools.

POWER-PAC’s recommendations helped Illinois leverage a $3.5 million federal grant that included funding for pilot programs in six sites to test out POWER-PAC recommendations about improving access for “hard-to-reach” families to quality programs.

The results of these pilots then informed the Governor’s Early Childhood Development office and the Early Learning Council as they have integrated parent engagement and parent-led outreach into Illinois’ initiatives on home visiting, Early Childhood Action Partnerships and, most recently, the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge efforts statewide.

In 2012 and 2013, COFI and POWER-PAC released “How we got Johnny, Jada and José into preschool,” a series of policy/practice briefs that share the philosophy and practices of effective parent-led projects.

Finally, most recently, parents have been successful advocates with staff at the Mayor’s Office and the CPS’ Early Childhood Education Department, resulting in better access and a streamlined application process in Chicago’s new Ready-to-Learn initiative.


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Parent Campaigns > POWER-PAC (Chicago-wide) > Early Learning Campaign > Details: Early Learning Campaign

COFI can work with your organizationWe offer regular workshops for organizations that are interested in incorporating family focused organizing into their own work. The workshops are designed for staff and leaders of community organizing groups, advocacy organizations, schools, government, and social service agencies. We will train you in our model of working with parents, and assist with planning and assessment, and developing a sponsoring committee, funding, trained staff, and a plan/timeline for project implementation.

Family Focused Organizing OrientationThis 2-day hands-on and participatory session introduces COFI’s Family Focused Organizing model to staff and/or parent leaders from a range of organizations, including community organizing groups, advocacy organizations, schools, government, and social service agencies. Participants will meet COFI parent leaders and will gain firsthand experience with the model.

Phase One: Self, Family & TeamTrain the Trainer/Organizer Program

This 4-day session is for people who plan to incorporate the Family Focused Organizing model, or parts of it, in their own community groups, schools, and agencies. This training teaches how to recruit parents, how to use COFI’s training curriculum for leadership development, and how the process works to build power. It includes in-depth exploration of the first year of COFI’s two-year organizing process and hands-on practice for trainers.

Topics Covered:

• Overview of COFI’s Family Focused Organizing Model

• Self, Family & Team Goals and Process

• Role of Facilitator / Role of Organizer

• How Adults Learn

• Recruiting Parents

• Team Building

• Hand-On Practice of Curriculum Pieces

Phase Two: Community Outreach & ActionTrain the Trainer/Organizer Program

At our 3.5-day Phase 2 training, we’ll teach you how to build a team of community residents, do one-on-one relationship building interviews, map a community, including a power analysis, choose an issue campaign, and support leaders to win tangible victories in their communities. It includes in-depth exploration of the second year of COFI’s two-year organizing process and a community field trip.

Topics Covered:

• Community Outreach & Action Goals and Process

• One-on-One Relationship Building

• Community Mapping and Planning

• Supporting Parents in Winning Community Change

• Hand-On Practice of Curriculum Pieces

Training & Consultation Who We’ve Trained Training Manuals

COFI’s projects all begin with the Planning and Assessment phase. This is the time we work with the sponsoring organization to do a thorough assessment of who is who and what is happening for parents and families in the targeted community.

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“Put some quotes from organizations that have been trained and are using the model.”

–Jane Smith, Director, Organization, St. Louis, Missouri



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Workshop Schedule

Email Name Lastname or call (312) 226-5141 for more information about COFI’s training and consulting services.

Learn How > Training & Consultation

Join us for one or more of COFI’s 2015 trainings!

Location:

COFI Offices

1436 W. Randolph, 4th floor

Chicago, IL 60607

Directions, lodging and general information

Orientation to Family Focused Organizing2 days: January 27-28, 2015

This 2-day hands-on and participatory session introduces COFI’s FamilyFocused Organizing model to staff and/or parent leaders from a range of organizations, including community organizing groups, advocacy organizations, schools, government, and social service agencies. Participants will meet COFI parent leaders and will gain firsthand experience with the model.

Fee: $350/person, includes lunch each day and site visit

Registration & Payment Deadline: January 16, 2015

Phase 1: Self, Family & Team Train-the-Organizer/Trainer Program (includes Orientation to Family Focused Organizing) 2 days: January 27-28, 2015




Phase 2: Community Outreach & Action Train-the- Organizer/Trainer Program2 days: January 27-28, 2015




Phase 3: Policy & Systems Change The COFI Way2 days: January 27-28, 2015





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Workshop Schedule

Email Name Lastname or call (312) 226-5141 for more information about COFI’s training and consulting services.

Register for two training sessions and save $100!

“Every approach has unique advantages as well as distinct drawbacks... Of all the models I studied, COFI’s approach is the most effective at engaging society’s most disenfranchised members in the broader community and in public life.”

–Dr. Kristina Smock, Democracy in Action: Commnity Organizing and Urban Change

Learn How > Workshop Schedule

General Information for Workshop Participants

• Traveling to COFI

• Lodging in Chicago

• Chicago attractions, dining and more

Traveling to COFI

CTA:

From Ashland Pink/Green Line Station- Located 1 block west on Lake, south on Randolph. Using the 9 Irving Park Bus: Both Northbound and Southbound buses stop at Ashland Station. 20 Madison bus runs westbound on Madison, stopping at Madison and Ogden. Walk North on Ogden.

Metra/Amtrak

If arriving at Union Station, use the 29 bus departing Union station to Randolph and Ogden. From Ogilvie (Chicago OTC), Use the Green/Pink line westbound to the Ashland Station (what?).

By Car

If Traveling North on I-90/94, take exit 51B onto Randolph St, turn Left onto Randolph. Continue Straight 1 mile. COFI is located at the corner of Randolph and Ogden. Traveling South on I-90/94: take exit 51b for W Randolph. Turn Right onto Randolph. Continue straight 1 mile. COFI is located at the corner of Randolph and Ogden.

Parking

Free Parking can be found along Lake ST, Randolph St, and Washington Blvd. It is marked in Blue above. Parking on Randolph Ave is two hour parking only.

Local Cab Companies

Yellow Cab (312) 829-4222

FLASH (773) 561-4444

303 Taxi (847)303-0303

Lodging

The Inn of Chicago (Union)

(About 25 minutes by public transportation to COFI office)

162 E. Ohio Street

Chicago, IL 60611

(312) 717-3100

$105/night plus tax (price via priceline.com)

The Tremont Hotel (Union)

(About 20-30 minutes by public transportation from COFI office)

100 East Chestnut

Chicago, IL 60611

(312) 751-1900

$92+tax/night

Travelodge Hotel Downtown Chicago (Union)

(About 20-30 minutes by public transportation from COFI office)

65 East Harrison

Chicago, IL 60605

(312) 427-8000

$89+tax/night (price via priceline.com)

Chicago Tourism

Chicago attractions, dining and more


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Workshop Schedule

Learn How > Workshop Schedule > General Information

Registration

Register for January and March and save $100!

After you submit your registration information, you’ll be prompted to fill out our Pre-Participation Reflection Form, so we can better customize your session to the participants.

I will be attending:

{ Orientation to Family Focused Organizing

2 days - Tuesday and Wednesday, January 27 and 28, 2015

$350 per person, includes lunch and site visit

Registration and payment due by January 16, 2015

{ Phase 1: Self, Family & Team Train-the-Organizer / Trainer Program

(includes Orientation to Family Focused Organizing)

4 days – Tuesday to Friday, January 27 – 30, 2015

$600 per person, includes SFT Manual and lunch each day


{ Phase 2: Community Outreach & Action Train-the Organizer / Trainer Program

3.5 days – March 10 – 13, 2015

$550 per person, includes COA Manual, a field trip and lunch each day except last


First Name

Last Name

Organization

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip

Telephone/Office

Telephone/Cell

Email

Total amount due: $


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Learn How > Workshop Schedule > Registration

Order Form

Phase 1: Self, Family & Team/Team-Building $50.00

English: (quantity)

Spanish: (quantity)

Phase 2: Community Outreach & Action $50.00

English: (quantity)

Spanish: (quantity)

Total Amount

Billing address:

First Name

Last Name

Organization

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Ship to: { Same as billing address

{ Ship to different address


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Training Manuals

Description of the training manuals, how many pages are they, what are they good for, who would find them useful. Number to call if you’re confused? Description of the training manuals, how many pages are they, what are they good for, who would find them useful. Number to call if you’re confused? Description of the training manuals, how many pages are they, what are they good for, who would find them useful. Number to call if you’re confused?

Learn How > Training Manuals

COFI is a catalyst for positive change. It is a center and a resource for family focused organizing, leadership development and community building focused on the well being of children, youth and families. Founded in 1995, COFI is driven by a deep commitment to social justice, and grounded in the time-tested principles, strategies, accomplishments, and approaches of community organizing.

COFI helps build family-supportive communities. By encouraging parents—primarily mothers—first to address their personal goals and dreams, COFI helps parents recognize that skills honed as a parent can translate to leadership skills in the larger community. It helps them realize that many day-to-day family struggles are rooted in public policies that have public remedies. Parents who become leaders can create change within themselves, apply what they have learned to their communities, then to the larger systems that affect families, and beyond.

Our mission Our mission is to strengthen the power and voice of low-income and working families at all levels of civic life – from local institutions and communities to the city and state policy arenas.

History Board Funders & Partners Jobs at COFI

Os non con pera volut aci culpa sintiate reptasperate

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In the Media

About COFI > About COFI

COFI Staff

Angelica LewisAdministrative Assistant

Ellen SchumerExecutive Director

Esther BeardEast St. Louis Organizer

Felipa MenaParent Peer Trainer/Project Staff

Giselle DoyleDirector of Contracts and Initiatives

Gloria HarrisParent Peer Trainer/Project Staff

Graciela Suarez VillarealLead Organizer

Janaya GripperParent Initiated Projects Assistant

Janet VargasOrganizer

Jason LembergCommunications and Resource Development Coordinator

Karen Lynn MortonParent Peer Trainer/Project Staff and Austin Peace Center Coordinator

Kassia EideElgin Organizer

Kellie MagnusonSenior Program Director

Lindsey MastersonOrganizer

Patricia IslasOrganizer

Rosalva NavaParent Peer Trainer/Project Staff

Rosazlia GrillierParent Peer Trainer/Project Staff

Sara GonzalezAurora Organizer

Tracy Occomy CrowderSenior Organizer

Veronica MercadoOrganizer

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History Board Funders & Partners Jobs at COFIStaffAbout COFI In the Media

About COFI > Staff

COFI Responds to Migrant Children CrisisAUGUST 27, 2014, CHRISTIE RENICK, THE CHRONICLE OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Charities That Serve Immigrants Focus on COFIAPRIL 18, 2010, CAROLINE PRESTON, CHRONICLE ON PHILANTHROPY

How COFI Can Help Unaccompanied Child Refugees NowAUGUST 19, 2014, DARANEE PETSOD, PHILANTHROPY NEWS DIGEST, FOUNDATION CENTER

Channeling Anger Into Passion and Passion Into ActionAUGUST 27, 2014, CHRISTIE RENICK, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Channeling Anger Into Passion and Passion Into ActionAUGUST 27, 2014, CHRISTIE RENICK, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

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About COFI > In the Media

Policymaker Interviews

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The COFI Way How a diverse group of moms and grandmoms, raising their families in some of the toughest neighborhoods anywhere, engage decision makers

and win

ReportsPublications




Policy and Systems Change the COFI Way

POWER-PACEarly Learning Committee

A COFI PROJECT

Briefings from the ground up:Powered by grassroots research and deep community relationships, a group of Chicago parents are testing their ideas on how to get more low-income children in early education programs.

Their ideas are working.

How we got Johnny, Jada and José into preschool

»»»»»» 1

Each summer and fall, low-income parent leaders called Head Start Ambassadors knock on thousands of doors in their communities to talk with other parents about early learning and Head Start. These COFI-trained parent Ambassadors post flyers in places where they know parents will see them. They set up tables in drug stores, grocery stores, WIC offices, and laundromats to talk with neighbors and distribute information. They team up with staff of under-enrolled Head Start centers to reach out to parents in those neighborhoods. They talk with parents at block parties, community festivals, parades, and health fairs. Most importantly, the centerpiece of the program is door-to-door, parent-to-parent conversations. Ambassadors knock on doors to get to know families and to identify

those with children who are eligible but not enrolled in Head Start. The Ambassadors talk with the parent or caregiver about why early learning is so important. They share their experiences enrolling their own children or grandchildren in Head Start, and provide information about programs in the area. When there is interest in a referral, the Ambassador gets the names, birthdates, and contact information for each eligible child. This information is sent to Illinois Action for Children, the local referral group for Head Start and child care. Illinois Action for Children then responds to the family with information on local Head Start centers. Every other Saturday, the Ambassador teams are joined by 15-20 newly-trained Head Start parents to go door-knocking in their neighborhoods. These Saturday Outreach Team members are mostly young mothers who work or are in school full-time and do not have the time to be an Ambassador. However, they are equally committed to bringing the message about the importance of early learning to

their neighbors and others. These parents cycle into the program each spring and are mentored in their role by more experienced Ambassadors.

Head Start Ambassadors Connect with “Hard-to-Reach” Families

Promising practices to enroll hard-to-reach families in quality early learning programs This policy and practice brief comes from COFI (Community Organizing

Family Issues), the umbrella organization that trains and supports grassroots parents to be powerful leaders on issues that affect their families.

The ead Start Ambassadors program is an innovative, parent-created pilot project that is increasing participation of at-risk, low-income children in quality early learning programs.

It is one promising avenue for positive change. We share our experience in the hope that it can serve as a model and a process for addressing community problems with a bottom-up approach of authentic parent engagement.

For more information, visit www.cofionline.org and see the parent-to-parent research report, Why Isn’t Johnny in Preschool

Head Start Ambassadors have had peer-to-peer conversations with nearly 20,000 families, about half of them with a child under age 5.

Ambassadors have referred more than 3,000 children for Head Start programs.

In teams of two, Head Start Ambassadors knock on doors in their neighborhoods to get to know families and to identify those with young children who are eligible but not enrolled in Head Start. They tell their own stories of enrolling their children or grandchildren and provide information about Head Start programs nearby.

»»»»»HOW WE GOT JOHNNY, JADA, AND JOSÉ INTO PRESCHOOL: RIEFI S FRO T E RO P

1

Low-income families identify transportation issues as one of the biggest hurdles to enrolling—and keeping—their children in preschool. In Walking Preschool Bus neighborhoods, parent leaders are hired as “conductors” with a regular route to walk young children to and from preschool centers. Conductors work with COFI staff and local schools to identify families whose children are not regularly attending the area preschool/Head Start programs due to lack of transportation. Then Conductors, accompanied by COFI staff, visit these families to invite them to join the program. Conductors implement “bus routes” to accommodate participating families, and, in this model program, receive training, supervision, and administrative support from COFI. Most of the Conductors COFI hires are already very active at the school and in their neighborhoods, making them credible and trustworthy resources for marketing the

program in the community. Many of them have been recruited from the ranks of POWER-PAC, a powerful, citywide organization of low-income parents in Chicago. These are the very parents who initiated the idea of trying this practical, peer-to-peer approach in their own communities. For the past three years, COFI and POWER-PAC

have worked in conjunction with the Chicago Public Schools Office of Early Childhood Education to pilot this idea at a few schools; results so far have been encouraging. School officials report that the Walking Preschool Bus program is increasing children’s preschool attendance and reducing their tardiness.

Why It Works The heart of the Walking Preschool Bus, and a key to its success, is selecting, training, and supervising highly committed and reliable neighborhood parent leaders. As in the Head Start Ambassador program (see companion brief), gaining the trust of the families builds an understanding and commitment to the vital experience of quality early learning. Conductors are able to persuade participants that regular attendance in preschool makes a major difference in school and life success. The trust that is built during the recruitment phase is also critical later on when the Conductor calls to let the parent know that she is on her way or knocks on the door in the dead of winter and finds the family reluctant to let the child venture off in the cold. The Conductors use the trust they have built to again convince the family of why it is so important that the child still attend. Recognizing the Walking Preschool Bus as one transportation option for some Illinois cities and towns, this brief describes how it works and makes recommendations for expanding its use.

Walking Preschool Bus Conductors make sure preschoolers get to school safely.

Promising practices to enroll hard-to-reach families in quality early learning programsThis policy and practice brief comes from COFI (Community Organizing

Family Issues), the umbrella organization that trains and supports grassroots parents to be powerful leaders on issues that affect their families.

The Walking Preschool us program is an innovative, parent-created pilot project that is increasing participation of at-risk, low-income children in quality early learning programs.

It is one promising avenue for positive change. We share our experience in the hope that it can serve as a model and a process for addressing community problems with a bottom-up approach of authentic parent engagement.

For more information, visit www.cofionline.org and see the parent-to-parent research report, Why Isn’t Johnny in Preschool

»»»»»HOW WE GOT JOHNNY, JADA, AND JOSÉ INTO PRESCHOOL: RIEFI S FRO T E RO P

Schools report that the Walking Preschool Bus program is increasing preschool attendance and reducing tardiness.

The Walking Preschool Bus: A Neighborhood Solution

Early Learning Policy Brief:Walking Preschool Bus

How We Got Johnny, Jada and José into Preschool: Early Learning Policy Briefs (all)

Early Learning Policy Brief:Head Start Ambassadors

1

COFI is driven by the core belief that building the leadership and collective power of parents creates positive change in families, communities, and public policy. COFI’s work begins by engaging individual parents but goes beyond improving outcomes for just one person or one family. It is ultimately about engaging groups of parents and harnessing their power to impact change in policies, practices, and systems so that the structures designed to support families, including the early care and education system, are working for and with the families they serve. This policy brief shares some central principles and components of engaging parents to successfully impact policies and systems. We have learned how this kind of parent engagement can be effective in strengthening access and participation in early learning, and why parent engagement that builds leadership and parent power is such a positive, high impact, and essential component in strengthening the system of quality early learning for all children.

Parent Engagement that Builds Leadership and Power

Promising practices to enroll hard-to-reach families in quality early learning programs This policy and practice brief comes from COFI (Community Organizing & Family Issues), the umbrella organization that trains and supports grassroots parents to be powerful leaders on issues that affect their families.

The COFI model of parent engagement relies on leadership development and organizing to ensure that parents themselves are shaping programs and policies to increase access to quality early learning.

It is one promising avenue for positive change. We share our experience in the hope that it can serve as a model and a process for addressing community problems with a “bottom-up” approach of authentic parent engagement.

For more information, visit www.cofionline.org and see the parent-to-parent research report, “Why Isn’t Johnny in Preschool?”

“The success of COFI’s model is tied to the effort they put into starting at the beginning: where parents are in their own lives, helping them to get involved. Then, COFI brings parents along to the next level of involvement, and then the next, until they are ready to be active participants around policy.”

—NANCY SHIER, VICE PRESIDENT, ILLINOIS POLICY, OUNCE OF PREVENTION FUND (RETIRED)

Adrienne Stewart (left, with her grandson), the Parent and Community Engagement Director for the Chicago Public Schools Office of Early Education, congratulates parents on their success in reaching more than 475 families about the importance of early learning. Through a pilot designed by COFI parents and funded by the district, COFI trained 51 parents from elementary schools to talk with their neighbors to improve enrollment and attendance in preschool.

»»»»»HOW WE GOT JOHNNY, JADA, AND JOSÉ INTO PRESCHOOL: BRIEFINGS FROM THE GROUND UP

Early Learning Policy Briefs: Parent Engagement

POWER-PACElementary Justice CommitteeSpring 2010

A COFI PROJECT

Parent-to-Parent Guide Restorative Justice in Chicago Public Schools

> > > > > > > > >

Students clean graffiti from a schoolyard fence

A Better Approach to Student Discipline

Parent-To-Parent Guide on Restorative Justice in Chicago Public Schools

Why isn’tJohnny inpreschool?

A group of Chicago parents surveyed thousands of families in their communities to find the answers to this question.

Here is our report.

POWER-PACEarly Learning Committee Research and Recommendations

May 2009

A COFI PROJECT

!!!!!!

Why Isn’t Johnny in Preschool?


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To access COFI publications earlier than 2009, please see our Publications Archive.

Training Manuals

Publications > Reports

Policymaker Interviews Interviews with prominent decision makers who have worked closely with COFI parent leaders help reveal and illustrate the COFI way of parent-led policy change. COFI trains and supports parents to be effective, high-impact, and centrally involved in policy and systems change that makes a difference for their children and families.

COFI’s groundbreaking model of parents building authentic relationships with decision makers has resulted in school discipline policies that help break the school-to-prison pipeline; restoring recess for all children in Chicago public schools; and new and effective programs to make sure all children have access to quality early learning.


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Policymaker InterviewsReportsPublications

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José AlvarezFormer External Affairs Officer, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Chief of Staff, Washington, D.C. Superintendent of Education

Carlos Azcoitia Distinguished Professor of Practice, National Louis University; Member, Chicago Board of Education

James BebleyCPS General Counsel

Barbara BowmanRetired CPS Chief Early Learning Officer

Tawa JogunosimiFormer Director of Education Policy and Partnerships, Office of the Mayor, Chicago

Tom LaymanVice President, Program Development; Illinois Action for Children

Illinois State Senator Kimberly LightfordAssistant Majority Leader, Illinois General Assembly

Ernesto MatiasFormer Principal, Wells High School

Vanessa RichDeputy Commissioner, Department of Family and Support Services, City of Chicago

Kathy Ryg Former Illinois State Representative; Retired President, Voices for Illinois Children

Nancy ShierRetired Vice-President of Illinois Policy; Ounce of Prevention Fund

Elizabeth SwansonDeputy Chief of Staff for Education, Office of the Mayor, Chicago

Publications > Policymaker Interviews

Elizabeth SwansonDeputy Chief of Staff for Education, Office of the Mayor, Chicago

In her role as Mayor Emanuel’s point person on all things education at City Hall, Beth Swanson recently revived a relationship with COFI that began more than 10 years ago at Chicago Public Schools. Back then, their mutual interests centered on community schools. Now the focus is on early childhood programs.

I first met COFI around 2000, when I was working at CPS and heading up the after-school programming and then we launched community schools. We handled everything that was outside the regular school day. In the community school work, one of the big tenets was to engage parents. So I met COFI through the work they were doing on the ground with parents around community schools.

At the time, we were trying to identify a number of parent advocacy groups that could help with the work. So we were looking for groups that were working strategically with parents. We looked at their work and best practices so we might share them with schools. Ellen was very helpful in thinking through how to empower parents and how to get their voices into the various initiatives we were managing. Often times, Ellen would bring parents to community schools meetings and events.

Being able to talk to the parent leaders directly, or bounce ideas off them brought a different lens to the work. You wouldn’t get that if you were just making policy or creating programs in isolation. COFI’s parent leaders were great about giving open and constructive feedback. Some assume the worst of CPS and through years of miscommunication or mistrust—for whatever the reason—it’s hard to get people to put it all aside and just say, “I really just want to talk to you. Let’s just try and make this work from this point forward.” COFI always came to the table with that. I was just so appreciative. It was easy to work with COFI.

Conversations were always open. COFI wanted to partner, to collaborate. They were very sincere about it. ‘We’re all trying to get at the same issues. We were speaking about a lot of the same things.’ All of the organizing and programs they were doing at the time were very much in line with the things that [then Schools CEO] Arne Duncan had envisioned for community schools and parent engagement. So we had easy common ground.

Just recently, in my role as chief of staff for education for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, I reconnected with COFI around early childhood. I met with them and we talked about some of their priorities and their program to help get children to preschool—the walking preschool bus.

Early childhood is a priority of the mayor’s. We’ve done some analytical work and we’re starting to roll that out with the overall goal of increasing access and quality. So with COFI, we talked a bit about the quality of programs and how to help parents understand what a quality program looks like. COFI told me a bit about how they judge quality in early childhood.

From that conversation, we did have someone follow up and look into scaling the walking preschool bus effort. It was incredibly cost effective. I was surprised about how little it costs to get kids to their programs. City Hall doesn’t own a program, but obviously it does have a great sphere of influence. A lot of my job is finding interesting ideas and thinking through how to get bureaucracies to respond or pay attention to a new policy or program if it seems to make sense for where we’re trying to go overall.




“We had easy common ground.”

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Illinois State Senator Kimberly LightfordAssistant Majority Leader, Illinois General Assembly

Ernesto MatiasFormer Principal, Wells High School

Vanessa RichDeputy Commissioner, Department of Family and Support Services, City of Chicago

Publications > Policymaker Interviews > Elizabeth Swanson

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Publications > Reports > Publications Archive

End of Year Wrap-UpDECEMBER 14, 2014

It’s been an exciting year of growth for COFI and December has already been packed with victories and parents taking on new levels of leadership. “READ MORE 4


On Election Day, November 4th, POWER-PAC “Stepping Out Of Poverty” (STOP) parent members celebrated the passage of the Il-linois Minimum Wage advisory referendum approved by 68% of the voters! And - two weeks later, they joined partners from Raise READ MORE 4

If You See Something, Say SomethingOCTOBER 14, 2014

POWER-PAC leaders joined over 70 organizations in 52 cities across the country as a part of the National Week of Action. They presented their new effort – “If You See Something, Say Something” to a roomful of parent leaders at their quarterly citywide meeting at Eckhart Park. POWER-PAC leaders want to be sure that all parents READ MORE 4

Channeling Anger Into Passion and Passion Into ActionSEPTEMBER 14, 2014

Rosalva Nava, a member of the POWER-PAC Leadership Council, presented at the Chicago Foundation for Women’s 29th Annual Luncheon before 2,000 of the Foundation’s donors, grant recipients and partners. She shared her intense story of surviving domestic READ MORE 4

If You See Something, Say SomethingOCTOBER 14, 2014

POWER-PAC leaders joined over 70 organizations in 52 cities across the country as a part of the National Week of Action. They presented their new effort – “If You See Something, Say Something” to a roomful of parent leaders at their quarterly citywide meeting at READ MORE 4

Channeling Anger Into Passion and Passion Into ActionSEPTEMBER 14, 2014

Rosalva Nava, a member of the POWER-PAC Leadership Council, presented at the Chicago Foundation for Women’s 29th Annual Luncheon before 2,000 of the Foundation’s donors, grant recipients and partners. She shared her intense story of surviving domestic READ MORE 4

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On Election Day, November 4th, POWER-PAC “Stepping Out Of Poverty” (STOP) par-ent members celebrated the passage of the Illinois Minimum Wage advisory referen-dum approved by 68% of the voters!

And - two weeks later, they joined partners from Raise Illinois for a press conference with minimum wage advocate and State Senate Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford calling on the legislature to pass the minimum wage increase in Illinois and then traveled to Springfield to rally for support.

Highlighting the real impact of the minimum wage raise, POWER-PAC Parent Leader Cye Cye Simms was featured in The Chicago Sun-Times, “Faces of Minimum Wage” series. Unfortunately, Cye Cye’s experiences are all too common for many in our state.

The non-binding ballot referendum asked the voters whether they supported increas-ing the hourly minimum wage to $10 (from $8.25) by January 1, 2015. The effort was supported by many groups statewide in Raise Illinois including COFI and POWER-PAC #RaisetheWage.

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Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI)

1436 W. Randolph, 4th Floor Chicago, IL 60607 Tel. (312) 226-5141

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Our Stories Connect Us




Name LastnameI learned about self-esteem—not just my own, but also my kids...

Name LastnameCOFI has helped me change my entire life. Five years ago, I was really in despair...

Name LastnameA few years ago, parent involve-ment at Nixon School was limited to a few parents...

Intro blurb about meeting the parent leaders and you could work in how people sharing their personal stories helps forge the connections that make them an amazing unit working for common goals! Or whatever you think! Vit es sinverat qui re nos minusantiam, sus endendit estia simet et quossimodis rerum et ommos rat ent quam dolo.


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Alicia Gregorio

I learned about self-esteem—not just my own, but also my kids. We are not raised to see our...

Rosazlia Grillier

COFI has helped me change my entire life. Five years ago, I was really in despair...

Doña Patricia Lozano

A few years ago, parent involve-ment at Nixon School was limited to a few parents...

Alicia GregorioNOVEMBER 14, 2014

I learned about self-esteem—not just my own, but also my kids. It was hard for me to think about this. In my culture, when a parent tells a child to do something, you do it—right away! We are not raised to see our children as outside of our lives. It is different here, and understanding this has really helped. They are all A and B students now.

My husband is Mexican, like me, and he wanted me to stay home—make the dinner, clean the house, and then just sit around and watch the TV. My husband has learned to support me as a community leader. I am his wife but he is not my owner.

Through COFI, I’ve gained confidence. I helped build a parent team to address problems at my children’s school, and now I am a leader on the Local School Council. Our team’s first goal was to get an exercise class for parents. We had to work to get the support of the principal, but we did. We started the classes with one morning each week, but soon there were so many parents and so much excitement that we went to five days a week. We have 40 mothers in the class.

Next we worked to win the support of our Alderman to improve safety around the school. The principal asked me, “How did you get the Alderman’s help?” I just smiled. Now the principal is so happy with us that she hosted a Mothers Day Recognition for our team. It was really nice. She made all of us cry.

Should we add a short blurb at the end about the person’s role in COFI, as opposed to their personal story above? Should we add a short blurb at the end about the person’s role in COFI.





“Through COFI, I’ve gained confidence. I helped build a parent team to address problems at my children’s school, and now I am a leader on the Local School Council.”

Meet other COFI parent leaders:


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Our Stories Connect Us > Alicia Gregorio

Name LastnameI learned about self-esteem—not just my own, but also my kids...

Name LastnameCOFI has helped me change my entire life. Five years ago, I was really in despair...

Name LastnameA few years ago, parent involve-ment at Nixon School was limited to a few parents...

Policy and Systems Change Will Never Be the Same!NOVEMBER 14, 2014

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Spotlight




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The COFI Way

How a diverse group of moms

and grandmoms, raising their

families in some of the toughest

neighborhoods anywhere,

engage decision makers

and win

Just released!Read The COFI Way


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· COFI trains parents to be powerful leaders... and COFI-trained parents accomplish great things....

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Transcript of · COFI trains parents to be powerful leaders... and COFI-trained parents accomplish great things....