Leadership is All in the Family at Catalyst

Written by Gina Ha, Parent Leadership Training Institute Coordinator

What is Family Leadership?

According to Indya, a lovely and bright eight-year-old leader in Catalyst's Family Leadership Training Institute, it is simply "Leadership as a family. Something that the whole family can do together because things are better when you do them as a family, like watching a movie."

Family Leadership links different generations and walks of like to the common path of self-empowerment. Parents and children grow together; strangers and acquaintances grow together, inward and upward together. And like Indya said, things are better together.

Family Leadership is not only shared between relatives but between colleagues, neighbors, childhood friends, and even strangers. A family is the coalition that will support you through good and bad times, the close-knit group of young children that inspire you and the wise adults that guide you. Every member has a unique role and sense of responsibility, and each member honors the strength of the family in big and small ways.

The Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI) houses this type of unique connection between individuals. Our participants are parents, grandparents, single mothers and fathers, nonprofit professionals, community organizers, and young leaders from toddlers to pre-teens. Raiza, Indya's mother, joined the institute for this very reason. Raiza had participated in various workshops and programs prior to FLTI, but never found one that actually included her daughter. She is currently working on a community project, developing a program to educate families that are building lives and reconnecting after reentry. Indya is also working on a community project, a book/toy drive for Camillus House.

FLTI "has been an extraordinary experience for my 8 year old daughter and I," Raiza said. "We have really understood what leadership truly is and how it impacts our families, friends, schools and community. We have gained an awareness that has allowed us to identify our personal power to think outside the box and make things happen not only within our family, but in our community as well. " 

What is Family Leadership and What Does it Look Like?

Catalyst Miami is currently accepting applications for parents, children, and child advocates to join FLTI. Our family leadership program encompasses Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) for adults and Children’s Leadership Training Institute (CLTI) for students in grades K-5. The next class will start February 23, 2013 and meet weekly for 20 sessions on Wednesday evenings.

Who Can Join: Parents, guardians, child advocates, working professionals, community leaders, concerned residents…anyone interested in making a difference in the lives of children!

How to Join: Complete and submit an application or contact Gina Ha  at ginah@catalystmiami.org for more information. Children attending the program with a parent/ guardian will automatically be enrolled in CLTI, a parallel leadership program that uses a multiple-intelligence-based curriculum to maximize learning.

What to Look Forward to: 20 sessions that gradually build your advocacy skills, including: Using Your Voice, How a Community Works, What is Public Policy? and How the State Works. Guest speakers about media, local and state government, and community based organizations! A unique leadership opportunity for the entire family! Free dinner and childcare!

Jerry Bethel Turns His Life, the Lives of Others Around

Jerry Bethel is an AmeriCorps VISTA member completing his first year of service at Catalyst Miami. He works closely with the Prosperity Campaign—helping low-wage families and individuals connect to quality healthcare programs, establish financial security and enhance their quality of life. Jerry shares his personal reflections on connecting with Catalyst Miami at a significant point in his life.

Before I came to Catalyst Miami, I was going through a rough time. I was homeless and living on the streets with my girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time.

I connected to Catalyst Miami through a friend who introduced me to the Parent Leadership Training Institute. Being involved in this program taught me how to make changes within my community. I gained a lifetime of experiences and connections that I will forever appreciate.

Shortly after finishing the Parent Leadership Training Institute, my life turned around drastically. I'm no longer homeless. I found shelter, and I became an AmeriCorps VISTA member.

My role as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Catalyst Miami allows me to create and expand programs that ultimately bring low-income individuals and communities out of poverty. I connected with this program because I see a bit of my own story wrapped in the work I am doing for others in the community.

None of this would have possible without the knowledge and connections I made at Catalyst Miami.

Maria Ruiz: Community Catalyst

Maria Ruiz is a mother and a lawyer, an immigrant and a community health worker, a published author, and also, a survivor of domestic violence. We are proud to say she is a recent graduate of Catalyst Miami’s Parent LeadershipTraining Institute.

Maria and her three children endured abuse throughout her 21-year marriage. When she came to Miami from Venezuela in October 2009 it was with only two of her daughters. Her oldest child had committed suicide, as Maria puts it, “to break free from domestic violence.” At that time, Maria was coming to understand that her husband’s violence was not merely an element of marital strife; it was deeply affecting her children.  This realization put her on a path to becoming an advocate and a healer in her community.

After a short time in Miami, Maria’s husband came to see her and their children. His violent behavior eventually led to a visit from the police. One of the officers encouraged Maria to get a restraining order and wrote down directions to the courthouse. The very next day Maria was on a bus headed downtown to begin the process of separating legally from her husband and becoming a resident of the United States.

In getting a divorce, Maria gave up quite a bit of money and property, but gained tranquility and liberation for her daughters. As a barista at Maxine's Restaurant and Lounge in Miami Beach, she started saving up to start her own organization, Fundación AngelMariposa, to help families affected by domestic violence heal themselves and break the cycle of violence.

As a participant in the latest class of the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), Maria learned how to match her dreams with resources that could help her launch a community project, which she calls Mujer Mariposa. Through this program, women participate in support groups, attend workshops on healthy eating and take Zumba and Raiki classes. Maria believes that for children to be healthy, their mothers must also be healthy, which is why she is passionate about helping women seek therapy and support.

When Maria reflects on the journey she has taken, she doesn’t sound bitter towards her ex-husband. She comments that he still has their big house in Venezuela, but he is alone in it; he doesn’t have his family. She speaks proudly of how her daughters have learned to demand respect. Having seen such transformation in her own family, Maria is not content to rest; instead she is using the lessons she learned to help others heal.

A PLTI Graduation

By: Bianca Mijares, Catalyst Miami Intern

The Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI)'s graduation took place this week on Tuesday evening at the Miami Beach Community Church. The Institute graduated a total of sixteen parents and eighteen children this year.

PLTI is a twenty week program for parents and children that includes a ten week course on leadership and a ten week civics program with a corresponding community project for parents. The children who participate go through a similar process as their parents with similar themes about leadership and community engagement and their ability to affect change in a kid-friendly way.

Raquel Regalado, a school board member from District 6, was the guest speaker at this year's graduation. She told a personal story of when she learned to step up to lead when she saw something she did not think is fair. She encourages others to do the same, and congratulated us on our leadership program for children alongside their parents. In fact, she will be presenting a certificate of recognition to Catalyst Miami for this program at the next School Board meeting on July 13.

Gretchen Beesing, Vice President for Civic Life at Catalyst Miami, as well as one of the facilitators for the second phase of the PLTI program, called this year's graduating class, "outstanding and passionate," and one of the "best groups that she has worked with." She shared that she was tremendously moved as she witnessed the powerful bonding of the group.