Look out, Danbury! There’s a new group of leaders among you! As the Parent Leadership Coordinator at Families Network of Western CT, I am delighted to announce that Danbury Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) has graduated its 2025 Class of Parent and Community Leaders!

Fourteen dedicated individuals completed the intensive 20-week program that began this past January. As part of the requirements for the program, each participant completed a written community project report that showcased their “Passion with a Purpose.” They identified community issues that were important to them and then developed their projects to address these areas. While the projects are as varied as our newest group of Parent and Community Leaders, they share one important thing: a desire to create positive change and achieve better outcomes for children and families in our community.

The 14 newest Danbury PLTI Alumni and their community projects are:

- Carina Caballeros: “Community Link 360,”

- Katherine Cruz: “Meet Your GENIO-Your Dreams Made Real,”

- Swati Das: “Let’s understand the Pulchritudinous Mind,”

- Emily A. Del Rosario: “Easy, We can Together,”

- Lisa Maria Farmer: “Let Public Housing Be a Stepping Stone, It Doesn’t Have To Be a Lifestyle,”

- Sonia Cristina Heredia: “Bridging Futures,”

- Karima I. O’Keefe: “Empowering Spanish Speaking Immigrants and Bilingual Adults,”

- Ashka Patel: “Young Money Masters,”

- Diana Ponce: “Once upon a time there was a seed…”

- Kimberly Reyes: “The Elysian Journals,”

- Fanny A. Rodriguez: “Don’t Forget About Me,”

- Noely Rodriguez: “Autism Latino Community Connection,”

- Hilda T. Salinas: “Create Quality Family Time,”

- and Mikella: “Páginas de Cambio: Spanish-language Book Club.”

The final events of the 2025 PLTI cycle included the graduation ceremonies at the state and local levels. Many among the group were able to journey to Hartford on June 18 to be recognized in the statewide PLTI graduation. In the atrium of the Legislative Office Building, our Danbury PLTI class joined with others from the eight other PLTI sites in Connecticut, as they were celebrated for their accomplishments. Lisa M. Farmer was elected by her class to speak on behalf of Danbury and her joyful take on the theme had everyone chanting, “We Own the Future!” by the end! Also acknowledged at the Hartford ceremony was Patti Keckeisen, Danbury PLTI class of 1999, who was the recipient of the Robert Haller Memorial Award for Outstanding Community Service.

The local graduation was held on June 20 and provided another opportunity for all to celebrate the hard work and dedication of this impressive group. Sonia Cristina Heredia was chosen by her class to speak, and her words exemplified the “attitude of gratitude” that PLTI seeks to cultivate in each participant during this life-changing experience. Many PLTI Alumni and Civic Design Team members were also in attendance and were instrumental in all aspects of the planning and preparation for this wonderful event.

Congratulations, Danbury PLTI Class of 2025!

For more information about the program, to apply for the next cohort of PLTI beginning January 2026, or to learn more about the amazing community projects that were developed this year, please visit FNWC.org/PLTI.

Karen Muller, Psy.D. is the Parent Leadership Coordinator at Families Network of Western CT, Inc. She can be reached by email at danburyplti@fnwc.org.