FLTI Week 4

“Radical, inclusive leadership. Our leadership is defined by mutual respect and a promise to do what we can, to make space for each other and to not leave anyone behind.”
-Monica Ramirez
Co-Founder of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas

Dear Leaders,

You’ve made it to Week 4!

The first three weeks are particularly challenging as they can include emotional conversations and seemingly elementary activities – until they hit your spirit. Change is occurring! Phase I is internal: self-reflection, group cohesion and understanding a new paradigm of leadership. It moves slowly. However, these conversations are critical building blocks for our community work and also Phase II which moves much more quickly. This is why we ask you to Trust the Process – a process that has been working for 30 years! We all have different levels of experience, background and knowledge. Each of us have gifts to offer. I encourage you to find someone to support, mentor or connect with – it will make the experience richer and build deeper relationships among us.

In FLTI, it is not any one person or facilitator or guest that is the expert – everything we need already exists in the room. The power of FLTI is in the willingness of each participant to be present, and it is the journey that develops the change. I am grateful to be on this journey with you!

THIS WEEK:
In Session 4, we will be discussing How to Define a Problem and Work Toward a Solution.

Objectives of Session 4:

• Identify and address problems from a position of confidence and strength.
• Be better prepared to disaggregate problems into more manageable component parts.
• Recognize and describe problems as a key entryway to constructive change for children.

Important Information:

• This week is a WORKING DINNER starting at 5:00pm. Alumni and facilitators will be present to assist you with your project ideas.
• Dinner will be a taco bar. As always, you are welcome to bring your own food!

REMINDERS:

• POTLUCK on February 12! Please sign up here. Our Phase II facilitators will be joining us, and we are excited to have them back in the room!
• Civic Project Idea Form DUE NEXT WEEK! (February 12)
• Please bring your own coffee mug and/or water bottle to class.

NEWS:

• The 2018 Civic Project Report is out now! Check it out here.
• Metro Caring is hiring a Volunteer Resources Manager. See job description here.
• Arapahoe County Department of Human Services is excited to partner with CarePortal to launch this resource in our community to impact thousands of more children. Visit careportal.org for more information.
• Administrative Equity is ensuring everyone has a fair and just opportunity to secure, manage and administer funds from any funder. Join this Administrative Equity Convening by registering here.
• Governor Jared Polis testified at the Joint Education Committee in support of funding full-day kindergarten in Colorado. Read more here.
• Rep. Michaelson Jenet (a former National PLTI team member!) is co-sponsoring the Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade Social And Emotional Health Act. Read more here.

“By addressing cultural inequities through self-awareness, multicultural understanding, and understandable and adaptable strategies that move micromessages from micro-inequities (negative but often unintentional) to micro-affirmations (positive and intentional), educators will build student self-efficacy”
– Dr. Ben Williams
National Alliance for Partnership in Equity (NAPE) Project Director