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Café 5 Elaine Zimmerman
September 19, 2007
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Elaine Zimmerman |
Location: New Commons, 56 Pine Street, Providence, RI
Time: we start at 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, Members and invited guests cafe
Afternoon session: RI EPC sponsored, PLTI Advisory from 1:30 - 3:00 pm
We have invited Elaine from the Connecticut Commission on Children to continue the conversation about our theme "Sustainable Cities? Sustainable Suburbs?" A big thank you to our sponsor Rhode Island Economic Policy Council
Providence & Beyond topic
Elaine's topic is on "Active Democracy--what difference can it make in a local community?" and builds on her experience with designing and implementing the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) in Connecticut and her experience with emerging women leaders in Krakow, Poland.
Her work with parents, women and bridging public policy for these groups, build on the premise that we need to re-energize our civic tools to shape government to express democracy. And that the PLTI model can be a process to engage people of all communities in the democratic process.
- A must read for the session:
But I'm just a Parent! a speech by COC Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman.
Excerpt from her speech "But I'm Just a Parent":
"Parents (constituents) no longer have the civic skills necessary to connect with government. Without the tools, they (we) do not engage. Parents (we) need dignity, access, social context, substantive roles, and a clear map of goals and child outcomes."
- Elaine will also weigh in her perspective on our ongoing RI debate on ways to network using the "I know a guy who knows a guy..." politics... or is there another network we must put into play? (See
projo op ed from Michael Grossman on this pervasive practice...)
Elaine Zimmerman is the Executive Director of the Commission on Children for the State of Connecticut, handling policy issues related to family, children and women's services. She is also a national consultant utilized by states and national organizations to design both policy and strategy for children. She consults with governors, mayors, early childhood initiatives and businesses on media, parent involvement and service integration. She also has conducted numerous "Democracy and Diversity" graduate summer institutes with emerging women leaders in Krakow, Poland!
Elaine is a real practitioner of policy and a person who not only works on the level of the state with policy makers and their policies, but also prior to that had designed one of the most successful anti-poverty programs for women in the state of California; so she also has great exposure to public policy advocacy, and to designing policy.
For more biographical background click here
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From Elaine Zimmerman's cafe:
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Click link to download session notes: Cafe Notes and Posters
Download Audio: Coming soon
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