Welcome to the dissemination site of the Parents as Collaborative Leaders project. Here you will find a variety of resources, including modules, which you can use to support leadership development among parents of children and youth with disabilities. The modules have been field-tested through leadership orientations with parents from across the United States who were invited to participate because of their interest in expanding their leadership knowledge, skills and opportunities.
The modules present leadership through a collaborative lens, taking the approach that every parent can be a leader. Some parents who have participated in our leadership orientations have focused on leadership at the local level, while others have developed their skills at the regional, state and national policy levels. The site contains ten modules covering a variety of topics, including the defining parent leadership, identifying personal leadership goals, critical elements of collaboration, stages of group development, tips for leading effective meetings, listening and asking clarifying questions, understanding conflict, re-framing agendas, effective group problem-solving, and understanding diversity.
Each of the modules contains objectives, agendas, activities, handouts, and background information for presenters. Modules may be used separately or in a sequence as part of workshops, orientations, and courses pertaining to leadership development. Each module can be delivered in approximately one hour. We invite you to browse through the modules and to download those that may be useful to you. While there is no fee for using these materials, your input is important to us; therefore, we ask that you register to download the modules. We will follow up with all who register with a short evaluation form that will provide feedback for our project.
The website contains additional information about our project activities and accomplishments, along with a state-by-state resource map for families. (coming soon). We thank you for your interest in our project and look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Katharine Shepherd, Susan Hasazi, and Paula Goldberg, Co-Principal Investigators
Parents as Collaborative Leaders: Improving Outcomes for Children with Disabilities is a collaborative research project hosted by the University of Vermont and PACER Center. The project receives major funding through the United States Office of Special Education Programs, as well as support from the National Institute of Leadership, Disability, and Students Placed at Risk.