Celebrating A Decade of Empowering Parent Leaders in Solano County
Join us as we celebrate ten years of empowering parents and caregivers through the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) of Solano County. This special event will highlight the impact of PLTI alumni, share stories of leadership and community change, and bring together graduates, supporters, and future parent leaders. RSVP by May 9.
Empowering Parents As Community Leaders
The Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) is a free 20-week program developed to help parents and caregivers develop leadership skills and become strong advocates for positive change in their communities. Focused on civic engagement, PLTI empowers parents with the tools and knowledge to take an active role in improving outcomes for families and children.
Who Should Apply
We invite applications from individuals who see themselves as proactive agents of change for the children in their lives and communities. This includes parents, prospective parents, and family members, foster parents, co-parents, and older siblings caring for younger family members. We also welcome educators, youth workers, childcare providers, and babysitters
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Questions About PLTI?
We're here to help! Reach out to us for more information about the program, application process, or what to expect.
Monica Soriano - (415) 684-5072
(Habla español)
Alan Kerzin - alankerzin@gmail.com
PLTI helped me to improve speaking in public, to trust myself and to open my eyes that I can make a difference in my community.
I can make a difference in at least in one person's life.
PLTI participant
PLTI Coordinator
Monica has been the Site Coordinator for the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) since its inception in Solano County in 2015. Throughout her time with PLTI, she has had the privilege of getting to know some of the most amazing and influential parent leaders in the community. She has witnessed their journeys of personal growth and leadership development firsthand.
Before joining the Children’s Network, Monica primarily worked in the nonprofit sector. She has always felt, and continues to believe, that she can make the greatest impact and find her true purpose through social justice work. Her professional experience includes working alongside community organizers, foster youth, youth in the juvenile justice system, social workers, attorneys, judges, individuals experiencing homelessness, formerly incarcerated individuals, seniors, clergy members, and families.
Monica holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Journalism from San Francisco State University. She is the proud parent of two children, Viviana and Max, and serves as an active member of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee at her son’s school. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and connecting with people. She is currently working on a voice, video, and writing project designed to uplift parent voices in the community.
Before joining PLTI, Monica never considered herself a leader, let alone someone who had a voice or a seat at the table. She saw herself as “just a parent.” But with the support and encouragement of the PLTI community, she came to understand her role as a community leader and now proudly models leadership for her children, showing them how to advocate for the change they want to see in the world. PLTI has been a transformative journey for Monica, shaped by the parents, grandparents, and community advocates she has met—people who come together to support, understand, and uplift one another across lines of language, gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. Though the journey has come with its share of challenges and mistakes, she believes it is deeply worthwhile, because the future of our children depends on it.
PLTI Facilitator
Sara Anders joined the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) to address critical issues her family faced. When her son experienced racism in his school, Sara recognized the need for change within the Vallejo City Unified School District (VCUSD). She identified gaps in the district's policies and procedures regarding how schools address racism and collaborated with VCUSD to advocate for systemic improvements.
After graduating from PLTI, Sara’s passion and leadership led to her selection as a Phase 1 facilitator, a role she eagerly embraced. She recently completed her second cohort in Fairfield, California, and is actively working to bring PLTI to Vallejo to empower even more families.
Sara is particularly proud of her efforts to secure stipends for cohort participants this year, ensuring that parents and caregivers feel supported as they develop their leadership skills. She looks forward to continuing her impactful work with PLTI and helping to foster positive change in her community.
Civic Outcomes Results
The graph below shows the scores before and after the program, converted to a 0-100 scale for easier comparison. These results highlight the positive impact of PLTI on participants' leadership and civic engagement.
Evaluations: Measuring Impact and Success
PLTI of Solano County Report 2022-2023
The 2022-2023 evaluation of Solano County’s PLTI by NYU’s Metropolitan Center found increased civic confidence, leadership development, and community connections. Participants praised the program’s inclusivity, and a Net Promoter Score of 100 reflected high satisfaction and strong endorsement.
PLTI National Report 2021-2022
The 2021–2022 national evaluation of PLTI by NYU’s Metropolitan Center found significant growth in civic knowledge, participation, leadership, and community connections. Participants rated the program’s inclusivity highly, and a Net Promoter Score of 81 reflected strong satisfaction and endorsement.
Children's Leadership Training Institute
(Course not currently offered)
The Children’s Leadership Training Institute (CLTI) is a parallel course to the Parent Leadership Training Institute, delivered to the children of PLTI participants. CLTI uses literacy as a base and creates a full spectrum of activities that parallel the PLTI course and encompass the multiple intelligences. The template featured a book or books to ground the evening’s session. In addition to group discussion at class, children and youth in CLTI received a new book each week, connected to the learnings of that class, to add to their home libraries and to share with their families.
To develop the session, the CLTI teaching team used PLTI themes, adjusting them to be suitable for children. Each evening’s activities were reviewed to make sure they:
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Are engaging for children ages 3 to 12
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Build on literacy skills
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Include a variety of activities that appeal to different learning styles
Currently, the CLTI is not being offered. We look forward to resuming the program in the future and will provide updates as they become available. (Updated 03/2025)