About PLTI

By exploring your own passions, strengths, and ideas, you’ll develop leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills. By learning about government and the media, you’ll understand how to engage with the political system to get your voice heard.

You know your community’s challenges better than anyone else. The free Parent Leadership Training Institute gives you the skills you need to successfully create change.

Transforming Parents who care into parents who LEAD! Calling all parents from across the islands to participate in this free, unique opportunity! Enhance your leadership skills and learn how to make a positive difference for keiki in Hawaiʻi! Join a statewide cohort of other parent leaders and learn how to be an effective parent advocate in your community. Most sessions will be virtual with 3 in-person meetings (travel expenses covered).

PLTI teaches you how to identify problems affecting children — in schools, communities, and local and state government — and work toward solutions. PLTI’s 8 cohorts since 2015 have trained over 120 alumni in Hawaiʻi.

During PLTI, you’ll design and complete a community project related to something you’re passionate about. Previous projects include:

  • "Graceful Puʻuwai": Developing a support group for pregnant women who were abused as children.
  • “A Sustainable Maʻi”: A project addressing period poverty. A school program to educate and provide youth with sustainable products to manage their period in a financially, environmentally and healthy way.
  • “Adaptive Water Sports 101”: A website to train on adaptive surfing, adaptive kayaking and adaptive swimming, and how to support those with disabilities to have access to the ocean.

Click here to see more community projects.

See last year's Maui graduation!

  

The details

What You’ll Gain

  • A better understanding of your personal history and its impact on leadership
  • Become more comfortable with diversity across people and opinions
  • Practice communication, public speaking, and media advocacy skills
  • Learn research, needs assessment, problem-solving and planning techniques
  • Learn how to work in the political system to get your voice heard
  • Complete a community project related to something you’re passionate about

Commitment

This year's cohorts will begin in September 2024 and end in March 2025. The curriculum runs for 20 weeks total.

Application Process

Participants who submit an application will be contacted for an interview. Participants are selected from a diverse group of individuals, who are passionate about children's issues and policies, and also have an interest in developing their individual leadership skills.

If youʻre interested in joining the 2024-2025 PLTI Cohorts apply now!

 

Donate

Click here to invest in future community leaders by becoming a PLTI sponsor.

 

Join the waitlist for our next PLTI Cohort!
Apply now!

Meet the Team

 

Contact

Email us at [email protected].

Follow PLTI on Facebook and Instagram. If you're a PLTI alum, join our Facebook group!

PLTI’s impact

Read our 2022-2023 Hawaiʻi PLTI Report

Hear from PLTI graduate Lisamarie on how PLTI helped transform her family:

Hawaii PLTI Schedule 2024-‘25

There will be 3 in-person meetings on Sept, 14, Dec. 14, 2024 and April 5, 2025.  Travel expenses covered.  
All other sessions will be via Zoom on Saturday Afternoons 2-5:30p
Retreat Creating a Caring Community for Children Sept. 14, 2024 9am-3pm
Session 1 Thriving with Diversity in the Group Process Sept. 21, 2024
Session 2 The Change Process Sept. 28, 2024
  Community Project Kick-Off  
Session 3 Parents as Change Agents October 19, 2024
Session 4 How to Define a Problem and Work Towards a Solution October 26, 2024
Session 5 The Intentional Use of Language November 2, 2024
Session 6 Learning How a Community Works November 9, 2024
Session 7 How Local Systems Work and How to Interact with Them November 16, 2024
Session 8 Networks November 23, 2024
Session 9 The Power of the Media and How to Use It December 7, 2024
Session 10 Using Your Voice Dec. 14, 2024 10a-2p
Session 11 The Life Cycle of the Child and the Functions of the Family January 11, 2025
Session 12 Social and Economic Trends Affecting Children and Families January 18, 2025
Session 13 What is Public Policy? January 25, 2025
Session 14 How the State Works February 1, 2025
Session 15 How a County (City) Works February 8, 2025
  POWER SESSION  
Session 16 How Do We Understand the Law? February 15, 2025
Session 17 Budgets-From Wallets to State-It's All Money and Priorities February 22, 2025
Session 18 Evaluations, Outcomes, and Accountability March 1, 2025
Session 19 The Magic of the Unexpected-Forming New Alliances March 8, 2025
Session 20 Language: Packaging and Moving Agendas March 15, 2025
Graduation Graduation April 5, 2025 10a-1p

Mahalo to our sponsors

PLTI Hawaiʻi is a chapter of the National Parent Leadership Institute, which provides evidence-based curriculum. PLTI Hawaiʻi is made possible by supporters including the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (Family Health Services Division, Maternal & Child Health Branch, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention, Children with Special Health Needs Branch, Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems, Office of Primary Care & Rural Health, and Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant), Kamehameha Schools, Atherton Family Foundation, McInerny Foundation, Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation, and the City and County of Honolulu. Mahalo!