The Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI) is a family civics program where graduates spend more than 90 hours developing skills needed to become effective leaders in their communities. These emerging community leaders participated in a 20-week curriculum that integrated personal and child development, leadership training, civic literacy and civic participation skills. Graduates are active community members concerned about improving systems for children.
The goal of the Family Leadership Training Institute is to dignify the role of families as change agents within community and government by building their capacity. Families use the tools developed to address social policy issues that are of concern to them. Families are taught the tenets of democracy and their rights to utilize government optimally in the best interest of children, families and their community as a whole.
The institute promotes civic partnerships that draw on the strengths of the individual members while remaining sensitive to the different cultures from which the members come. The institute also promotes public support for partnerships through connections to families, businesses, faith leaders, elected officials, community organizers, state and local government agencies and philanthropists. Locally, the Montelores FLTI is supported and administered through the Montelores Early Childhood Council (MECC). The Colorado Department of Human Services and the Colorado Department of Education also support the program. Initial funding for another round of FLTI has been secured locally, and MECC will be accepting applications in the fall. For more information, contact Trish Peters at 560-1360.