“You can’t have policy changes on the issues without having the people directly experiencing those issues leading the change, and that’s what COFI understands.” – Larry

Meet Larry and Carmen! Larry is the Executive Director at The Children’s Agenda (TCA), and Carmen is the Parent Leadership Manager. As an organization, TCA aims to improve children’s health, education, and success by advocating for effective, equitable policies. They’re using El modelo de COFI to organize parents in New York.

Larry: Changing an “Ivory Tower” Approach

Larry, a longtime organizer, came to Rochester after a long career with Citizen Action of Wisconsin.

He stumbled across TCA when they were looking for part-time fundraising support, and he eventually became a full-time team member. He says when he first started, he remembers it being “ivory tower-ish.” There was a lot of important research and analysis in their policy work, but it was missing a key piece – a powerful base of people directly impacted by policy and systems.

He was seeing other organizations focusing on advocating for others. But COFI’s approach and training focused on empowering people to advocate for themselves.

“Facts are important, but building power comes from the people directly affected by the problems. That’s what changes decision makers’ minds,” he said.

El COFI Center for Action and Learning helped TCA include real people in their work. And, seeing people understand their own power to make change, he says, is one of the most rewarding aspects of his work.

“You can’t have policy changes on the issues without having the people directly experiencing those issues leading the change, and that’s what COFI understands. We’ve expanded our parent organizing work to fund and train other organizations (in New York City, North Country, and soon other areas) to develop a statewide base of parent leaders for advocacy.”

Carmen: El modelo de COFI Helps Define Our Work with Parents

“It’s an amazing effect when people really feel a sense of community, a sense of family. [The COFI Way] has really been the real drive that takes them to a whole different level in advocacy.” – Carmen

Meanwhile, Carmen came to TCA after three decades in the Rochester City School District. Carmen says the move to TCA, coupled with training from the COFI Center, really empowered her.

“I’m making a difference for others, especially for parents. They look for advice, they look for that sense of connection, and it’s really neat to see it all come together using El modelo de COFI as the base,” she said.

But organizing parents isn’t always easy. Supporting their goals and ensuring the movement moves in one direction becomes challenging when new parents join. They don’t always feel a sense of belonging right away, or they might have different directions they want to follow.

That sense of community and teambuilding established in Phase 1 of El modelo de COFI is critical for parents coming together to achieve one common goal, she explains. And, it’s also what helps TCA define its work and goals with parents.

“It’s an amazing effect when people really feel a sense of community, a sense of family,” she said. “It has really been the real drive that takes them to a whole different level in advocacy.”

Are you interested in building parent power and incorporating The COFI Way into your mission? Learn more about the COFI Center for Action and Learning y próximos entrenamientos.