The Parent Power and Leadership Project: Transforming Families Through Community Organizing

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Thursday 4:15pm

Session Type: Poster Session

Abstract

This session shares findings from a 4-year study, funded by the Spencer Foundation’s $1 million Lyle Spencer award, on parent leadership and organizing for racial, economic, and social justice. Through a landscape analysis and five participatory case studies—featuring organizations in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington, and Louisiana—presenters explore how parent organizing differs from other models, its intergenerational impacts, and how it supports children’s civic development and well-being. The research fills key gaps in understanding the scope of parent leadership nationwide and its influence on child outcomes. Attendees will engage with rich family narratives, gain practical insights to strengthen organizing, and discuss implications for research and practice in youth and community organizing.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Grassroots Community and Youth Organizing for Educational Justice

Chair

• Joanna D. Geller, New York University

Papers

• Parent Leadership and Organizing for Justice: A National Landscape Analysis - Joanna D. Geller, New York University

• Building Bridges Between Families, Schools, and Systems for Lasting Change in Massachusetts - Danielle M. Perry, New York University

• “If We Come Together Then We Have Power:” Illinois Parents and Families Leading Across Communities - Jennifer Cossyleon, Community Change

• Centering Cultural Knowledge and Identity: Latine Indigenous Families Building Power with MICOP - Wendy Y. Perez, NYU Metro Center

• Building Strong Families and Early Childhood Education Systems with the Washington State Parent Ambassadors - Sara McAlister, New York University

• “I am because you are.” Challenging Injustice and Strengthening Community with Families in NOLA - Danielle M. Perry, New York University

Session Organizer

• Joanna D. Geller, New York University