Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK) is providing continuing support for the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence with its recent $25,000 grant to the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership.
The grant, reflecting Toyota’s longstanding commitment to the work, will assist the committee’s efforts to provide training and a comprehensive system of supports to engage and empower parents to become vocal advocates on behalf educational excellence for all Kentucky children.
The program, conceived by the late Director Beverly Nickell Raimondo, began in 1997 and has since provided training for more than 2,500 parents. Many of these Fellows have been elected to local school boards and councils or assumed leadership positions at the state and local levels.
At a Parent Leadership Institute
Over the past year, the committee has worked with parents to help develop a new strategic plan that includes an emphasis on community engagement. Parents also participated in the Department of Education’s Town Hall meetings and attended legislative meetings, and more than 40 participated in the first Kentucky Parent Leadership Summit presented by the committee.
Plans continue in 2018 for intensive training sessions known as Basecamps and other support for emerging parent leaders.
“Toyota’s support is the backbone of this work,” said Brigitte Blom Ramsey, executive director of the Prichard Committee. “As our longstanding corporate partner, they have shown a clear commitment to building excellence for all of Kentucky’s schools and the children they serve.”
“The Prichard Committee has been and continues to be an essential institute for promoting education in our state,” stated Rick Hesterberg, Manager of External Affairs for Toyota Motor North America. “We are proud to support the parent leadership program and its crucial role in developing parents as strong advocates for educational excellence.”
The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is an independent, statewide advocacy organization dedicated to the improvement of education for all Kentuckians.
