webinar

Building Whole-Family Civic Engagement

DATE

November 4, 2025

TIME

3-4p ET / noon-1p PT

LOCATION

Virtual

Research from the Children’s and Parent Leadership Training Institute

Join GTY, NYU Metro Center, University of Michigan, and the National Parent Leadership Institute to discuss findings and recommendations from the “Building Power Together: Family Civics in Communities of Color” study.
Register

Researchers and panelists will discuss findings and recommendations from the “Building Power Together: Family Civics in Communities of Color” study.

Funded by the William T. Grant Foundation, this 4-year mixed method study focused on a community-based civic leadership initiative for parents/caregivers and their children, ages 3-12 — the Children’s Leadership Training Institute (CLTI) and the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI).

The webinar includes researchers, Dr. Joanna Geller, Dr. Matthew Truwit, and Dr. Wendy Y. Perez, and a panel with PLTI and CLTI alumni, Shatara Tucker and her son Liam, and CLTI teacher, Tyler Benson.

Spanish interpretation will be available.

This program is free and open to grantmakers and others in the thriving youth community. GTY’s webinars and funder learning opportunities are made possible through the time and expertise of presenters from the field.

In the spirit of transparency, GTY will make available the list of webinar participants to presenters upon request, unless the registrant requests to remain anonymous (please indicate your preference via the registration form).

Speakers

Joanna Geller, PhD

Director of Policy, Research, and Evaluation, NYU Metro Center

Through mixed methods and participatory research with youth and parent leaders, Dr. Joanna Geller studies settings that inspire civic learning and engagement across all ages, from young children to grandparents.

In 2021, she was the recipient of the $1 million Lyle Spencer award from the Spencer Foundation to conduct a national landscape analysis of parent leadership organizations and study how parent leaders influence their children’s learning and civic development. In the same year, she received a multi-year grant from the WT Grant Foundation to study the Children’s and Parent Leadership Training Institute, an intergenerational civic leadership initiative.

Dr. Geller also leads external evaluations of district- and community-based family engagement and leadership initiatives. Before becoming a researcher, she worked at Common Cents, where she supported New York City schools and community-based organizations with service-learning.

Dr. Geller has a PhD in Community Research and Action from Vanderbilt University. She serves on her local school’s parent council, is an elected member of her local Town Meeting, and stays busy as a mother of two boys.

Wendy Y. Perez, PhD

Senior Research Associate, NYU Metro Center

A bilingual daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants, Dr. Wendy Y. Perez was inspired to pursue research by Los Angeles communities fighting for systemic change during her time as an education policy advocate. Her research projects have totaled over $5 million, including funding from the W.T. Grant Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Gates Foundation.

Dr. Perez has focused on participatory and asset-based studies that elevate the voices of youth, families, and communities in K-12 and higher education. She has served as a project lead or researcher on several youth- and family-focused projects, including building a parent leadership evaluation network and a racial equity peer learning community, examining intergenerational civic initiatives and power-building, and studying how youth organizations shape positive outcomes, such as racial identity development and college success.

Dr. Perez has a PhD in Education from the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, a Master’s Degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Pomona College.

Matthew Truwit

Assistant professor of Evaluation, University of Louisville

Matthew Truwit is an assistant professor of evaluation in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Louisville. He is driven by a desire to understand and ultimately improve the ways in which policy both enables and constrains the teaching and learning that take place in schools—particularly schools with high concentrations of poverty like the one in north Nashville where he taught social studies before entering academia.

His research and teaching are both oriented toward the use of rigorous quantitative methods to critically evaluate educational policies and programs in conjunction with policymakers and practitioners, understanding whether and how they not only achieve their intended aims but also potentially exacerbate existing inequities.

Tyler Benson

Children’s Leadership Training Institute Teacher

Tyler Benson has proudly served as a CLTI Teacher in Rochester, NY for the past 10 years. As a CLTI Teacher, he understands the importance of early civic engagement and is dedicated to empowering youth to engage in advocacy and reach their full leadership potential. He is originally from Fairport, NY, but now calls the city of Rochester home.

Post high-school, he studied Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University but soon discovered his true calling—working with youth. His journey began in afterschool enrichment programs with the YMCA, laying the foundation for a career centered on youth development.

In addition to his work with CLTI, he currently serves as a Recreation Specialist at the City of Rochester’s Frederick Douglass R-Center, where he oversees a wide range of programs. He has a special passion for STEM education and proudly coaches Rhythm Robotics and Rhythm Robotics Jr., award-winning FIRST LEGO League teams. He is committed to breaking down barriers and making technology education accessible and inclusive for every young person in Rochester.

Shatara Tucker

Parent Leadership Training Institute Alum

Shatara Tucker is a proud graduate of the Bridgeport PLTI Class of 2025. She was born and raised in Bridgeport, CT, with several years spent in North Carolina. She is married to her amazing husband, who works as a firefighter and fire marshal for the City of New Haven. She is the mother of four beautiful children: Taylor, Cameron, Liam, and Denim, and bonus mom to Da’ron and Dylan. She is especially proud that three of her children, Taylor, Dylan, and Liam, are CLTI Graduates from the Bridgeport Class of 2025.

For over 15 years, she has worked as a graphic designer, earning a Digital Arts Certificate from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Her passion for mental health led her to pursue a new path in psychotherapy, and she is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Psychology at Southern Connecticut State University.

She is the founder of Family Fused, a support group created to uplift and guide blended families. Family Fused grew out of her own experiences as a parent/step-parent and was also the focus of her PLTI community project. Its mission is to provide a safe space and resources for families navigating blended family life, with support in areas like healthy co-parenting, children’s mental health, high-conflict resolution, communication, and building strong family bonds. Through Family Fused, she hopes to reduce stigma and bring families together with love, understanding, and healing.

She has also chaired community toy drives, back-to-school initiatives, and donation efforts for women served by the Center for Family Justice in Bridgeport, CT, a nonprofit that provides free, confidential services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. She is deeply passionate about mental health, family wellbeing, and community work, and she strives to help families feel supported, connected, and empowered.

Presented by

Grantmakers for Thriving Youth

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