On June 11, 2026, our community gathered to celebrate ten years of the Collaborative Parent Leadership Action Network. It was a night filled with gratitude, reflecting on the power of parent advocacy and the strides we have made together in the education landscape.
Throughout the evening, guests shared a beautiful meal, listened to powerful stories, laughed together, held back tears, and celebrated the village that has carried this work forward.
Oradora principal
Photo of youth from Rose Conservatory
Photo of youth drumming from Rose Conservatory
Rose Conservatory Performance at CPLAN Event
Photo of youth from Rose Conservatory
Youth Performers from Rose Conservatory
From the moment guests arrived, the evening reminded us why this work matters. The talented youth musicians of Rose Conservatory welcomed everyone with a beautiful drum performance that filled the room with energy, culture, and joy.
It was the perfect way to begin the night, because everything we do at CPLAN comes back to our children.
This work is about helping young people discover their gifts, nurture their talents, and build the confidence to share those gifts with the world. It is about making sure the adults in their lives, parents, educators, community leaders, and partners, create safe and supportive spaces where children can thrive.
Photo of youth from Rose Conservatory
Photo of youth drumming from Rose Conservatory
Rose Conservatory Performance at CPLAN Event
Photo of youth from Rose Conservatory
Youth Performers from Rose Conservatory
From the moment guests arrived, the evening reminded us why this work matters. The talented youth musicians of Rose Conservatory welcomed everyone with a beautiful drum performance that filled the room with energy, culture, and joy.
It was the perfect way to begin the night, because everything we do at CPLAN comes back to our children.
This work is about helping young people discover their gifts, nurture their talents, and build the confidence to share those gifts with the world. It is about making sure the adults in their lives, parents, educators, community leaders, and partners, create safe and supportive spaces where children can thrive.
Danielle Perry
Danielle Perry, a community researcher who documented CPLAN’s work through her dissertation, moved the room as she reflected on parent leadership, raising beautiful Black children, and an opportunity to learn from Ruby Bridges.
"In this moment, because of an opportunity presented to my family in partnership with CPLAN, two new dreams were created".
Photo of Danielle Perry, community researcher studying CPLAN
Photo of Danielle Perry, community researcher studying CPLAN
Photo of Ivelisse Carballo handing the mic to Danielle Perry
Photo of Danielle Perry, community researcher studying CPLAN
Katy Perez at CPLAN award ceremony
Katy Perez at CPLAN award ceremony
Katy Perez
Katy Perez shared the Public Narrative she began during the Haverhill Powerful Parents series, reflecting on how the workshops strengthened her advocacy for her son and helped her connect with other families navigating special education.
Davonte Caraballo
As Davonte reflected on what it means to be the product of a CPLAN parent, he spoke not only about himself, but about the generations that will come after him. He shared, "It doesn't end with me. I'm not the last one." Those powerful words remind us that the impact of this work extends far beyond a single parent, child, or generation.
Davonte went on to say, "It is because of the platform that CPLAN gave me, that I feel confident advocating for myself and for my future children."
That is the legacy we hope to create.
Our advocacy does not end with us. By empowering parents, we are also teaching our children how to use their voices, advocate for themselves, and become active participants in shaping the communities and systems around them. We are raising future leaders who understand that they have the power to influence educational experiences and outcomes, not only for themselves, but for generations to come.
Oradora principal
Julia Mejia
Boston City Councilor, At-Large
Nos honra anunciar a Julia M. Mejia, Concejala General de la Ciudad de Boston y fundadora de Collaborative Parent Leadership Action Network (CPLAN), como nuestra oradora principal.
Desde su llegada a Boston desde la República Dominicana siendo una niña, criada por una madre soltera indocumentada, hasta convertirse en la primera Afro-Latina elegida al Concejo Municipal de Boston, Julia ha estado arraigada en el empoderamiento comunitario, la equidad y la participación cívica auténtica. Ha dedicado su carrera a derribar barreras, amplificar las voces marginadas y crear espacios para que personas de todos los ámbitos de la vida puedan asumir su poder.
Como fundadora visionaria de CPLAN, Julia reunió a un grupo diverso de padres e inspiró a transformar la frustración en defensa, animándolos a “asumir su poder” y trabajar hacia la equidad educativa para todos los estudiantes con el poderoso mensaje de que “Todos significa todos.”
Ahora, en su cuarto mandato en el Concejo Municipal de Boston, Julia continúa impulsando políticas que elevan la voz de la comunidad, fortalecen las alianzas entre familias y escuelas, y promueven la justicia y las oportunidades para todos los residentes de Boston.
Nuestra Historia
Hace diez años, un pequeño y diverso grupo de madres, cada una con diferentes estatus migratorios, niveles educativos, ingresos, razas y contextos culturales, se encontró unido por una lucha compartida: todas estaban navegando un sistema escolar que no había sido diseñado pensando en ellas.
Se reunían alrededor de mesas de café y en espacios comunitarios en Boston, agotadas de ver cómo sus hijos quedaban atrapados en brechas que afectaban su bienestar socioemocional y su experiencia educativa. Se sentían frustradas por decisiones que se tomaban sobre sus hijos sin que sus voces fueran escuchadas, y estaban decididas a cambiar las condiciones que mantenían a tantas familias en silencio, aisladas y sin ser escuchadas.
De esa determinación nació Collaborative Parent Leadership Action Network (CPLAN).
2026 Award Winners
Cornerstone Champions
We were honored to recognize the women who helped shape this movement and the champions who continue to carry it forward today.
We celebrated our founding members as Cornerstone Champions, the voices, vision, and dedication that built CPLAN’s foundation.
We also honored Julia Mejia with the Visionary Leader Award, recognizing her fearless leadership and the vision that helped make CPLAN possible. Julia has always been committed to amplifying the voices of those too often left out of the decisions, policies, and practices that impact their lives.
CPLAN’s Executive Director, Ivelisse Caraballo, also received special recognitions from the City of Boston and State Senator Liz Miranda in honor of her leadership and her work empowering families.
Participe
Join the Movement
As we celebrate 10 years of CPLAN, we are also being honest about what it will take to keep this work going.
Family engagement is essential to student success, but it is still too often treated as optional instead of necessary. For years, CPLAN has worked to create spaces where families are not only heard, but informed, prepared, and empowered to participate meaningfully in decisions that affect their children.
Parent voice matters most when families have access to the information, language, and tools they need to understand how education systems work. CPLAN helps families build that foundation, so when they speak up, they are not simply sharing opinions, they are bringing a deeper understanding of their child's learning profile, the shared responsibility for student success, and with a genuine curiosity to explore solutions along with educators.
Yet parent leadership has never received the level of investment it deserves, and the limited opportunities families do have are becoming even more fragile. Your support helps protect this work. Every contribution helps CPLAN continue building parent leaders, strengthening family-school partnerships, and making sure families have the tools and support they need to advocate for a more equitable education system.