The Parent Literacy Power Initiative is Fourth POV's commitment to a simple but powerful truth — children cannot thrive in school if their caregivers are not equipped to support them at home.

PLPI is a free literacy and advocacy program designed specifically for parents and guardians in underrepresented communities. We build reading and writing skills, yes — but more importantly we build confidence, advocacy tools, and the knowledge parents need to navigate school systems, communicate with educators, and become active champions for their children's education.

This program exists because we believe the literacy gap is not just a classroom problem. It is a family problem. And the solution has to include the whole family.

PLPI sessions are welcoming, judgment-free, and designed specifically for adults who may not have had positive experiences with formal education themselves. Every session meets participants where they are — no prerequisites, no prior experience required.

Through guided reading and writing exercises, advocacy skills workshops, and peer community building, participants develop practical tools they can use immediately — in conversations with teachers, in letters to school administrators, and in daily reading and writing practices at home with their children.

PLPI participants leave the program with a concrete set of skills and tools. They develop strong foundational reading and writing skills for everyday use, learn how to navigate school systems and advocate effectively for their children, build confidence communicating with educators and administrators, create daily literacy habits they can share with their families, and connect with a community of parents who are all working toward the same goal.

These are not just literacy skills. They are power skills — tools that shift the relationship between families and the educational institutions that serve them.

The Parent Literacy Power Initiative is designed for parents, guardians, and caregivers in Hartford and surrounding communities who want to be more active in their children's education but don't always know where to start.

You do not need to be a strong reader or writer to participate. You do not need any formal education background. All you need is a commitment to showing up for your child — and we will meet you there.