Are you a parent of a child/youth with disabilities or special health care needs who is passionate about helping children succeed in school? Do you want to improve your confidence and skills in navigating the NH special education process and help others do the same? This free, 8-week hybrid training series is designed to help you achieve these goals!

Learn:

• How to navigate the special education process so your child can get what they need to succeed.
• Your rights and responsibilities in the special education process.
• The power of data: how to gather, interpret, and use it to build a compelling case for your child’s unique needs.
• How to support to other families in your community.

Connect with a growing network of parents across the state, offering 30+ years of shared experiences and insights!

Since this program can only accommodate a limited number of participants, PIC uses an application process, and acceptance is not guaranteed. Preference is given to parents of children/youth with disabilities and special health care needs and applicants from underrepresented areas or populations, including multilingual families. To support our goal of providing volunteer support, professional advocates (those who charge or intend to charge fees) are not eligible to participate in the training series.

• Complete and application process, including providing 3 references and a virtual interview.
• Attend all training sessions, both in-person and online.
• Watch online modules between classes, review written material, and perform other tasks to prepare for in-class discussions and activities.
• Agree in writing to not charge for advocacy support or information.
• Following the training series, participants are expected to:
  • Commit to supporting PIC by sharing information with other families in your community and your networks.
  • Attend at least one PIC workshop or virtual chat to ensure you have the most current skills and knowledge.
  • Provide feedback on PIC projects and your advocacy and support activities each year.

This training series is a combination of independent review, in-person and live online sessions via Zoom.

This training series expands PIC’s capacity to reach families statewide, ensuring the network covers all regions, including rural and urban areas, and reflects the diversity of the families we serve. We welcome applications from underserved communities, including minority, refugee, and low-income families, multilingual families, and parents or children with disabilities.