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A new Parsippany nonprofit is putting together the kind of support system a lot of local families have been looking for. Pathways to Empowerment, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization built to help immigrant and low income families raising children who receive special education services, and its first full season of programming opens this week at the Parsippany Main Library.
The idea is simple. Parents should not have to figure out evaluations, IEPs, accommodations and services on their own, and a child should not miss out on academic help because a family cannot afford private tutoring.
The founder has been on both sides of the process
Pathways to Empowerment was founded by Zlata Danese, a special education educator who also knows what it feels like to arrive somewhere new with nothing. Her family immigrated to the United States from Bosnia in 1997 following the Bosnian War. They came with very limited financial resources and did not speak English, and people in their community helped them rebuild and find opportunities.
That experience sits underneath the whole organization. Danese has spent her career watching parents try to make sense of IEPs, evaluations, accommodations and services, and she started Pathways to Empowerment so families would not have to do it alone.
I founded Pathways to Empowerment because I know how powerful it can be when a family has someone in their corner. No parent should feel alone trying to understand the special education system, and no child should miss out on support simply because their family cannot afford it. We want to turn access, advocacy, and support into real opportunities for children and families right here in our community.
Zlata Danese, Founder and Executive Director, Pathways to Empowerment, Inc.
Who the nonprofit serves
Pathways to Empowerment primarily serves immigrant and low income families in Parsippany, with plans to expand across Morris County as it grows. The focus is families with children receiving special education services, including children with IEPs and other learning, developmental, behavioral or executive functioning needs.
The services the organization is building out include resource access, parent education, advocacy, academic tutoring, executive functioning support, mental health services and social emotional programming.
The Special Education Parent Connection Series starts September 22
The nonprofit’s main family program this fall is a free monthly series at the Parsippany Main Library, 449 Halsey Road. Sessions run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and are built for parents and caregivers of children receiving special education services. These are not formal lectures. They are discussion based gatherings where parents can ask questions, share experiences, pick up practical advocacy strategies, meet other parents and take home resources.
The series runs monthly through June 2027. Registration is required through the Parsippany Library.
- Tuesday, Sept. 22: Navigating Special Education Together
- Tuesday, Oct. 20: IEPs and 504 Plans
- Tuesday, Nov. 17: Preparing for Your IEP Meeting
- Tuesday, Dec. 15: Evaluations and Understanding the Data
- Tuesday, Jan. 19: Is My Child Making Progress?
- Tuesday, Feb. 16: Behavior and Emotional Regulation
- Tuesday, March 16: Working With the School Team
- Tuesday, April 20: Building Self-Advocacy
- Tuesday, May 18: Preparing for Transitions
- Tuesday, June 15: Summer Support and Parent Roundtable
Free tutoring is the next goal
The organization is currently working to secure funding to launch the Pathways to Success Tutoring Program for the 2026 to 2027 school year. It is designed to give free academic and executive functioning support to students who would not otherwise have access to private tutoring, through individualized or small group sessions built around each student’s needs.
- Reading, writing and mathematics
- Homework completion and academic skill building
- Organization and planning
- Time management
- Task initiation
- Sustaining attention and focus
- Study skills
- Self-advocacy
- Building confidence and independence
The point is not just better grades. The goal is for students to build the skills, strategies and confidence to become more independent learners, and to feel supported rather than defined by their challenges.
A biweekly Pathways to Connection social emotional learning group for middle school students is also being finalized, with a location still to be confirmed.
What they have already pulled off this fall
For an organization this new, the list is long. Pathways to Empowerment delivered 60 fully stocked school supply bags to the two Parsippany middle schools, and partnered with the Parsippany Applebee’s on its Stuff the Bus event to get supplies to local teachers.
A back to school parent workshop on executive functioning drew more than 40 Parsippany parent registrations. The nonprofit has also partnered with Dr. Liparini from St. Elizabeth University for its mental health advocacy services, and has been showing up at local vendor fairs, including the Parsippany Fall Festival, with the Boonton fair next on the list.
The goal for the school year is to support at least 100 Parsippany families. As Danese puts it, every family they reach is a chance to remove a barrier and connect a child with support they might not otherwise get.
How to help
There are a few ways to pitch in. A donation moves the free tutoring program closer to launch, and all donations are tax deductible because the organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 33-2013546. People can also volunteer, provide space, sponsor a program, or make an introduction to a local business or organization that may want to partner.
Donate: Pathways to Empowerment donation form
The organization is especially grateful for people who share the mission with others. A connection to a potential sponsor, volunteer or community partner can be just as valuable as a financial contribution.
If you go
- What: Special Education Parent Connection Series, free
- Where: Parsippany Main Library, 449 Halsey Road, Parsippany, NJ
- When: Monthly on Tuesdays, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., starting Sept. 22, 2026
- Registration: Required, through the Parsippany Library calendar
- Website: pathwaystoempowermentnj.org
- Instagram: @pathwaystoempowerment_nj
- Email: hello@pathwaystoempowermentnj.org
- Phone: (973) 224-0355
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