Claudia Brilliant, director, The Logan Family Center

Claudia Brilliant, director, The Logan Family Center

Tara Bone, contributing writer 

When Claudia Brilliant and her husband, Lee, moved to Cache Valley 16 years ago, she brought with her years of experience as a teacher and passion to empower parents to help their children reach their potential.

Brilliant has devoted her life to teaching and learning, and loves Logan. She began her teaching career after graduating from the teacher education program at University of Southern California’s, and spent the following years raising her seven children and teaching almost every grade from Kindergarten to fifth grade.  It was during these teaching years that she had an epiphany about the key to educating children.

“I kept feeling like teachers were working harder with less results, and we realized the missing element was parents,” Brilliant said. “When we can empower parents, then as their child’s first and best teacher, everything changes.  The child’s potential can be realized, and that goes for every child.  There’s nothing like an empowered parent. Parents need to realize their own power.”

Ten years ago, Brilliant put her passion to work at the Logan Family Center, located at 50 S. 400 E.  The non-profit center provides resources and classes to area families free of charge. Parents can check out books, learning games, educational DVDs and enroll in a variety of classes.

The Logan Family Center serves an estimated 400 to 500 families each year and numbers are growing.  Staff members have recorded that each month an average of four new families seek these types of services. Brilliant said  services are available to all families because all parents need support. “Parenting is an important job, an exhausting job,” Brilliant said. “It’s 24/7 and there’s no rest; you need constant renewal.”

Brilliant said  families new to Cache Valley often come to the center to meet others with children the same age and start play groups,” she said. “Parents even come in during the winter when they have ‘cabin fever.'”

When Brilliant isn’t at the Logan Family Center, she’s keeping up with her 15 grandchildren.  Her children and grandchildren live all over the world as close as Cache Valley and as far away as Japan. Brilliant plans to stay here, working as an advocate for Cache Valley families and teaching, because as she puts it, “I can’t stop myself.”

For more information on the Logan Family Center, visit Loganfamilycenter.weebly.com.