PIZZA AND PAPER PLANES Being a father is important. Engaging in your child's life is very important. Our speaker tonight, Terry McAleenan, from " The Fathering Project" showed us just how much. Terry is a father of two daughters, now sixteen and fourteen. Many men work too hard and are not able to spend enough time to be with their children. Many children are growing up in fatherless homes. Thus, they miss out on positive male role models. SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS Terry gives presentations to schools to explain how to invite and engage men in schools. Most schools are predominantly organized and run by female teachers and staff members. What we have here is a deficit of male teachers. "The Fathering Project" develops partnerships in local schools. He reminded us that school life needs to be aligned with home life. The major benefit of a father being present in the daily life of a child includes better academic, social and health outcomes for students. Schools should invite fathers to be part of school activities. WHAT IS THE FATHERING PROJECT MOVEMENT? Nearly eight hundred schools are involved in The Fathering Project nationally. Terry has a vision to extend it throughout the different states and into Catholic schools. Father engagement is one in which dads can be the best they can be. Father engagement is one in which dads can be the best they can be. They do this by staying close and supporting their children in their education and learning. WHAT THE FATHERING PROJECT HAS ACHIEVED This project, in summary, is a low cost program which has experienced a great take-up during the lockdown. It has maintained a strong sense of strength and purpose for both the school and the family unit. A male support figure engages with his children . The outcome which can be observed is a confident and active child with a healthy outlook on life. Anne |
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