The D.A.D Project we are empowering communities, one D.A.D at a time!

College completion

College matriculation rates

District-wide graduation rates

Proficiency in English and Language Arts and Math

Early education

Student education pipeline

Students’ perceived sense of safety at and on the way to school

Suspension and expulsion rates

Truancy rates in elementary and middle schools

Youth unemployment and underemployment

South LA

County of Los Angeles

City of Los Angeles

Inglewood

The purpose of this proposal is for D.A.D Project to provide programs in Los Angeles County to help change the culture for men and youth in the community, by providing workshops specifically for father/male engagement that support school readiness goals. Considering the special role, a father has in the life of his children and their overall development. Also, studies show that children with an engaged father are more likely to further their education, get married, and less likely to become incarcerated. On the other hand, father involvement and the prevalence of fatherless homes and communities are a crisis in this nation that needs to be addressed. Below is a quote from United States Census Bureau:

“Children in father absent homes are almost four times more likely to be poor. In 2011,12 percent of children in married couple families were living in poverty, compared to 44 percent of children in mother only families.” U.S Census Bureau, Children’s living arrangements and Characteristics: March 2011, table C8. Washington D.C.:2011.

“Children whose families maintain high rates of parent participation as early as elementary school are 6 times more likely to graduate High School” Ref. Harvard Family Research Project.

By educating parents on their importance and the responsibility of advocating for their children. Our partnership will further the opportunity to spark positive change in the community by empowering and promoting fatherhood and parent engagement in all grade levels. Where we will identify communities where there is a lack of parent involvement and the negative correlation to graduation rates. Children are at risk of not completing high school, and it’s important for parents to better support their children education by attending college prep trainings, job fairs, stress and communication workshops, health fairs, literacy and S.T.E.A.M programs designed to empower parents to encourage their children to further their education. D.A.D Project provides support programs and resources for fathers to strengthen the quality of life for participants and their families. Helping fathers get jobs to provide financial stability in the home, which empowers him to be a positive role model, and offering activities for fathers to participate with their families that strengthen relationships between fathers and their children, and support parent relationships offer a sense of security for their children. Most importantly, connecting the community with young leaders, interns from local colleges to support and encourage students to pursue their education. The quality of our programs and collaborative partners is the determining factor that makes D.A.D Project a unique contributor to making L.A the best place to learn by empowering and strengthening parent/father engagement.

Program successes will be measured by the following measurable outcomes:

Program Participation: Documenting how many fathers/ families participate in monthly programs and events. (Quantitative Data)

Recruitment and Retention= Document and track how many new and reoccurring participants are involved in the program. (Quantitative Data)

Services Rendered= Follow up with participants to track the success of those who benefited from services provided. (Qualitative Data)

Program Surveys= collect data about the quality of the discussions, and relevance of topics discussed within the various program components. (Qualitative Data)

Research Trends in Fatherhood= Collect data via surveys, interviews and program evaluation that document changes in parenting styles; by how many and how often fathers participate in education based activities. How often fathers participate/ volunteer at their child’s school, or at D.A.D Project community programs. Measure how father involvement directly effects their children’s gpa, attendance, and graduation rates by tracking and follow ups. Our goal is to increase father involvement in education/ school based programs by %10 monthly in our service areas.

Measurable Outcomes/Evaluation Data/Documentation Used to Determine Program Outcomes:

-Program Surveys and Evaluations Attendance Records-Parent-Teacher Conferences -Parental Surveys -Father Involvement Summaries

-Interviews -goal settings -Parent interest surveys.

Money

Volunteers

Advisors/board members

Publicity/awareness

Infrastructure (building/space/vehicles etc.)

Education/training

Technical infrastructure (computers etc.)

Community outreach

Network/relationship support

Quality improvement research