Wilson Elementary WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program

 Father involvement initiative that started back in 1998 by Jim Moore  K-12 Program designed to help schools be positively influenced by the committed involvement of fathers and father figures  Dads are asked to volunteer one day a year at the school  Dads will engage in various activities such as : owelcoming students during arrival, oreading to classes, otutoring small groups of students, ohaving fun at recess, oor simply sitting down and connecting with students during lunch WATCH D.O.G.S (Dads of Great Students) Program has now spread to over 1500 schools across 40 States and New Zealand

Why is WATCH D.O.G.S Needed? In our schools today, the rates of fatherless and unfathered children range from 35-75% of the student population.  The average father spends 7 minutes a day with their children  90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes  71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes  70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes  85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home Sources: National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools; U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept 1988); Fulton Co. Georgia jail populations, Texas Dept. of Corrections 1992)

There are 3 winners when you have a successful WATCH D.O.G.S. Program 1.The Dads win because we know our role as a WATCH D.O.G. may impact many lives, starting with our own children. 2.The students win because the father and father- figures give their time and energy as a positive male role model. 3. The school wins due to the Support and Safety a WATCH D.O.G provides as an unobtrusive fathering presence on campus. 96% of Dads strongly agreed or agreed that their "experience as a WATCH DOGS volunteer was rewarding" and they would "want to do something like this again.”