Kevin Carty, VP Classic Exhibits
Happy November!
Hope you had a safe and fun Halloween with your families. October is past and now it’s November. It seems like time is flying by right now.
This past Friday, October 31 was more than Halloween for me. I volunteered for WatchDOGS, a program through the National Center of Fathering. The concept is multifaceted: it’s meant to get fathers involved in their kid’s classroom and participate in the school as a whole.
After doing a little research on WatchDOGS, I found that this national program is having some an impact on schools, both private and public, and on kids all across the country.
The first thing that comes to mind is, “This is a way to get fathers involved once or twice a year in their kid’s classroom.” But it’s much more than that. During my eight hours on campus, I did more than just hang out in the classroom. There was some of that, but I also assisted the maintenance manager on some projects and worked with campus patrol to walk the hallways and the school grounds. In addition, I helped the lunch staff orchestrate four lunch services and worked in several classrooms in multiple grades to assist teachers with their curriculum.
I enjoyed spending time my kid’s class; however, the biggest takeaway for me was seeing how the whole school worked. There is a concert that happens everyday, not an actual concert, but a concert of processes, much like any other business. It’s something that I just never really thought about. Every one has their responsibilities and tasks, and part of their work relies on their co-workers doing their work in a predictable fashion.
So let me say this to all you dads, grandpas and uncles out there. If you have the opportunity, step away from your work once a year and work in your kid’s schools. It was a great opportunity, and it provides me with a fresh perspective on how another business functions day in and day out. The other perk, at least through this program, is the results they are seeing nationally. Kids are feeling the positive effects of having more male involvement in their school lives. Schools are experiencing additional security benefits from having another set of eyes on campus for a day. Dads all across the country are feeling more involved in their kid’s school life.
It’s a win-win-win.
WatchDOGS is not the only program of its kind. So check with your schools. They may have one through another organization. And they may not have one at all. But I guarantee you they will be more than happy to have you spend a day helping around campus.
Have a great week ahead.
–Kevin
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