DMAD WILL CELEBRATE 20-YEARS WITH EVENT AT DAKOTA LODGE ON MAY 30,2013!!!

DADS MAKE A DIFFERENCE was born from the collaboration of four amazing women in 1993.  We have much to CELEBRATE and be THANKFUL for.  DMAD is grateful for everyone who has supported us over the years!  Our20th Anniversary Celebration is scheduled for Thursday, May 30, 2013 from 5:00 to 9:00PM at Dakota Lodge in Thompson County Park in West St Paul, MN. The event will include entertainment (T. Mychael Rambo and others), buffet dinner, program, stories, special acknowledgements, and lots of fun and laughter. We hope you'll join us.  More details coming soon.  SAVE THE DATE!

We would love it if you would share your STORIES of DMAD involvement, special memories, training, people, etc to be incorporated into the event.  These can be written or short video statements. Please send them to Jan Hayne, Executive Director.

If you'd like to make a donation to help DMAD continue our important work, you can click on the GiveMN Donate button further down this page and in other places on the DMAD website.  Two of the major causes of children living in poverty are too-early parenting and absentee fathers.  Research shows that a family headed by a teen mother will likely have reduced educational attainment, reduced income, and increased reliance on public resources.  Research also shows that children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors such as drug use, truancy, and criminal activity compared to children who have uninvolved fathers.  Preparing young people to become caring, competent parents may be the single most effective way to prevent child abuse and other violence, increase mental health, advance school preparedness, and achieve academic success for future generations. DMAD builds the capacity of trained teen peer educators in local communities to focus the attention of youth on the personal, economic, and social impact of the decisions they make before becoming a parent.  DMAD helps youth develop attitudes, behaviors, and skills vital to their social and emotional well-being and provides youth with knowledge and resources necessary for them to thrive and make successful transitions to adulthood and future parenthood.

DMAD PARTNERED ON "TYING THE KNOT ... SONGS FOR OUR FATHERS"

A day-long celebration acknowledging the contributions of African American men as fathers and community leaders, Tying the Knot, took a bold vision and transformed it into a tremendous success! Tying the Knot, held on Saturday, June 16, 2012, proved to be entertaining, educational, and engaging! Through the efforts of partner organizations - Dads Make a Difference, Save Our Sons, and Obsidian Arts - T. Mychael Rambo, Artistic Director (and inspirational leader), and the enthusiastic support of Minnesota Public Radio, producer of the Fitzgerald Theater performance, we indeed tied the knot!  In the spirit of this community-wide celebration we achieved these accomplishments and many more. 

• Over 200 in attendance at the Father's Festival and Photo Exhibit at the Wilder Center in Saint Paul.
• 15 exhibitor tables provided community resources and health/wellness information for fathers and their families.
• Festival activities, workshops, entertainment, and food provided at no cost to those attending.
• Overall attendance reflected a broad spectrum of inclusion, diversity and outreach: youth, seniors, disabled, special needs & under-served community members.
• The evening performance at the Fitzgerald Theater reached over 600 people, including 200+ who attended through the "Be Our Guest" campaign at no cost.
• Over 20 performers reflecting some of the Twin Cities finest vocal talent as well as poets, spoken word artists, and dancers.
• Hosted by T. Mychael Rambo, Artistic Director, with musical direction by Tommy Barbarella and 8 accomplished world-class musicians.
• Produced and fully recorded for broadcast by Minnesota Public Radio; with an edited version aired on Father's Day.
• Video-taped for archive and broadcast by SPNN - St. Paul Neighborhood Network.

DMAD OFFICE LOCATED IN STILLWATER, MN

On Sunday, June 26, 2011, with heavy lifting support from some amazing volunteers, the Dads Make a Difference office was relocated to downtown Stillwater, MN.  The relocation became necessary due to an expired lease and the need to save some money in the budget.  DMAD will continue to provide the same programming, consultation, and support services statewide from this new location.  Email address remains the same, however, both our mailing address and phone have changed.  You can now reach Jan Hayne, DMAD Executive Director at 651-338-8386.  Our new mailing address is PO Box 231, Stillwater, MN  55082.  The new office is located at 201 N Second Street, at the corner of Second and Commercial Streets.  A shout-out to Joe Halligan for donating boxes for the DMAD move from his business, Rent Joe Boxes, www.rentjoeboxes.com.

DMAD GLOW BALL GOLF EVENT HELD IN SEPT 2011

Dads Make a Difference held its 2nd Annual Glow Ball Golf Fundraising Event on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at Parkview Golf Course in Eagan, MN.  It was a golf event with a fun twist!  The event included dinner, silent auction, program, and golf started at sunset.  Golfers participated in a team of 3 to 5 people, with a shotgun start, scramble format, and the magic "glow balls."  A good time was had by all.  Dinner was catered by Famous Dave's.  Our GLOW BALL GOLF SPONSORS included:

EAGLE LEVEL SPONSOR

BIRDIE LEVEL SPONSOR

PAR LEVEL SPONSORS

Adams Monahan, LLP

OPEN MYKE NIGHT CONCERT ON JULY 30, 2011 WAS BENEFIT FOR DMAD & 3 OTHER NONPROFITS

Dads Make a Difference friend T. Mychael Rambo celebrated his 50th birthday by throwing a birthday bash on Saturday, July 30, 2011 at Illusion Theater in Minneapolis to benefit four Twin Cities nonprofit organizations ... including Dads Make a Difference.  Performers included: Jamecia Bennett, Aimee Bryant, Ginger Commodore, Debbie Duncan, Thomasina Petrus, Geoffrey Jones, and more!

DMAD GARDEN PARTY HELD JUNE 2011

Dads Make a Difference held a fundraising GARDEN PARTY on Sunday, June 12, 2011 from 1:00 to 6:00PM at the home of DMAD Executive Director, Jan Hayne, in lovely Stillwater, MN.  Event was open house style and family-friendly!  Yummy food prepared in part by Grillmaster Rick, great entertainment, and silent auction ... plus warm summer breezes and beautiful gardens!  Entertainment lineup included: vocal performance by T. Mychael Rambo at 2:00, magician Star Michaelina at 2:45, oldtime bluegrass music by Temporary Stringband at 3:30, and vocal performance by The Caskettes at 4:30.  Big Mike D's Nut Brown Beer was generously donated by Stillwater Brewing.  We are also grateful to Triangle Park Creative for flyer design.  Please consider making a donation to DMAD if you were unable to attend using the links on the DMAD website (see below).

DMAD VIDEO PROJECT WITH TWIN CITIES PUBLIC TELEVISION

REDO OF CURRICULUM VIDEO/DVD.  DMAD entered into a partnership with Twin Cities Public Television in fall of 2008 to co-produce a program for their MN Channel titled Be There: Dads Matter.  The program was completed in August 2009.  You can now view Be There: Dads Matter online at your convenience in the MN Video Vault found at www.mnvideovault.org.  Search titles alphabetically to locate the video for viewing.

In addition, tpt has edited the half hour program to a shorter version which replaced our Lesson 1 curriculum DVD beginning with our Fall 2009 teen trainings.  If you are a current DMAD customer and need a replacemnt DVD, they are available for a nominal cost.  Please contact Jan at the DMAD office.  For others interested, the DVD is also available for sale from the Products page of this website.

FATHERS SHOW US BY EXAMPLE - WHITE HOUSE PROCLAMATION 2012

President Barack Obama shared his White House Father's Day Proclamation 2012, "For many of us, our fathers show us by the example they set the kind of people they want us to become. Whether biological, foster, or adoptive, they teach us through the encouragement they give, the questions they answer, the limits they set, and the strength they show in the face of difficulty and hardship. Our fathers impart lessons and values we will always carry with us. With their presence and their care, they not only fulfill a profound responsibility, but also share a blessing with their children that stands among our truest traditions."

  Read the complete proclamation at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/15/presidential-proclamation-father-s-day-2012

DMAD HAS FACEBOOK PRESENCE

DADS MAKE A DIFFERENCE HAS A SOCIAL NETWORKING PRESENCE.   We have a Dads Make a Difference Facebook page.  We are looking to connect with "friends" who are current and former DMAD peer educators, adult advisors, or trainers to hear what's new and how DMAD involvement has impacted your life.  Please check us out and once we have verified your DMAD participation we would love for you to share your stories.  If you're on Facebook, search for Jan Hayne, Dads Make a Difference, and our Dads Make a Difference Trainers and Dads Make a Difference Alumni groups.

DMAD BOARD

DADS MAKE A DIFFERENCE BOARD - DMAD has a great, hard-working 10-member board that includes 7 wonderful men who understand and help us educate about the important role of fathers and other male caregivers in the lives of children.  DMAD Board members currently include: Steve Katz (President), Derrick Banks (Vice President), James Ford (Treasurer), Steve Dorgan (Secretary), Delacy Thomas, Wayne Freundschuh, Mary Burnison, Kelly Watson, Patrick Connally, and Tom Moberg.  Please contact Jan Hayne, DMAD Executive Director, if you are interested in becoming a DMAD Board member.  We are always looking for outstanding candidates to fill board vacancies as they occur.

TAX DEDUCTIBLE ON-LINE DONATIONS are now possible  Click the donate button located in various places on the website to make an immediate contribution in any amount you choose.

TRAINING, TEACHING, and CURRICULUM

TRAINING REGISTRATION FORMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON-LINE FOR FASTER ACCESS.  You can now print registration forms for upcoming teen trainings directly from the website.  No more waiting for forms to be mailed to you.  This also saves DMAD paper and postage costs (and trees in the environment).  To access registration forms, from the Middle School Curriculum link go to Training-Registration where you will see both the Adult Packet and the Teen Packet.  Print all generic forms using the Printer Icon on the right side of the toolbar directly above each form.  You will also need to print the training specific forms (there are just a few of these) depending on when you plan to attend.  These forms include the site specific dates, times, and emergency phone numbers.  Please call or email Jan Hayne if you have any questions ... and also to let her know of your intent to participate in training and how many youth you will bring.  Thanks!

TEEN PEER EDUCATOR TRAININGS HELD IN 2011-12 SCHOOL YEAR.   DMAD held 4 smaller trainings this school year to reduce costs and better meet the needs of our school/agency customers in terms of time/budget. Trainings were held in Stillwater, Plymouth, Saint Paul, and Walker.  We trained 52 teens and 8 adults from 11 schools/agencies including:

East Metro - Como High School (St Paul), UJIMA/Camphor Church (St Paul), Eagan High School, North High School (North St Paul), Irondale High School (New Brighton)

West Metro - Robbinsdale Armstrong High School, Chaska High School, Chanhassen High School, Edison High School (Minneapolis)

Greater MN - Blue Earth Area High School, Cass Lake-Bena ALC

CURRICULUM REVISIONS.  In addition to a new curriculum DVD, DMAD made changes to the curriculum around "healthy relationships."  With funding from Wal-Mart Foundation we added two new activities focusing specifically on healthy relationships and wove the concepts as a thread throughout the curriculum using simple language changes as well as new processing and journal questions, moving the discussion of healthy relationships from friendship, to dating, to parenting.  We piloted both the new DVD and curriculum at the Nov 2009 training in the Twin Cities and continue to get postive feedback on both since that time.  See training page for more details.

DMAD TEEN PEER EDUCATOR TEACHING.   DMAD is looking forward to getting reports about all the DMAD teaching teens are doing in their communities.  If we can be of assistance in any way as teaching opportunities are scheduled, please let us know.  We also like to observe teen peer educator teaching when it fits in our schedule, so please let us know when you get dates scheduled by emailing Jan Hayne.

DONATIONS and FUNDRAISING

MAKE A FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION to help Dads Make a Difference continue this important work.  All donations are tax deductible.  Please check out our DONATE link to make a donation that will enable us to reach more youth with our mission: to promote the positve involvement of fathers and to educate youth about responsible parenting.  THANK YOU for your support of Dads Make a Difference.

DO YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES, especially activities that participating schools and organizations statewide can do right in their own communities to help raise money to support DMAD work?  Please share them with the DMAD Fundraising /Development Committee by emailing Jan Hayne.

GREAT RESOURCES

NATIONAL MEN'S HEALTH WEEK - The purpose of Men's Health Week, observed in June, is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This observance gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.  National Men's Health Week was signed into law in 1994 by then-President Bill Clinton. Congressman Bill Richardson noted, "Recognizing and preventing men's health problems is not just a man's issue. Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters, men's health is truly a family issue."  A list of some Men's Health Week partners and activities is online.  Check out the Men's Health Network calendar for events in your area.

PREPARE TOMORROW'S PARENTS - To learn more about the benefits of Parenting Education for young people, visit www.parentingproject.org or call 1-888-PARENTS.  Prepare Tomorrow's Parents Month is from Mother's Day through Father's Day.  This is an important opportunity for all educators and advocates of preparing children and teens for parenting to make a difference. Select your activities and get started by going to www.preparetomorrowsparents.org/ptpm.html

NEED RESOURCES ON FATHERING ISSUES OR FATHER SERVICES IN MN?  Check out our link to the MINNESOTA FATHERS AND FAMILIES NETWORK for some great information including the publication "Do We Count Fathers in Minnesota?".

STATEWIDE FATHERHOOD BLUEPRINT, Fathers to the Forefront: Increasing healthy father involvement with children, families, and communities, is a statewide plan to strengthen Minnesota fathers and families. This 5-year action plan promotes concrete steps for agencies and organizations to increase father-friendly and father-inclusive programs and policies.  Jan Hayne, Dads Make a Difference Executive Director, was one of 65 individuals who supported the development of this action plan.

FEBRUARY IS TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH.  The repercussions of teen dating violence are impossible to ignore—the issue affects not just youth but their families, schools and communities as well.  Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) brings national focus to the issue of teen dating violence, highlights the need to educate our youth about healthy relationships, raises awareness among those who care for them and provides communities with a critical opportunity to work together to prevent this devastating cycle of abuse.  Visit ww.teendvmonth.org for more information.

APRIL IS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH.  For resources and information check out our link to the Prevent Child Abuse MN website .

APRIL IS ALSO SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH.  End Sexual Violence in Minnesota and make prevention the priority.  April brings an annual opportunity to focus awareness on sexual violence, the culture that perpetuates this violence, and its prevention. The goal is to not only change the institutional policies and practices that support the behaviors we encounter every day, but also to change the cultural norms so that this type of behavior is not expected, accepted, or tolerated. Check out this link to MNCASA’s website for SAAM events near you. www.mncasa.org 

MAY IS TEEN PREGNANCY AWARENESS MONTH AND MOAPPP CONFERENCE.  OCTOBER IS LET'S TALK MONTH.  For some great resources, statistics, and other information visit the MOAPPP website.

OCTOBER IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH.  For resources and information check out our links to MN Coalition for Battered Women and National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

JOURNEYMAN is a great documentary about men mentoring boys and the pain boys feel growing up without fathers.  Kevin Obsatz, co-director of the film was a DMAD participant when he was in high school.  Charlie Borden was also co-director and producer of the film.  For more information about this documentary, see the September 2008 DMAD newsletter or go to www.mirrormanfilms.org.

The MINNESOTA COUNCIL ON FAMILY RELATIONS strengthens all families by educating and supporting family professionals and promoting connections among those involved in research, policy, and practice.  DMAD Executive Director, Jan Hayne, serves on the MCFR Board.