Schools

Being the Difference: Watch D.O.G.S. Program Takes Off

A nationally known program comes to Lilburn's Mountain Park Elementary School. It aims to make fathers a consistent presence in the lives of children.

The statistics are not unheard of.

Nearly two in three African-American children, one in three Hispanic children, and one in four white children live in a father-absent home. And, 2011 Census data also shows that 24 million children do not live with their biological father.

There are at least two choices here: be the difference, or be the statistic.

Find out what's happening in Lilburn-Mountain Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As part of Mountain Park Elementary's new Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) program, a group of fathers is making a concerted effort to step up, and to step in.

"Moms always seem to be at the school doing something," said one father in the program."We have a lot of kids (who) don't have male figures in their lives. It just gives us a chance to give back."

Find out what's happening in Lilburn-Mountain Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Fathers in the program are at the school before many of the students are. And, when children hop off school buses, a Watch D.O.G.S. dad is there to greet them with high fives.

Once school starts for the day, the men can be found inside classrooms working with students, sitting down to lunch, or helping out in any way that is needed.

David Young, counselor and coordinator for the school's Watch D.O.G.S. program, is happy to see the fathers' interest, and also to see the students' excitement.

When the first two Watch D.O.G.S. began in November, Young had built up a lot of anticipation. "They got mobbed," he said, chuckling. "They signed autographs."

A few months in, things have settled down now. The children expect that the fathers will be there. And, that's seen as a good thing.

By being there, these men become role models for future success.

"My daughter, she really was an advocate of this," said Lonnie Cole. "She really pushed me, so that was my inspiration -- my daughter."

"I think it's also good to have that male figure in a school environment, especially with the security concerns out there," he added.

Allen Rubin, who has two children at Mountain Park Elementary, agrees that positive male figures are vital for communities.

"I came from a broken family," Rubin said. "My dad wasn't around, so I know what that's like."

His fifth-grader is "slightly embarrassed" that he's at the school, but that's OK, he said. He knows a lot more is at stake.

Started by two fathers about 15 years ago at an Arizona school, Watch D.O.G.S. has grown in popularity. Today, there are more than 2,811 active programs in 46 states.

In addition to being a program at Mountain Park Elementary, Watch D.O.G.S. is in several other Gwinnett County schools, including Anderson-Livsey Elementary School in Snellville.

Each program may be run a little differently, but at Mountain Park Elementary, fathers dedicate at least one full day a week to being at their children's school.

They could have been doing anything else, but they're not.

They don't want to be.

In the face of harsh statistics that indicate many fathers are shirking their responsibilities, these Watch D.O.G.S. dads are choosing to be different -- and not just for their children, but for other children, too.

Want to know more?

  • View a segment that aired on the TODAY show in February about the program. Click here for Youtube video.
  • Find out how men can become mentors within the school district, by clicking here.

Don’t miss any Lilburn news. Subscribe to Lilburn-Mountain Park's free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here