For the past two years, some of the students at Holbrook Elementary in Cy-Fair ISD have seen familiar faces in the classrooms and hallways.
The Watch D.O.G.S. program, created by the National Center for Fathering, has been bringing dads, grandfathers, uncles and other father figures to schools all across the country to increase paternal involvement.
Holbrook is one of several CFISD schools to have launched its own chapter. Principal Yvette Garcia first learned about Watch D.O.G.S. after seeing a presentation on the program by Lee Elementary's principal Tonya Goree. Since implementing the program, Holbrook has received district and statewide honors from the Texas Association of Partners in Education.
The presence of fathers at the school is a benefit in and of itself, Garcia said.
"A lot of our students are raised in single-parent households or by aunts or grandparents," Garcia said. "Putting more positive male role models in their lives would bring nothing but positive results."
The program starts with an after-school event Sept. 29 during which school officials meet with fathers to discuss how they can help, said Pamula Handsborough, the program coordinator at Holbrook. Men who are interested in helping out can sign up for one or multiple full- or half-days to volunteer.
On the days selected, volunteers attend classes at the school and help with a variety of tasks, including helping students off buses, reading to students and large group activities in art or physical education. Students tend to look up to Watch D.O.G.S. with both respect and encouragement, Garcia said.
"They're like rock stars," she said. "Whether they're sitting down to read a book or even teaching kids about proper dining manners in the cafeteria, the kids really listen."
Past volunteers have driven from as far away as San Antonio and flown in from Amarillo just to volunteer for the day, Garcia said. In 2013, around 35–40 Watch D.O.G.S. volunteered. When students see other fathers volunteering, they often push their own to get involved, Garcia said.
"There was nothing more rewarding than being a part of something so impactful involving today's youth," said Corey Jackson, a Watch D.O.G.S. volunteer at Holbrook for the past two years.
The program has had visible results in student behavior as well, Garcia said, noting disciplinary measures and office referrals are down around 80 percent since Watch D.O.G.S. was implemented.
"When you see results like that, it's surprising to me that more campuses aren't starting their own programs," she said. "It's a lot of work on the front end, but it just pays off."
