Dads of Great Students

Deanna Jump is without question one of the most well-known names in early childhood education. Teachers the world over look to Mrs. Jumps Class for inspiration and leadership in engaging young learners. WatchDOGS Radio was very fortunate to spend a few moments with a teacher who has inspired thousands of great teachers. We spoke about engaging parents and particularly dads in her classroom. We were very happy to hear her thoughts on the Watch D.O.G.S. program. Please enjoy an episode of WatchDOGS Radio with Deanna Jump.   

After a short hiatis, #WatchDOGS Radio is BACK. Keith, Chris and Eric talk about how to get men engaged in their children's education AT #SCHOOL in a simple and easy to implement way. We will talk about how to increase your #PTA MENbership! We will also have interviews with New Mexico School Counselor of the Year Vicki Price and the author of a new book entitled From Penauts - To Power, former Georgia State Senator Charles Walker.  Join us for the RELAODED edition of WatchDOGS Radio!

Please join WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher - on the road again - at the Montana PTA Convention in Billings, Montana. We will be working with Montana PTA to give Montana kids the opportunity to have fathers and father-figures actively engaged in their education. Currently, 6 Montana schools are running Watch D.O.G.S. programs and 2 are launching. We hope to double this number (plus many more) as a result of this trip. Watch D.O.G.S. is a great partner with PTA because Watch D.O.G.S. brings an unprescedented amount of parent engagement to a school, plus it increases PTA membership when utilized properly. Watch D.O.G.S. is the school-based father engagement initiative of the National Center for Fathering with nearly 400,000 men participating in nearly 5000 schools in 46 states.  For more information on this great program, go to www.fathers.com/watchdogs and www.facebook.com/groups/ncf.watchdogs.

Watch D.O.G.S. is a program of the National Center for Fathering that is an official Partner of National #PTA. This program gives fathers and father-figures the opportunity to experience their child's school day in the "real world" Fathers can choose any day of the school year (with the exception of testing and other critical days determined at the local level) and spend at least one day with his child(ren) at school.

WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher had the rare opportunity to be a featured guest on "The Good Works Radio Show" on WYAY, NewsRadio 106.7 in Atlanta

Watch D.O.G.S. is the school-based father involvement program of the National Center for Fathering with nearly 5000 U.S. schools engaging 400,000 fathers per year. Go to Fathers.com/watchdogs to see how your school can launch this tremendously successful program.

WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher has been on the road all summer to visit PTA conferences all across the nation. On this final stop of the tour, Keith visits with Dave Rogers, who is the Top Dog Coordinator at Cathcart Elementary School in Snohomish, Washington. He also spends some time at the Washington State PTA Region #5 Leadership Training Conference in Puyallup, Washington. 

The WatchDOGS Radio Summer Road Trip continues in Cleveland, Ohio. Keith will be in Cleveland for the Ohio PTA Summer Leadership Training. Thank you to Ohio PTA President Shelia Ragland for the invitation to participate in Ohio PTA Training.

Saturday Morning LIVE

Saturday Morning LIVE with Keith and Jim.

Please join our guest host Jim Heath as we have some fun with father involvement. Jim's guest will be comedian Elliott Threatt. Also joining Jim and Elliott will be a local Hero of the Hallways, Rich Bartow.

Re-post of July 25 show for iTunes.

The WatchDOGS Radio Summer Road Show continues with a visit to the Wahsega 4h Camp in the north Georgia Mountains. Wahsega is the site of the Georgia PTA State Board Retreat and the Council and District Leadership Training. We will hear last week's interview with West Virginia PTA Immediate Past President Justin Raber talking about the importance of male engagement and the partnership between Watch D.O.G.S. and PTA. We will also hear a great interview with new Georgia PTA President Lisa-Marie Haygood. Please tune in to hear a special announcement from Lisa-Marie about the great relationship between Watch D.O.G.S. and Georgia PTA.  For free parent engagement training and to learn more about Watch D.O.G.S., go to www.fathers.com/watchdogs.

Jeff is a quarterback for strengthening families and strengthening teams. He is passionate about advancing collaboration to support marriages, families and children. In 2012 Jeff joined FamilyLife as a Vice President and Catalyst for helping others. FamilyLife is a national ministry leader in marriage conferences, radio outreach and empowering resources to heal and strengthen families. Jeff founded and led Stronger Families in the Pacific Northwest from 1993 to 2010. Stronger Families united communities around strengthening marriages and today assists military and high-stress couples in protecting their marriages. Jeff quarterbacked in the NFL from 1981 to 1992. He and his father, Jack Kemp (the former Vice-Presidential candidate and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), were the first of only six sets of father/son NFL quarterbacks. As he speaks and trains throughout the United States, Jeff passes on dynamic lessons learned during eleven years in the world of professional athletics. Persevering through the highs and lows of pro football gave him a valuable perspective on teams, leadership and life. Jeff is a frequent speaker to men’s and marriage events. He also speaks to businesses, community groups and young people about family relationships and teamwork.

Join WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher LIVE at the 2015 Georgia PTA Convention and Leadership Training in Atlanta. We will discuss male engagement programs in Georgia and throughout the country.  

Happy 4th of July to all of the great DADS in our nation! Give us a call and let us know what you are doing with your kids to celebrate the 4th!  

For the third consecutive year, WatchDOGS Radio will be broadcasting LIVE from the convention floor of the 2015 National PTA Convention. This year, the convention is in Charlotte, N.C. Please join WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and Watch D.O.G.S. Executive Director Eric Snow as they discuss the events of this meeting of the oldest and largest parent engagement program in the country. You never know who might walk by and wind up being a part of the WatchDOGS Radio show during our live broadcast. So, join us LIVE at 11:00am Eastern, 10:00am Central time for our broadcast from the National PTA Convention in Charlotte.

This Sunday is Father's Day. We believe that every day is Father's Day, but on the third Sunday in June, we always make a special effort to recognize what great things that dads do. Join us and call in and let us know what you are doing either as a dad, or for a dad.

WatchDOGS Radio - SATURDAY MORNING LIVE! LIVE, from Wilmington, NC - It's WatchDOGS Radio! It's time for dads from all across our great country to call in and tell us what you are doing with your kids today. We want to hear about fun summer vacations. We want to hear about your weekend outings. We want to hear about baseball games. We want to hear about how you are taking advantage of the summer to connect with your kids. Our host, Keith Schumacher is on the road in Wilmington, NC and will be hosing the show from the road. Guest Hosts will include Sean Rumble in Minneapolis, MN and Jim Heath in Kansas City, MO. WatchDOGS is the school based father involvement program of the non-profit National Center for Fathering. Go to www.fathers.com/watchdogs for more information.  

Auntie Nellie's Magical Pockets is both an entertaining and educational story about a boy named Casey, whose amusing, helpful Aunt comes to visit for a week. Out of her amazingly deep, bottomless pockets, she pulls anti-stress gadgets. Using these gadgets, Casey learns to cope with six common, stressful childhood situations, including handling a major disappointment, getting teased, and learning a new skill. In the final chapter, Casey uses two of these gadgets, his Who-Can-I-Tell? Megaphone and his Save-the-Day Idea Bank, to help his friend the way Auntie Nellie helped him. As a bonus, Parent/Teacher Notes are included in each chapter. They provide the adult reader with the principles behind the gadgets, as well as additional tips for helping the child practice the new coping skills. Monica H. Schaeffer, Ph.D., is a health psychologist who has conducted research and led workshops on stress and decision-making and stress management. She has been published in a number of professional journals on the effects of environmental stress, commuter stress, and illness severity. After studying stress in adults, both acute and chronic, Dr. Schaeffer recognized that children could benefit from possessing a repertoire of coping techniques to prevent the harmful effects of stress. In fact, the stories and techniques included in this book began taking shape when her oldest daughter communicated that she was not satisfied with simply having bedtime stories read to her and would exclaim, "tell me a story from your mind." Currently Dr. Schaeffer is the president of the non-profit organization, VITAL, Inc. (www.vitalinc.org) and facilitates workshops on ethical wills/legacy letters. Her hobbies include photography, travel, and museum hopping.  

Watch D.O.G.S. is the school based father involvement initiative of the National Center for Fathering. Tune in ans see what dads all over the country are doing for their local schools. Today, we will discuss the efforts that parents and administrators can make over the summer to be ready to welcome large numbers of dads into the school in the fall.

LIVE - FROM ATLANTA, GEORGIA - IT'S SATURDAY MORNING LIVE! Hey Dad, Let's hear what you are going to do with your kids today. Are you going fishing? Are you going to a soccer game? Are you coaching? We want to hear from you and your kids. What are you doing to "Just Be Dad"? How are you loving? coaching? modeling? We want to hear from you! Give us a call on the way to the ball field, lake, amusement park, whereever! 215-383-3728.

Newtown's Trees is an allegory about the 2012 tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, using the town's beloved trees cut down by the protagonist as the central theme.  It is a book that can be appreciated on several levels; by adults who know the horrific details of the events that took place on a cold December morning, as well as by children who read the book or have it read to them as a sad story with an uplifting ending that outlines the strength of the human spirit. The tale has an even wider application to other news stories that portray bad things happening to good people. Newtown's Trees is a book that warms the heart and leaves the reader feeling that despite these often senseless tragedies, there's a lot of good in this world. Frank L. Miller is a writer and trained school psychologist. He earned an educational specialist degree in school psychology, and practiced for thirty-eight years before retiring in 2012. Frank adopted his son and daughter after marrying their mother, an elementary guidance counselor, and then adopted his daughter’s first-born child when she was unable to raise the child. The author lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with his wife of thirty-one years and the granddaughter they have thoroughly enjoyed raising who is now fourteen. Newtown’s Trees is Frank’s second publication, having written a book chronicling the battle he fought with his school district over his eldest daughter’s drug abuse and expulsion from school.   We will also feature the 2015 National Distinguished Principal for Texas, Diane Gough of Hewitt Elementary School in Hewitt, Texas. We will hear about her great Watch D.O.G.S. program.

Keith has over twenty-five years of Law Enforcement experience including School Resource Officer and Officer Friendly. He has served his local church for over twenty years as youth leader, providing financial counseling, conducting divorce recovery classes, and much more.  He has a Doctorate in Leadership Organization , Masters in Counseling, as well as Bachelors in Marketing.  Keith has worked with youth for over twenty-five years and through all his experiences now encourages, interacts and works with Dads on various issues they may be going through personally or with their children. Keith’s own Father died when Keith was only eleven years old, so he knows what it is like to grow up without a Dad through those important teen years. As an early divorced young man, Keith discovered one thing…that he could still keep a connection with is only daughter by choosing too. Together they wrote a book,  called Part-Time Dad, Full-Time Heart and speak whenever possible.

You are living a legacy of leadership. Right now, you have the opportunity to influence your customers, your co-workers, your community, and your children. It takes a village to raise a child. Devon Bandison believes that…with a twist. He believes every individual leader – that’s you – can influence life in a positive way.  Researchers have proved that father/child contact is associated with better socio-emotional and academic functioning. Results indicate that children with more involved fathers experience fewer behavioral problems and score higher on reading achievement. Devon knows that Fatherhood is leadership and Leadership Is Influence. Devon coaches fathers around the world on how to become high performing leaders and agents of change in the lives of their children. His signature talk “Fatherhood is Leadership” has gained national recognition and was a featured TED Talk at TEDx Boca Raton in March 2015. He brings a message of hope to fathers who have struggled with work-life integration. Adversity has served as Devon’s greatest teacher molding him into the modern leader and loving father he is today. With the pain of his parent’s divorce in early childhood and absent father addicted to drugs, staying on course for success proved to be challenging. However, as a young father a shift in perspective and a decision to choose growth over victimization transformed his life. Devon began the road to recovering his true self.  His leadership seminars and coaching programs inspire many leaders across the globe. It is the gifts of adversity that fuel Devon’s compassion and dedication to helping others find their voice, inspire hope and live their own legacy of leadership.

Parenting expert Dr. Kathy Masarie is generous in heart and spirit. Her caring commitment to the well-being of families touches all facets of her life. In her pediatric practice in the late 1980s and 1990s, Dr. Kathy spent extra time getting to know each family. From many professional experiences, she knew how lonely parents can feel in today’s culture. She saw parents, especially parents of teens, struggling in isolation with family-centered problems such as pregnancy, depression, risky drinking and drug use. In 1996, she founded the non-profit organization Full Esteem Ahead and then Family Empowerment Network to “support parents to support kids and one another.” Through FEN and with colleague Ruthie Matinko-Wald, she offers parenting talks and classes as well as support materials in the way of parenting books and videos that can be used as curriculum for self-led discussion groups. Since their publication, Raising Our Daughters, Raising Our Sons, and Face to Face: Cultivating Kids’ Social Lives in the Digital World Parenting Guides have provided parents, school professionals and other caring adults with powerful vehicles for learning, self-discovery, networking and connecting with kids and other adults. Today, Kathy continues to spread the word about the power of parent networking through presentations, seminars and classes. She is also available for one-on-one parent, individual or family coaching.

Former Atlanta Hawk and 10-year NBA veteran Mike "The Stinger" Glenn will be our guest on WatchDOGS Radio. In addition to his 10-year NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks, Buffalo Braves, Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks, Glenn is a veteran of television, having worked for Turner Sports, CNN/SI and ESPNU as both a game and studio analyst. Another of Glenn’s passions is his Mike Glenn Basketball Camp for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing, which celebrated their 35th anniversary in 2014. This non-profit organization is the nation’s first basketball camp for hearing-challenged athletes, and is offered every summer free of charge to as many as 120 deaf athletes across the country.

Our second Teacher Tuesday!

While Keith is away on vacation WatchDOGS Radio is being taken over by Sean Rumble, Jim Heath and Chris Danenhauer. The crew will be discussing various topics relating to the WatchDOGS experience.

Kim Bearden was selected from over 70,000 nominations to be honored as the Disney American Teacher Awards Outstanding Middle School Humanities Teacher. The Milken Family Foundation selected her as one of 155 teachers from across the nation to receive the Award for Excellence in Education, and she was chosen from among 7000 teachers as Teacher of the Year in Cobb County, Georgia. Ms. Bearden is a member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2008, and she received the Phoenix Award from Mayor Shirley Franklin for her dedication to education. Women Works Media Group named her one of Georgia's Most Powerful and Influential Women. Over the past twenty-eight years, she has been a teacher, instructional lead teacher, curriculum director, school board member, staff development trainer, and middle school principal. Her bestselling first book, Crash Course: The Life Lessons My Student Taught Me, was published in July of 2014. Frederick Nolan is the only full-time Watch D.O.G.S. coordinator employed by a local school district. Frederick is leading a tremendous group of men providing positive male role models in the Jackson, MS Public School system. Frederick is joined by two local dads running one of the great programs in Jackson. 

Deputies Making a Change (DMAC) is a youth mentoring program that addresses the incarceration rate among young children. This program targets those who are failing in school, at risk of being incarcerated, or have problems with authority. This program will consist of tutoring, physical fitness, life skills, sessions with mentors, video instruction and many other tools will also be utilized. The main objective is to enhance the thinking ability of the neighborhood youth, as well as promote positive behavior among at-risk children and as a result produce better students that are eager to advance their education rather than participate in criminal activity. Seven core values will be utilized to ensure the structure of the program, discipline, education, accountability, commitment, motivation, respect for authority, and self reliance. These values are designed to manage the child’s behavior, while implementing discipline and education.

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Today, we will break from our usual discussion on education and try to save some lives! Colorectal Cancer is the 2nd leading cancer killer. It doesn't have to be. CRC is preventable and treatable if caught in time. We just need to convince more people to get screened. Mr. Eric Hargis joined the Colon Cancer Alliance as CEO in January 2014.  Hargis has more than 35 years of relevant leadership experience in national health organizations and has a proven track record of supporting these entities through strategic growth. Hargis has a proven track record of being a transformational leader.  Nationally, he has successfully led the development of numerous programs, partnerships, events and fundraising initiatives. Daily, Hargis beats the drum that colon cancer is largely preventable and a unique cancer that we can actually do something about.  His passionate approach is intentionally driving the mission of the Colon Cancer Alliance to the forefront of a national health movement.  He is active in FDA committee hearings advocating for innovations in screening, meeting with congressional representatives to provide supportive insight and securing national corporate partnerships.  Hargis graduated with a degree from the University of San Diego.  He lives in Maryland with his wife and two children. The Colon Cancer Alliance’s mission is to knock colon cancer out of the top three cancer killers. This mission is being accomplished by championing prevention, funding cutting-edge research and providing the highest quality patient support services. Learn more at ccalliance.org.

We are launching our Teacher Tuesday feature with one of the most well known superstars of the teacher blogging world! We are so proud to have Deanna Jump as our guest this week on WatchDOGS Radio. Deanna is an award winning teacher.  She has taught Kindergarten and First Grade for 18 years and holds a Bachelor's, Master's and Educational Specialist degree in Early Literacy and Reading.  Deanna has a passion for creating and sharing grade level appropriate units and activities that incorporate national teaching practices and make learning fun. She is the number one seller for TeachersPayTeachers.com.   Deanna has been featured on CNN News, CBS This Morning, The Steve Harvey Show, Time Magazine, Business Week, Huffington Post, AOL News, Inc. Magazine, Ed Tech Magazine, Yahoo Online News, Ed Surge Magazine and Scholastic Instructor Magazine.  Deanna has presented to thousands of teachers across the country and shares educational ideas and strategies through her highly popular blog, mrsjumpsclass.blogspot.com. Step #2 of the all important Watch D.O.G.S. 7 Steps to Success is to get the teachers engaged in letting WatchDOGS serve them in a way that supports the teachers in the classroom. Please feel free to call in with questions and/or comments for Deanna. 215-383-3728.  

WatchDOGS Radio Host Keith Schumacher will be broadcasting live from the 26th Annual National Youth at Risk Conference in Savannah, GA. Our Local Hero of the Hallways this week is Megan Preusser, Teacher and Watch Dog School Rep, Pleasantview Elementary, Sauk Rapids, MN. Please join in and give us a call at 215-383-3728.

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4500 schools participating in 46 states, D.C., Ryan Hamilton will join us from the Life of Dad show. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4500 schools participating. Azim Khamisa – an author, activist and an international inspirational speaker – was born in Kenya, Africa and had early training in mathematics, economics and finance in the U.K. A successful investment banker with over 40 years of experience, he has conducted business in Africa, Middle East, Canada, USA, Europe and Asia. Presently he serves as the President of the Child Safety Network (CSN). Committing his life to halting the continuing cycle of violence among the youth, Azim became a social activist after his 20-year-old son Tariq was senselessly  murdered while delivering pizzas in January 1995 by Tony Hicks, a 14-year-old gang member. Out of grief and despair,  Khamisa was inspired to transform his loss through the power of forgiveness. Believing that there were “victims at both ends of the gun,” Azim forgave Tony and founded the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to break the cycle of youth violence by saving lives, empowering positive choices and teaching the principles of nonviolence and peacemaking. A month after establishing the foundation, Azim invited Ples Felix, Tony’s grandfather and guardian, to join him. Together, since November 1995, the two have brought their story and message through  TKF’s Violence Impact Assemblies. The duo has reached over a million elementary and middle school children live and over 8 million via video programs, guiding the youth to choose a peacemaker’s life of non-violence and forgiveness. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4500 schools participating. Today is Ground Hog Day! We will hear from our special guest, Punxatawney Phil about his prediction for the weather for the next 6 weeks. We will also be discussing the positive fathering messages that were sent out through multi million dollar commercials during yesterday's Super Bowl. National Center for Fathering Chief Operating Officer Jeff Jenkins and Watch D.O.G.S. Executive Director Eric Snow will be joining us. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. The National Center for Fathering is one of several fathering organizations that has partnered with Toyota to promote positive fathering during the Super Bowl. Toyota will not be selling cars, but promoting fatherhood. National Center for Fathering Chief Operating Officer Jeff Jenkins will be joining us to talk about this great initiative by this major auto maker as well as talking about the NCF's new "Just Be Dad" program. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4500 schools participating. DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. Public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on our site, and you can give any amount to the project that most inspires you. When a project reaches its funding goal, we ship the materials to the school. You'll get photos of the project taking place, a letter from the teacher, and insight into how every dollar was spent. Give over $50 and you'll also receive hand-written thank-yous from the students. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4500 schools participating. Mike Buchanan is the author of "The Fat Boy Chronicles", a book that addresses adolescent obesity and bullying. As a former middle school teacher, Mike is very familiar with these subjects. His book has been produced into an award winning full length motion picture. Join us as we go behind the scenes of "The Fat Boy Chronicles".   Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. James F. Dwyer is a 1980 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. While a cadet, he attended the U.S. Army Paratrooper School at Fort Benning, Georgia and earned his jump wings in the summer of 1978. He also served in the U.S. Army as an armored cavalry officer in the 2nd Squadron of the 9th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Stewart, Georgia from 1981 until 1984. After leaving the Army, he worked as trader on Wall Street for nine years before leaving for Sandy Springs, Georgia where he worked as a stock broker for another nine years with A.G. Edwards & Sons. He left the financial world after 9-11 and became a firefighter with the City of Atlanta Fire Rescue Department at the age of forty-six. He has been with this department for ten years and has worked as a part-time firefighter for seven years with the Sandy Springs Fire Rescue Department as well. He is married to his wife, Meryl, and they have four dogs and two cats at home in Acworth, Georgia. Jim and Meryl belong to Freedom Church, a non-denominational Christian church in Acworth and on Sundays he participates in a bible study program for inmates at the local jail. This is his first literary work and he is currently working on the second book of his three-part series about the battle of Tarawa. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. Drive, determination, resiliency, intensity, and humility. Any of these characteristics can be used to describe linebacker Rennie Curran. ?Considered an undersized player by numerous critics going into college, he quickly silenced any doubters by striking fear into the hearts of opposing offenses during his three dominant years as an All-American football player at the University of Georgia. ??Drafted in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Titans, Curran is a force to be reckoned with in the National Football League. However, to truly understand Rennie Curran as a man, one must look deeper than his playing career. Curran has “The Liberian Dream” tattooed on his left bicep, and rightfully so. He has great pride in his Liberian heritage. This pride was brought on by the hard work and determination he witnessed from his family during their numerous struggles with adversity. Curran’s parents came to America from Liberia during the mid-1980s and remained permanently after civil war broke out in their homeland. During that time, his mother earned a master’s degree in nursing from Emory University, while his father started a shoe repair business. Curran grew up witnessing the sacrifices his family made as they supported and sheltered their Liberian family members and friends during the war. ?Curran’s experiences in life have paved the way for him to become the man that he is today. He still lives his life through the lessons he learned from his family. His on the field intensity and drive to help others is a testament to that. He currently spends much of his time with his daughter, Eleana, giving her the same love he received as a child. Rennie Curran truly is “The Liberian Dream”.

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. Greta Lundsgaard-Vaughn is a Professional School Counselor at Strawberry Hill Elementary School in Anamosa, Iowa. On WatchDOGS Radio today, Greta and Kori Leighty will discuss the success of their Watch D.O.G.S. program. Strawberry Hill launched their program in the Spring of 2012. They are currently seeing over 100 fathers per year participating in their program. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. November is National Adoption Month. As we prepare for Thanksgiving, this is a great time to express our gratitude for all of the wonderful families that have been created through the miracle of adoption. Mark and Kim Dessez are current;y working through the process of expanding their family through international adoption. They are the parents of two girls, AnnaGrace, a surviving biological twin and MaryAlice who was adopted from China. Yesterday, they recieved travel clearance to go to China and gain custody of, not one but two little boys.  Mark and Kim will share threir story about the joys and trials of international adoption as we give thanks for all families, regardless of their stories. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. Our featured Top Dog Coordinator is Angie Pittman of Midway Elementary School in Alpharetta, GA. Angie took over the program after Superstar Top Dog Melissa Grohovac graduated to middle school with her youngers son. Midway Elementary is the flagship for the Watch D.O.G.S. Program in the Forsyth County School District, which is in NorthEast Metro Atlanta. More than 20 schools in Forsyth and Fulton Counties have launched the Watch D.O.G.S. program as the result of the leadership of Principal Todd Smith and the parents of Midway. Our Special Gueat is Mr. Michael Knowles, Chairman of the National PTA Male Engagement Committee. Mike will talk about the work of the committee and the outcomes of the recent National PTA / Watch D.O.G.S. Male Engagement Conference in Atlanta. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.  

The Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program is the largest school based father engagement program in the nation with over 4000 schools participating. Jeff Jenkins is the Chief Operating Officer of the National Center for Fathering, responsible for all oversight and management of day-to-day operations of both the headquarters and WATCH D.O.G.S. operations. Jeff comes to NCF with 25+ years of operations, management, marketing, branding and entrepreneurial experience. Before joining the National Center for Fathering in August of 2013, Jeff was Owner of two highly successful Smoothie King Centers in Overland Park, Kansas. Jeff was also President and Owner of American Staffing Solutions, a small staffing company located in Overland Park, Kansas. In addition, he was Founder and President of the ThinkFit Foundation that was established with the mission to educate children, families and community organizations in the importance of nutrition, wellness and exercise for disease prevention and overall improved health. Prior to moving to Kansas in late 2000 to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams, Jeff traveled around the country working in the event marketing and tour management field as a market and tour manager for Fortune 500 companies. Jeff attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he majored in Marketing and Business Administration. Jeff and his wife, Kelley, were married in 2003. His #1 passion is being Dad to his two amazing kids! Every day, Jeff fills dual roles when he comes home from NCF, where he is blessed to be both his daughter’s Prince Charming and son’s Superhero. Each week, WatchDOGS Radio host Keith Schumacher and co-host Chris Danenhauer discuss how this program is impacting families and schools across our nation and in four foreign countries. Please join our audience and call in with your questions and comments.