Since launching InvolvedDad in Flint in 2015, founder and executive director Shon Hart and team have created dynamic and detailed programming, resources, training, and other tools to support dads and fatherhood. But at their core, the biggest thing they create is simply space.
Sharing that environment with more people was the main motivation for the third annual Fatherhood Forum from on November 22 at the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library.
“The whole purpose for me is to give a safe, cool space for men to come and just talk, become vulnerable, and support somebody else,” Hart said. “I’m really big on checking your titles and your ego at the door. When I facilitate my groups or am offering any type of insight, I just happen to be the executive director. But I am speaking from a place of just manhood and so the whole premise of what I wanted to recreate was just this large body for men to come together. I’ve been gifted with the ability to create a space for men to come and grow from the inside out. I just wanted to duplicate what I was doing in my agency and just do it at a larger scale.”
The forum will include panel discussions, breakout sessions, resource sharing, awards, and a keynote speech from former NFL player Jake Lampman. The theme is focused on providing fathers with a space to connect in a supportive environment and work on strengthening their roles as parents, partners, and community contributors through conversations, hands-on learning, and other opportunities to connect with peers.
The first Fatherhood Forum had more than 50 attendees and last year’s was more than 100. Hart didn’t have a specific goal for attendance, he just hopes it continues growing and providing meaningful experiences for more people. This year, though, the breakout rooms are a new addition – previous forums had programming all set up in the same space. So Hart is is looking forward to observing what that adds to the environment.
“I’m excited to see how the breakout rooms go,” he said. “The previous years we all stayed in one room and all got the same message. So this year we’re just testing it out to see if it is more impactful to give the opportunity to have more intimate sessions for guys to be able to plug into the topics that they want to plug into and start conversation around that, so I’m interested to see if that model works.”
The Forum complements work that InvolvedDad does in other settings through its other programming. Mentors and facilitators encourage men to face past issues, wounds, and other barriers in their relationships with their children and others. The program uses research-based techniques and approaches informed by mentors who have struggled with fatherlessness themselves. The goals are ultimately to motivate, train, and empower fathers with healthy tools that will make them successful parents, all aimed at a larger goal of eradicating fatherlessness in the community.
With a decade-long track record, Hart has had the opportunity to see plenty of success stories. He says it is especially gratifying to see men who come to InvolvedDad hesitant or even unwilling to talk about their emotional needs gain the tools and language to form healthy relationships in their lives.
“It fills my tank,” Hart said. “For me, that’s like my Super Bowl, like my national championship, when I can help a man who struggled or did not know how to do something right as it relates to him advocating for himself or him tapping into his emotions and processing. I don’t look at the numbers. I don’t look at it like, ‘Oh I have to help 50 men.’ I take pride in just one man’s life being transformed.”
Those transformations also reverberate into the community – as more men learn how to deal with trauma or develop healthier communication habits or emotional maturity, they take those skills to others in their personal lives and circles.
“We had a guy a few years ago, he was selling dope, his mindset around women was very aggressive and he treated them like objects,” Hart said. “He came back into our group recently, and his language is totally different. When I met him, he was in the streets. And now, he’s contributing so much value to conversations, he’s utilizing tools and strategies. It’s not always perfect, but you get to see them start trying something new that they weren’t able to do before.”
The Fatherhood Forum will capture many elements of those types of stories all in one place. The panel discussions will include insight from community leaders, educators, and local fathers. Breakout sessions will focus on the real challenges men face in modern fatherhood. Trained expert facilitators and fatherhood practitioners will be on-site to help guide conversations productively. There will also be networking, relational support, and other resources available aimed at helping fathers stay engaged and empowered.
The event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is available online, but attendees can also show up the day of the event without registering.
“They will hear from a lot of great speakers about experiences that will be able to help them grow,” Hart said. “There’s going to be a vast range of people in the room. People should attend because it’s not about you. That’s my thing, it is about your assignment and those that you are called to serve. You have value, you have something that maybe somebody in that building has been looking for the answer to and you may be the one to give them that answer. I’m looking for men that are coming and want to give, want to pour into. And if you are one that’s at the brink of a breakdown or not knowing what’s next, it’s a safe place to come. There’s gonna be plenty of men there that are willing and able to empower you. So either come and empower others or come and eat.”
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