The Tri-County Fatherhood Coalition meets on the last Friday of the month, at the Dodge City Restaurant, Cameron and Paxton Streets, Harrisburg, at 8:00 a.m. The meeting is called the Family Empowerment Forum. We will have speakers each meeting and a networking session will follow.

Tri-County Fatherhood Coalition

Empowering Fathers and Families within the Capital Region

Vision

To empower fathers so that families will be strengthened and enable every child to succeed.

Mission

To improve the well-being of children residing in Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry Counties of Pennsylvania by increasing the proportion of children growing up with involved, responsible and devoted fathers.

Goals

  1. Provide a series of 12 classes to build the parenting skill of fathers through the Fatherhood Academy curriculum;
  2. Facilitate workshops in local high schools with young men to prevent premature fatherhood and early sexual onset;
  3. Provide parenting classes to fathers who have just been released or pre-released from imprisonment, so that they are able to maintain or reestablish their relationships with their families in partnership with the Firm Foundation’s Proud Dads program;
  4. Reconcile father with their families by providing family group conferences in conjunction with It Takes a Village Inc.; and
  5. Create an ad campaign to increase public awareness of the critical role that fathers play.
 
 2nd Annual Fatherhood & Family Celebration
The 2nd Annual Fatherhood & Family Celebration is scheduled for Saturday, June 9, 2012 from 10am to 4pm.
The Celebration includes vendors, food, musical entertainment, African Dance classes, Martial Arts and Self Defense classes, local Autheros and Poets, Films, Workshops, Panel Discussions and Children's Activities.  The Festival will be held at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North Street, Harrisburg. 
Please plan to attend and bring your family and friends. 

For more information conatact Reverend Nathaniel Gadsden, Community Impact Manager, United Way of the Captial Region 724-4056 or email at nadsden@UWCR.ORG

 New Partner
The Tri-County Fatherhood Coalition is joining forces with the Fatherhood Initiative of Greater Harrisburg Healthy Start a program of Hamiltion Health Center. 
The Greater Harrisburg Healthy Start program has designed a new, interactive and educational endeavor that seeks to assist fathers in the Harrisburg and Steelton communities.  The Healthy Start Fatherhood Initiative was created as a means by which dads can gain parenting skills, network with other fathers, receive free education on topics specific to men and be connected to community resources. 
A kick off event titled "Men Matter" will be hosted by Greater Harrisburg Healthy Start on April 18 at 6pm, Camp Curtin BBQ.  To register or for more information contact Darria Stafford Williams at 920-2634, dwilliams@hamiltonhealthcenter.com
 From Fatherless to Fatherhood
Check out this poerful video

From Fatherless to Fatherhood
  
 FAMILY EMPOWERMENT FORUM
The next Forum is scheduled for Friday, May 25, 2011 at 8am, at the Dodge City Resurant.    

Topic: tbd.
  
 FATHERHOOD ACADEMY
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The Fatherhood Academy meets every Monday (except holidays) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Neighborhood Center, 3rd & Kelker Streets, Harrisburg.  

Please remember that the Fatherhood Academy is open to men and women, teens and adults. 
The Fatherhood Academy is designed to serve all fathers in the Cumberland, Perry, and Dauphin counties of Pennsylvania, who are voluntarily or involuntarily seeking to enhance their growth and development as a father.  The Fatherhood Academy is open to anyone that wishes to attend, regardless of race, gender, age, disability or any other protective class of individuals.  Families are encouraged to attend and take the classes together.  Admission is open enrollment.  Participants may take all  classes or just one.  Participants may enroll for each class by emailing, Rev. Nathaniel Gadsden, Community Impact Manager, United Way of the Capital Region, at ngadsden@uwcr.org, or faxing him at (717) 732-5200.  Participants can also register on-site at the beginning of the class.  Seating is limited, so early registration is a good idea.
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 NEWS COVERAGE
 
Patriot News features Fatherhood Academy in recent arrticle.
Get a copy of the article here.


This is a clip from the 2010 graduation of Atlanta 's Booker T. Washington High School, which had the first African American male Valedictorian in over 10 years.
See Video