Hands-on approach inspires dads to help schools

SCITUATE -- Tony Vegnani works more than 70 hours a week running a medical services company. Doing volunteer work never topped his list of ways to spend free time.

But when the father of three heard that 19 other local dads were building an amphitheater at his son's new elementary school in Scituate, Vegnani decided to give up his precious Saturday mornings to dig holes and shovel stones.

Vegnani and the other fathers -- lawyers, business owners, and consultants among them -- have also constructed stairs and built a fence at the playground at the Jenkins School. The group, called the Jenkins Dads Club, reflects a statewide effort over the past few years to get more fathers to participate in their children's education.

"I wanted to get involved with my kid's school and show that I care," Vegnani said. "I wanted to know what the school looks like and what actually goes on. I can't get there at 2 o'clock in the afternoon to see that."

A growing number of studies have shown a direct link between fathers' involvement and students' achievement. The trick has been to find ways for fathers to contribute in more profound ways than dropping off their children at school on time.

Ted Wilson, president of the Lesley Ellis School in Arlington, said his school has had trouble keeping fathers involved. Two years ago, a group of fathers raised about $30,000 for the private school, but that effort fizzled last year after several fathers got divorced, moved, or were just too busy.

Wilson said he favors the "work-day approach" that focuses fathers around a specific project, such as painting. "If you can find something that you can hook dads into that they feel meets their needs and is consistent with their manhood, then you have a chance of engaging them," he said.

A large number of men serve in elected positions on School Committees and are eager to make policy decisions, parent group leaders say. But they also say it's difficult to get fathers to take part in hands-on activities, such as field trips and fund-raising.

"We absolutely need to encourage more dads to get involved," said Roland Warren, president of the National Fatherhood Initiative. "It's good for the connection with children and it's good for the kids' academics."

Over the past year, the National Fatherhood Initiative has funded a series of TV and radio advertisements aimed at encouraging fathers to read with their children. Now, the group is planning to put resource centers in schools where men could learn about ways to participate in their children's education. "We need to help schools become beacons for fathers," Warren said.

The initiatives try to carve out roles where fathers are more likely to succeed, featuring events tailored to things fathers like to do.

In Monson, the parent group launched astronomy nights so that fathers and children could learn about stars together. The group sponsors "Bowling for Literacy" and "Golfing for Literacy" tournaments, which allow fathers to show off their skills and raise money to buy books, as children and mothers cheer from the sidelines.

"We feel strongly about having fathers involved," said Jude Porth, co-president of the Monson Parent Teacher Student Association and state president for the Massachusetts PTA. "We need to get that message out and we need to get it out over and over again."

In 2002, the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association began pressing local chapters to get more dads involved in their activities. The state organization started keeping track of fathers' involvement in school activities, and giving awards to the chapters that did the best job.

Two years later, the numbers have nearly doubled to 2,000 fathers participating in parent groups across Massachusetts, from urban working fathers to suburban stay-at-home dads.

"There's been a shift in men's attitudes and aspirations so that now involvement with their children is part of their definition of success and counts as much as success in work," said James A. Levine, director of the Fatherhood Project at Families and Work Institute in New York City.

Although the Monson schools have had great success with their father events, the effort is still a struggle, Porth said. Fathers are busy. They don't want to sit in long meetings, usually run by mothers.

Rich Kelley, who raised his daughter as a single parent for 10 years, said he finds it more difficult to get involved now that Kaitlyn is in middle school. In elementary school, he volunteered to read during story time and served as the PTO president at her preschool.

Kelley, who lives in Melrose, said he works full time and attends business school, which makes it impossible to attend parent group meetings at noon.

"Sometimes I feel pushed to the side," Kelley said. "I just want to show Kaitlyn that I care more than anything. I think she gets a special feeling when she sees me in school."

In Scituate, the Jenkins Dads Club has put together a full calendar of events this fall. The men plan to construct a crosswalk across the school and dig more than 3,000 holes for students to plant bulbs as a school project.

"It's a lot of holes," said Jenkins dad Rob McCarry, a sales executive who helped start the Dads Club this spring. "But we keep it loose, and we keep it fun."

Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.