Thank you for another successful Training Camp! A dozen facilitators joined Good Dads in Springfield, MO, last week from across Missouri to learn the best ways to lead Good Dads FORGE classes for fathers in their communities.
It was a fast-paced week! In fact, participants received instruction on two Good Dads classes. We covered a lot of ground, and we’re grateful these father-focused leaders were here for the journey.
About Good Dads FORGE
Good Dads FORGE is a new fatherhood education program, launched in 2025 after Good Dads received a federal grant. The program covers three primary areas:
- Fatherhood skills (Good Dads 2.0)
- Healthy relationships (Within My Reach)
- Money management
The program is designed to fit the needs of any father or father-figure, regardless of his income.
Our Training Camps equip our facilitators with the skills and strategies they need to be effective leaders in the classroom. We review each lesson and offer our advice for how to best facilitate each activity.
Who is Training Camp for?
Good Dads’ facilitator training events are for anyone who wants to be more effective in their work with fathers. Nonprofit leaders, social workers, counselors, retirees, teachers, nurses, business leaders and public servants can all benefit from training to facilitate Good Dads courses.
The best facilitators work alongside a Good Dads chapter to bring father-focused services to their community. If you’re not currently affiliated with a Good Dads chapter, we can point you in the right direction!
Some of our most-valued facilitators are retirees, empty-nesters and grandparents — because these people usually have a little more time compared to, for instance, parents working 40 hours a week and raising young children.
We wish to expressly call on the men of the area to step up and volunteer with Good Dads. Male volunteers are critically important for Good Dads’ programs that expressly target fathers. We hope to send the message that father involvement is imperative to a child’s wellbeing, and we can’t do that without positive male role models!
Why Facilitators are the “Secret Sauce” to Good Dads
Perhaps you’ve heard Good Dads founder and executive director, Dr. Jennifer L. Baker, describe Good Dads facilitators as the “secret sauce” for our nonprofit success.
“(Facilitators) build meaningful relationships with fathers in our program and serve as role models for men who may not have had that growing up,” Dr Baker said. “It’s not an exaggeration to say Good Dads would not exist as it does today without our facilitators.”
Good Dads’ programs are tools for responsible fatherhood as well as a network of companions to help dads reach their goals, whether they are raising kids with a partner or parenting solo. When you become a Good Dads facilitator, you participate in something larger than yourself — something with remarkable ripple effects.
- Get Paid: Some facilitators receive hourly compensation for their time. Rates my vary.
- Give Back: Facilitating is an excellent opportunity to serve fathers and families in your community.
- Low-Commitment: Just a few hours a week makes an outsize impact for dads in our programs.
- Make a Difference: Page the way for men to feel empowered to be more engaged in the lives of their children.
Feeling FOMO?
Not all hope is lost! We’ll see you for the next Good Dads Training Camp, November 30 through December 4 in Springfield, MO. At our last training of the year, we’ll share all that you need to know to be a top-notch facilitator in another of our programs: Good Dads +Us. You’ll receive training in Fundamentals for Good Dads and the leading healthy relationships course, PREP 8.0.
Find details and registration information on our Training Camp page.
