Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment, in partnership with SD Department of Social Services will host a limited-series online learning opportunity focused on the role of dads.

The Dad Connection will kick-off on Monday, November 3 and will include four, weekly webinar learning opportunities presented by J. Michael Hall, Strong Fathers-Strong Families.

J. Michael Hall, M.Ed. is the father of two sons who are high school teachers. Mr. Hall has been a special education teacher, a teacher of the gifted and talented, and an intermediate and middle school principal. As an educator, speaker and founder of Strong Fathers-Strong Families, he has presented to more than 200,000 fathers and parents at local schools, Head Starts, and regional and national conferences.

Mike has worked with over 300 schools in Texas and in over 42 states with Head Starts. He works daily with schools and facilitates all events in English and Spanish.

He has written magazine articles for the National PTA, The Southwestern Educational Development Laboratory, and The National Head Start Association’s Children and Family Magazine. He is also a contributing author to the book on fathering entitled Why Fathers Count, and is considered one of the country’s foremost experts on working with fathers in schools and Head Starts.

For his pioneering work over the past twenty years in education he was recently honored as a 2012 White House Champion of Change for his work in the fatherhood field around the nation.

The webinar series is free, with registration required. Dates and topics include:

• Monday, November 3rd, 12 – 1 pm CT | The Different Roles of Mothers and Fathers and How They Best Serve Children
• Monday, November 10th, 12 – 1 pm CT | Co-Parenting and Co-Piloting a Child’s Future
• Tuesday, November 18th, 12 – 1 pm CT | Fathers and Their Positive Impact on a Child’s Mental Health and Behavior
• Tuesday, November 25th, 12 – 1 pm CT | Fathers and Their Positive Impact on a Child’s Education Success—Now and in the Future