High Five Friday!

What a great way to start the day! This morning we joined the Jacob G Smith Elementary School Mane Men group for High Five Friday. These guys greeted the students as they arrived to school with a high five and a smile. Never underestimate the power of a simple high five from someone who cares. Talk about some positivity!

Mane Men started this 2017-18 school year and is lead by Tim Lawhorn and Nick Schultz. Both have kids at Jacob G Smith and are passionate about male role models for children. Mane Men’s mission is to promote male involvement and presence at the school. The only requirement to be part of the group? Be a dude. That’s it. This diverse group of men is having a huge effect on these kids. From the positive impact and mindset of students and increased sense of security to reducing the possibility of bullying and acceptance of diversity, the benefits are exponential.

Approximately 20% of our nation’s children have no positive male role model. “Research shows that when fathers and father figures are engaged in children’s education, student grades and test scores improve, attendance increases and students are more involved in school activities. Father involvement is associated with children’s better socio-emotional and academic functioning. Active and regular father engagement with children impacts a range of positive outcomes, including enhancing cognitive development and decreasing delinquency and poverty in low socioeconomic families.” (georgiapta.org)

Mane Men is dedicated to taking a stand for our children. They’re a group of 10-15 guys that started with High Five Fridays and will be expanding to things like an end of the year kickball game, movie night, reading to the kids and more! “Just give me 15 minutes” is what Tim Lawhorn says. We promise you, those 15 minutes will be impactful to both you and the kids.