Caledonia Argus

Students teach students about the role of dads

Posted: 3/26/02

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter

Do dads make a difference in the lives of their children?

Just ask some of the seventh grade students in Eileen Betsingerís class at Caledonia High School who have participated in the ìDadís Make a Differenceî program.

ìDads have a responsibility. They have to take care of the children too,î Mandy Wiese told The Argus.

In this program, students learn from other students about how an unplanned pregnancy affects the lives of fathers. They also learn about the importance of having a father figure.

Seventh grader Travis Johnson noted, ìThe dad has to pay child support.î

Tobacco endowment supports at-risk programs

This is the third article in a series of four focusing on the successful efforts of the Minnesota Tobacco Endowment in Houston County, which was established after the state reached a $6.1 billion settlement with tobacco companies in 1998. Since then, programs have been successfully implemented which have decreased the number of teen tobacco use. Houston County also saw a decrease in tobacco use, according to the Minnesota Student Survey from 1998 through 2001.

A portion of the tobacco endowment fund has gone toward the prevention of non-tobacco risky youth behaviors like drug and alcohol use, sexual behavior, fitness and nutrition, violence prevention and suicide prevention.

Houston County Health Educator Heather Myhre explained that before the tobacco endowment, funding for programming of prevention of risky behaviors had been dwindling.

Myhre said itís a good idea to target other youth risk behaviors beside tobacco. For example she said, ìWhen you look at tobacco, alcohol is also a focus. Thereís other risk behaviors that youth are participating in.î

ìDads Make a Differenceî program is partially funded by the YRB (Youth Risk Behavior) grant.

This program is based on the participation of students who are in grades nine through twelve. Several of these peer students attend a training and then give the presentation to seventh grade students in Betsingerís class several times a year.

Betsinger explained that she uses the program because a former teacher did too. But the more she saw it the more she liked it.ìWhen I saw how the kids were responding to peers. I was impressed with that. The kids were more together.î

Betsinger said instruction is more hands-on, with video games, journaling and more moving around. ìThey donít realize the games are educational.î

The class begins with an educational video of teenage boys sharing their stories of being a father.

The students also play games pretending they are adults who earn a paycheck and have to pay bills and make a budget.

Also added to that scenario is the child support payment.

Students had different viewpoints on the fairness of making fathers pay child support.

Seventh grader Danny Lund said, ìThey shouldnít have to pay it. Itís like their child and they should always go and see it.î

Johnson argued, ìThey should have to pay for it if the other parent canít pay.î

Then Lund agreed if the mom didnít have enough money to pay for the child, then the father should pay child support.

Johnson donít think fathers should make a big deal about paying child support. ìWho cares what it costs? My parents spend money on me, and I should be able to spend money on my kid.î

Lund said, ìI think you should have a good job before you have a kid so you can pay for it as it gets older.î

Wiese liked the messages that were shared. ìI liked when they came in and talked about what dads do and how they have responsibilities because it helped most of them (all of her classmates are boys).î

It also made her afraid of having a child in case the father left and didnít take responsibility.

Peer educators learn too

Some students signed up for Dads Make a Difference because it looked good on their college application or because they received extra credit. However, they agreed that they all learned something new during the experience.

Most were surprised at how challenging it can be to teach a classroom full of seventh graders. Arlene Corcoran said, ìIt gives us an idea of how to be in the teacherís shoes.î

Paul Whitesitt explained how he perceived the rowdiness of the class, ìItís little seventh graders itís expected.î

Brian Zard said itís been fun being a peer educator.

Corcoran was surprised at the kind of information that was presented to the students, ìhaving kids and sex.î

Two peer educators taught classes together, preferably a male and female.

Brandon Knutson said the highlight of the class was seeing the studentís response, ìI think when the kids actually participated and listened to you,î he said.

Pete Schiltz thought the message of dads having to pay child support showed the kids that life is tough.

Knutson added, ìIt makes you see what you donít want to do.î

Jeremy Bauer said some seemed to handle the message better than others.

Next week the The Argus will talk to students who are involved in Target Market, which is youth against big tobacco targeting youth.

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