Celebrating fatherhood and ensuring that fathers are involved in their children’s lives is the cornerstone for the Male Leadership Conference, an annual conference sponsored by the YWCA St. Louis Head Start program. Now in its 10th year, the conference will be held from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday, March 7 at the Engineers Club, 4359 Lindell Blvd.
Fathers’ rights, the importance of father’s physical, emotional and financial well-being and literacy are a few of the day’s session topics.
Annually, more than 100 men who are fathers or significant male role models to children attend the free conference, a culminating event for Head Start’s Ma.G.I.C. (Males Guiding and Involving Children) program.
According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, “Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors such as drug use, truancy, and criminal activity compared to children who have uninvolved fathers.”
The conference is free for YWCA St. Louis Head Start fathers and significant male role models. For men not associated with Head Start, there is a $35 fee that includes a luncheon featuring guest speaker Halbert Sullivan, CEO of Fathers’ Support Center, St. Louis.
To register, call YWCA St. Louis Head Start at 314.427.4940, ext. 237.
Mentor St. Louis honors Frankie Freeman Saturday
On Saturday, March 8 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel, Mentor St. Louis will present the 2008 Mentor St. Louis Award to longtime activist and civil rights lawyer Frankie Muse Freeman at the Fifth Annual Mentor St. Louis Award Gala.
The award is presented each year to a member of the St. Louis community who has served as a mentor to our city through their efforts to improve and enrich the lives of others through education, activism, and community involvement.
Freeman was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson and served as the first female member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. During the Carter Administration, she served as inspector general for the Community Services Administration. In her career of more than 50 years Freeman has protected the civil rights of all citizens.
Tickets are $150 per person and corporate sponsorships from $1,500-$25,000 are available. Tickets and sponsorships may be purchased by calling 314-531-2570 or visiting www.mentorstlouis.org.