Keynotes, Presentations, and Workshops

Patrick Mitchell, Founder
The Down To Earth Dad^TM

Patrick Mitchell is a nationally and internationally recognized speaker and trainer providing keynote addresses, workshops, in-service and pre-service trainings, specialty presentations, and consulting and coaching services to preschools and elementary schools, programs, administrators, associations, parents, child/family advocates, and public and private groups, organizations, practitioners, educators, and professionals.

He has appeared on national television, and his message inspires, informs, and entertains audiences, and empowers participants to empower parents to build strong bonds with their kids.  The Child Care Bureau in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Head Start Bureau have invited Patrick Mitchell to keynote and present at major national conferences, and he frequently conducts interactive workshops at individual preschools and child-and-family-serving centers for staff and parents throughout the nation.   Mr. Mitchell is a father and stepfather in a family of six.

To book Patrick Mitchell, or other Down To Earth Dad speakers and trainers, for your next staff day, workshop, or national, state, or local conference, banquet, or special event, call 1-877-282-DADS, send email to Patrick Mitchell, or send a FAX to 208-765-1017.  Because Mr. Mitchell's family is his number one priority, he is not able to honor all speaking requests.

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Upcoming Events...

The Down To Earth Dad is currently accepting applications for the next Coaching For Programs And Schools series beginning October 15, 2008, and lasting through mid-March, 2009. Program directors, school principals, teachers, father involvement specialists, and support staff are encouraged to apply to participate in this highly unique telephone-and-Internet-delivered coaching provided "one-to-many" on a regular basis, and "one-to-one" as well. Space is limited to the first 25 accepted applicants.

Down To Earth Dad Family Storytelling Nights™ Slated

Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell is conducting a series of Family Storytelling Night™ events for schools and programs in spring, 2008.  And, some programs are purchasing the Family Storytelling Night™ KIT and hosting the events on their own.  Get invovled, and join the fun!

Recent Events...

Illinois Program Invites 'Dad' Back For Additional Presentations

Patrick Mitchell of The Down To Earth Dad conducted encore trainings for program staff, parents, and the community partners connected to an Illinois-based child-and-family-serving early childhood education program.  Two events -- one for staff and one for parents -- occurred in mid-October, 2007, in Galesburg, Illinois.

Patrick Mitchell Keynotes Child Welfare Conference in Maryland

Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell was the keynote speaker at the Tuesday Morning Plenary Session of the 2007 Mid-Atlantic Region Training Conference of the Child Welfare League of America held at the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel in Maryland in September, 2007.  Mr. Mitchell's keynote address, titled,  "Crisis in Child Welfare:  “Strengthening the Family: The Importance of Fathers," sought to raise expectations for enhanced father involvement in the lives of American children, and to assist over 500 of the nation's  most dedicated child-and-family-serving professionals and policy makers present at the conference in moving practice, policy, and social issues forward with respect to father involvement in children's lives.

Saipan Childhood Program Books Patrick Mitchell Trainings

Patrick Mitchell spoke on the Island of Saipan in January, 2007, addressing educators, parents, and practitioners on the vital role of father and grandfather involvement in children's early lives. A land of bright turquoise skies, crystal clear waters, pristine beaches, flaming sunsets and warm tropical breezes, Saipan is located in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific. Approximately 80 parents and children representing ten distinct native languages and cultures throughout Micronesia and Asia, participated in a Down To Earth Dad family-oriented Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement event, including Saipanese, Chamorro, Carolinian Island, Palauan, Trukian, Chinese, Koren, Phillipino, Japanese, Nepalese, and Yapese parents and children.

New York Preschool Program Books Down To Earth Dad Events

Families and extended family members participated in a Down To Earth Dad Family Night in February, 2007, featuring father involvement and early literacy enhancement as the main theme in a participatory fun-filled event highlighting the value of storytelling as an early literacy enhancement tool.  Also addressed in a lighthearted but informative manner were the numerous positive benefits of involved fatherhood generally, and the reasons dads matter so much in the early education of preschool children, specifically.  On the following day, Patrick Mitchell of The Down To Earth Dad conducted a daytime father involvement training for educators and practitioners connected to CAPCO Head Start in Cortland, New York.

Down To Earth Dad Addresses Arizona Policymakers, Practitioners

Patrick Mitchell provided the keynote address on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at the Arizona National Fatherhood and Families Conference in Phoenix, Arizona where more than 1,000 practitioners, educators, parents, and policy makers, including attendees from as far away as Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, and Pohnpei, Micronesia.  Mr. Mitchell rolled out a special new coaching program for fathers and programs, and he provided an afternoon workshop for attendees in addition to the keynote address.

Island of Rota Practitioners, Parents Get Down To Earth Dad Training

Patrick Mitchell traveled to the Northern Mariana Island of Rota in the South Pacific in January, 2007, to provide early childhood education professionals and parents with an interactive early literacy and male involvement training focusing on the vital role of significant males in children's lives generally, and the role of good men in early education, specifically. Rota is approximately 10.5 miles long and 3 miles wide with a 38 mile coastline encompassing an area of 33 square miles.

Saratoga Springs School in Up State New York Hosts 'Dad'

A New York State preschool program hosted Patrick Mitchell's popular Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement Down To Earth Dad "Storytelling Night" for parents and grandparents of children attending Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council Head Start.  The informative and entertaining evening occurred in mid March, 2007.  The teachers who interact with the children and parents at the school participated in a staff training event the following morning facilitated by, and featuring, Patrick Mitchell, who zeroed in on the reality that dads matter in children's lives in general, that fathers who participate in their child's education by supporting their child at school give their kids a leg up in the education process, and that by showing up at school and being visibly involved at during the school years, dads help their children achieve optimum academic results.

Patrick Mitchell Keynotes National MiAEYC Conference

Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell provided the keynote address, an additional large-group presentation, and a workshop at the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children (MiAEYC) annual conference in East Lansing, Michigan in March, 2007. The Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children is committed to improving the education and welfare of children from birth through age eight.  More than 3,800 early childhood educators, professionals and suppliers of children's services belong to MiAEYC in 17 affiliate chapters and three local chapters.

Prevent Child Abuse America Chapter Hosts Patrick Mitchell

Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, a chapter organization of Prevent Child Abuse America, asked Patrick Mitchell of The Down To Earth Dad to address attendees at the group's 29th Annual Statewide Conference to be held in downtown Indiana on May 7, 2007.   Mr. Mitchell provided two presentations on the topic of father involvement in children's lives, emphasizing the positive effects of father presence in support of the prevention of child abuse, and the reality that father absence may bring about a climate that is relatively conducive to child abuse.

California Human Services Agency Gets 'Dad' For Father's Day

Patrick Mitchell contributed to the Merced County, California Father's Day Conference on Saturday, June 9, 2007 by providing interactive workshops, by speaking to small and large groups of parents, and by way of various other dad and family involvement activities to celebrate involved fatherhood with the Merced Human Services Agency.

Tropical Island of Tinian Hosts Down To Earth Dad Event

Parents and early childhood educators on the Island of Tinian, one of 14 volcanic islands in a chain of Islands known as The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific Ocean, took part in a Down To Earth Dad training conducted by Patrick Mitchell in January, 2007, focusing on establishing and managing an effective father involvement and literacy enhancement program for children ages zero to five.  The Island of Tinian is approximately 11 miles long by 5 miles at its widest point and has a total area of 39.2 square miles and a coastline 38 miles in length. The Mariana Archipelago, which this island is part of, is the eastern boundary of the Philippine Sea.

Fresno Early Head Start Staff Get Patrick Mitchell Training

Approximately 35 Fresno County Early Head Start teachers and support staff participated in a Down To Earth Dad staff training September 14, 2006, exploring individual and collective attitudes and opinions about men generally, about fathers specifically, and reflecting upon the many ways fathers (and grandfathers) contribute to the cognitive, social, and emotional well being of children ages zero-to-three.  Special emphasis was placed on ways to get more men into the Early Head Start center, and how to beef up father involvement and literacy enhancement simultaneously.

Pueblo of Isleta Program Dads Group Greets Down To Earth Dad

Fathers connected to Pueblo of Isleta Head Start and Child Care Programs in New Mexico met with Patrick Mitchell for a special dad-and-grandfather-oriented family night event focusing on Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement by leveraging the oral language tradition.  Patrick Mitchell coached dads on a storytelling routine designed by Mr. Mitchell to enhance the bond fathers share with their children.  The interactive workshop also included the interviewing of Pueblo of Isleta men who are participating in a Mr. Mitchell's pet project, the Dads Matter! Project for child-and-family-serving programs nationwide.

National Indian Head Start Directors Association Invites Patrick Mitchell to Speak at Conference in Washington, DC

The Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell provided father involvement training for Native American Head Start Directors at the National Indian Head Start Directors Association Conference in Washington, D.C. June 20-23, 2006.  Patrick Mitchell showed directors how to manage an effective male involvement program that leverages the tremendous knowledge-base of Native American fathers and grandfathers. Techniques that enhance early literacy via the oral tradition, teach Tribal history, heritage, culture, and language -- via father involvement -- were presented in an entertaining, interactive format. The workshop revealed solid male recruitment and involvement strategies that Indian Head Start Program Directors can implement for fall, 2006.

Virginia Teachers, Families Get Down To Earth Dad Night Day

Petersburg Public Schools Head Start families, staff, and community partners invited Patrick Mitchell to provide his interactive "Family Night" presentation, titled, Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement, and his informative and entertaining "Staff Day" for program professionals and child-and-family advocates in August, 2006.  Both events zeroed in on the tremendous positive impact of involved fatherhood, grandfather-hood, and the value of other good men who take an active role in the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children, especially in the early years while children are enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start.

Choctaw Nation Program Features Down To Earth Dad Workshop

Patrick Mitchell provided an all-day father involvement training to Head Start and Early Head Start teachers from 13 learning centers in Southeastern Oklahoma on Wednesday, July 26, 2006.  The training, held at the Kiamichi Technical Center in Durant, Oklahoma, showcased father involvement concepts, principles, and implementation strategies for the approximately teachers present.  Center  

Texas Elementary School Hosts Patrick Mitchell Trainings

Colonial Heights Elementary School in Brownfield, Texas, will host a special Down To Earth Dad event featuring Patrick Mitchell for two interactive events in August.  Patrick will conduct his popular Family Night event for elementary school parents, family, and extended family members in the evening, and he will provide an entertaining fact-filled training for Pre-K teaching staff, and elementary school teachers, the following day.  Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell will provide interactive elements of his popular Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement presentation for parents, and will share strategies for teachers to boost student performance and enjoyment of school via father involvement at school.

Arizona Tribal Governments Reserve Down To Earth Dad Day

Patrick Mitchell will provide two three-hour interactive training sessions for approximately 160 Western Arizona Council of Governments Head Start staff and community partners in August, 2006.  The council's mission is to stimulate, promote, and develop human, natural, social, and economic resources to their fullest potential in La Paz, Mohave and Yuma Counties. Mr. Mitchell's training will focus primarily on the many ways fathers and grandfathers enhance the early development of children, and secondarily how father involvement in the early years enhances children's social, emotional, and educational growth in grade school, middle school, and high school.

Cheyenne River Sioux Invite Patrick Mitchell to South Dakota

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Head Start Program in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, invited Patrick Mitchell to conduct a Family Night presentation for fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and siblings connected to children enrolled in the Head Start program in April, 2006.  The event for families emphasized the important role of fathers and grandfathers in children's lives, especially with respect to early literacy enhancement via the Oral Language Tradition and other means, and the importance of significant male involvement in children's early lives.  Additionally, Mr. Mitchell provided an interactive Staff Day training event for program staff and community partners.

Illinois Head Start Families Get Patrick Mitchell Presentations

Patrick Mitchell will provide a Family Night -- called a "Fun Night" by his host,  West Central Community Services Head Start in Monmouth, Illinois -- for 200 families on Thursday, March 30, 2006.  This event will be for dads, moms, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings connected to Head Start children.  Then, the following day, Patrick will conduct humorous and informative staff training for Head Start professionals and community partners.  A variety of topics will be presented, and special emphasis will be placed on the topic, "Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement."  Participants in both the Family Night and Staff Day events will experience an especially entertaining "storytelling" activity facilitated by Mr. Mitchell.

Montana Tribal Program Reserves Down To Earth Dad Training

Fort Belknap Head Start staff and parents attended Patrick Mitchell's Staff Day and Family Night events February 22 and 23, 2006 in Harlem, Montana located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in North Central Montana near the Canadian border.  The area is home to two tribes, the Gros Ventres, or A'aninin, and the Nakoda People, or Assiniboine.  The Staff Day event provided Head Start and child care program staff with tools to reach out to men in the program and in the community and get them more involved, and the family Night emphasized the vital role men play in children's lives, the importance of early literacy enhancement, and how to combine father involvement and literacy enhancement for the early educational benefit of children.  Both events were humorous, interactive, and provided useful information and the tools to implement father recruitment and involvement strategies.

New York Head Start Professionals, Parents Get Dad Training

Lewis County Head Start in Upstate New York invited Patrick Mitchell to provide a Family Day event for parents and grandparents, and a Staff Day event for Head Start staff and community partners.  Both events  emphasized the important role of fathers and grandfathers in children's lives and focused on parental involvement with respect to early literacy enhancement.  A host of father involvement topics were explored in an entertaining and informative manner at the events which occurred in Lowville, New York, January 26 and 27, 2006.  The Village of Lowville lies in the Black River Valley between the foothills of the Adirondacks and the Tug Hill Plateau.

Kansas Head Start Program Reserves Down To Earth Dad Events

Patrick Mitchell provided interactive father involvement trainings for staff and families connected to Hartland Programs Head Start in Salina, Kansas in February, 2006.  Parents and extended family members were empowered to reach out to the children they care for with confidence that father and grandfather involvement is vital, obtainable, and essential especially during the early years.  Mr. Mitchell shared father involvement strategies with Head Start professionals from throughout the State of Kansas, with a special emphasis on helping Head Start programs enhance early literacy and father involvement simultaneously.  Participants learned how to reach out more effectively to the men connected to Head Start children in order to get them more involved in the program, and at home.   

Colorado Programs Book Patrick Mitchell for Special Events

Head Start and Early Head Start programs in and near Brush, Colorado, invited Patrick Mitchell to provide Family Nights and Staff Days for families, teachers, and community partners on the topic of father involvement generally, and father involvement and literacy enhancement, specifically.  Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who attended the family events celebrated involved fatherhood and grand-fatherhood, and learned a storytelling method to enhance the early literacy of the children they care for.  Program professionals and community practitioners learned to reach out more effectively to men to get them more involved in programs like Head Start, and in other ways to positively impact their children's early development and success in preschool and the school years.

Wyoming Program Hosts Patrick Mitchell Trainings

Patrick Mitchell conducted an evening event for families and extended family members in Cheyenne, Wyoming in January, 2006, and he also provided comprehensive father involvement training for the Laramie County Head Start staff in the same city.  Patrick addressed a variety of father involvement topics in an entertaining, informative, and interactive format.  Topics covered included some Down To Earth Dad trademark favorites, including The History of Dads, The Power of Play, Quantity Time, Fathers and Daughters, Fathers and Sons, The Academics of Fatherhood, Getting Dads Involved at School, and Community Fathers.  Additionally, recruitment methods for getting fathers, grandfathers, and uncles through the front door of the Head Start program were provided.

Down To Earth Dad Trains Tribal Program Staff and Parents

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Head Start program in northwest Oregon asked Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell to share insights and inspiration on the topic of father, grandfather, and uncle involvement in Head Start and other Tribal programs relative to enhancing positive early education and life experiences and outcomes for children with regard to cognitive, social, and emotional development.  Special emphasis was given to the topic of father involvement and literacy enhancement.  The Head Start program is implementing the Dads Matter! Project to celebrate involved fatherhood in the program and community.

Minnesota Child Agency Books Patrick Mitchell Trainings

Patrick Mitchell provided interactive male involvement trainings to families, community partners, educators, and community professionals assembled at Kootasca Community Action Head Start in Grand Rapids, Minnesota during two special events -- a Family Night, and a Staff Day training the week of October 13, 2005.  Mr. Mitchell brought years of father involvement, staff development, and parent training experience to these important events.  Staff recommitted themselves to getting, and keeping, men more meaningfully involved in the lives of the children served by, and within the community of, Kootasca Community Action Head Start.

Patrick Mitchell Keynotes Washington State Title I Conference 

Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell keynoted the Clarkston School District Title One conference in an address entitled, "Family Relationships" which focused on the vital role of fathers on October 2, 2005.  He also presented three one-hour breakout sessions on the topic of fatherhood and literacy enhancement.  The State of Washington aspires to high academic content standards in mathematics and reading/language arts, and in science.  Research shows that fathers play a vital role in how well their children do in school.  Patrick Mitchell addressed the reasons why fathers matter so much academically, socially, and emotionally to their children, and he noted the negative effects of father absence, the positive effects of father presence, and he shared research, insights, and enthusiasm for the reality that the role of fathers is vital in children's lives.

Northern Minnesota School Invites Down To Earth Dad To Town

The Grand Portage Head Start program, serving Northern Minnesota families, invited Patrick Mitchell to provide a special event for  parents of preschool children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and caring family friends.  Patrick focused on early literacy enhancement with the family and extended family members, and he trained program staff on the value of, and strategies to bring about, increased male involvement in children's lives for the benefit of children's educational, emotional, and social well-being.  Mr. Mitchell provided two days of interactive trainings for families and program staff.

Montana Head Start Program Reserves The Down To Earth Dad

Patrick Mitchell provided Family Night and Staff Day father involvement events for Great Falls, Montana dads, moms, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and early childhood educators in August, 2005.  The events coincide with the program's annual pre-service training.  Topics to include Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement and facts and interaction focusing on the  tremendous benefits children reap when good men are involved in their lives.

Tribal School District Invites 'Dad' To Trainings and Powwow

The Hays/Lodgepole School District has invited Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell to return to the home of the Gros Ventres and Assiniboine Tribes for a third time to continue work with Dads and Moms in Tribal families, and with educators and practitioners in the communities that comprise the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.  These encore trainings occurred in mid-August, 2005, and coincided with the Hays Powwow, and celebrated the history, heritage, and culture of the native people of North Central Montana.  Mr. Mitchell facilitated storytelling during his Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement workshop for educators at Hays High School, and he coordinated and facilitated storytelling at the powwow.

Louisiana School Board Program Reserves Down To Earth Dad Events

St. John Parish School Board Head Start Program in Reserve, Louisiana, hosted Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell for a Family Night event focusing on father involvement and literacy enhancement on Thursday, April 28, 2005.  Mr. Mitchell also provided a staff training event for teachers and community partners on the topic of father, grandfather, and uncle involvement in early education programs on Friday, April 29.  Topics for the Staff Day included elements of Patrick Mitchell's History of Dads, Power of Play, Quantity Time, Fathers and Daughters, Fathers and Sons, Academics of Fatherhood, Getting Dads Involved at School, and Community Fathers workshops.

Virginia Head Start Program Hosts Patrick Mitchell Events

The Northern Neck Head Start Program in Tappahannock, Virginia, brought Patrick Mitchell to town to facilitate Family Night and Staff Day events for families and professionals across five counties and from seven early education classrooms.  A literacy enhancement method was taught to parents and community partners and program staff and professionals were trained on how to get more men -- primarily dads, grandpas, and uncles -- more meaningfully involved in the early education and social and emotional development of children connected to Virginia child-and-family serving programs generally, and the Northern Neck Head Start Program specifically.

Oklahoma Community Head Start Reserves Down To Earth Dad Training

An early childhood education program in Atoka, Oklahoma invited Patrick Mitchell to provide a daylong interactive father involvement training for educators and practitioners who serve children and families across several Oklahoma counties, and to host a special event for families as well, in March, 2005.

Northern Montana Head Start Slates Staff Training, Family Night

The North Central Montana Head Start program, based in Havre, Montana and serving Native American families in rural communities, hosted Patrick Mitchell, who conducted a Down To Earth Dad Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement workshop on Thursday, March 31, 2005, for family and extended family members connected to Head Start children.  Additionally, Patrick Mitchell provided a daylong workshop for Head Start staff and Havre-area community partners, school district officials, educators, child-and-family advocacy program representatives, and practitioners on Friday, April 1, 2005.

Washington Training Consortium Spotlights The Down To Earth Dad

The Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP Programs and Statewide Training invited Patrick Mitchell of The Down To Earth Dad, to provide father involvement training to State of Washington educators, Head Start teachers, policy council members, State of Washington legislators and parents at a statewide staff and practitioner training event Thursday, April 21, 2005 in Tukwila, Washington.  In addition to covering a host of father involvement topics relative to enhancing early literacy and the social, emotional, and educational development of preschool children, Mr. Mitchell emphasized the tremendous benefits associated with father presence in children's lives and addressed the increased risk for negative outcomes associated with father absence in the early years.

West Virginia Head Start Reserves Down To Earth Dad Events

Mingo County EOC Head Start in Williamson, West Virginia, invited Patrick Mitchell to train program staff and community partners on the importance of father involvement generally, and to share his knowledge and expertise about ways educators, practitioners, and communities can reach out and involve more fathers, grandfathers, and uncles in young children's lives, specifically.  The staff training event took place during the day on Thursday, January 20, 2005, and Mr. Mitchell conducted a separate event just for families on the evening of the same day.

Patrick Mitchell Becomes University of Alaska Adjunct Faculty

In addition to keynoting the 2005 Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference, Perspectives and Snapshots: Focus on Kids Learning, Mr. Mitchell conducted two 90-minute breakout sessions and, as an adjunct faculty member with the University of Alaska, he taught a two-day credit course at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel February 21-23, 2005.  Educators and parents attending Mr. Mitchell's keynote, breakout sessions, and credit class reported becoming more acutely aware of the tremendous positive impact fathers can have on the educational, social, and emotional development of all their children, whether they have special needs or not. Participants came to appreciate the enhanced, measurable academic outcomes that are connected to the occurrence of fathers becoming more actively involved in their children's education generally, and becoming actively involved at their children's school, specifically. National and local Alaskan parents, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, educators, practitioners, and others presented on a variety of special education related topics at the conference such as behavior interventions, self determination, interventions for students with learning disabilities, and teaching students with low incidence disabilities.

Montana Early Childhood Program Hosts Down To Earth Dad Events

The Families in Partnership Early Head Start Program in Libby, Montana, hosted a Down To Earth Dad Night Thursday, January 6, 2005, featuring Patrick Mitchell's interactive Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement workshop for programs, educators, families, and communities.  Additionally, Mr. Mitchell conducted a father involvement training for Families In Partnership Early Head Start during the day on Friday, January 7.

Idaho Child Care Conference Spotlights Patrick Mitchell Message

The Down To Earth Dad addressed educators and practitioners attending the Early Years: Critical Years For Idaho's Children conference at the Boise Centre on the Grove November 16, 2004.  Patrick Mitchell's interactive Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement presentation was was geared to getting Dads more involved in the early literacy picture in child care settings and at home.  The conference was sponsored by the Idaho Department of Health.

Oglala Sioux Tribe Invites Patrick Mitchell to Tribal Men's Retreat

Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell provided an interactive father involvement workshop for parents, educators, and community partners connected to the Oglala Sioux and Lakota Sioux Tribe Child Care and Development Programs and community partners at a special Men's Retreat held for Pine Ridge-area South Dakota fathers, grandfathers, uncles, moms, grandmas, aunts, and practitioners on Friday, October 29, 2004.  Mr. Mitchell's interactive workshop, which was repeated several times during the day to accommodate demand, focused on father involvement and literacy enhancement, illustrating how storytelling Down To Earth Dad style enhances the literacy of children while simultaneously providing the opportunity to share the history, heritage, culture, and language of a people.

New Mexico Tribal Program Books Down To Earth Dad

The Pueblo of Isleta Head Start and Child Care Program of Isleta, New Mexico, invited Patrick Mitchell to conduct a daytime father involvement training for staff and a subsequent evening male involvement workshop for families in December, 2004.  Mr. Mitchell's interactive evening event took place for fathers, grandfathers, and uncles, and welcomed mothers, grandmothers, aunts as well.  Patrick Mitchell shared information focusing on father involvement in the early years, during the daytime training event for staff, and during and evening Down To Earth Dad event.  The Pueblo of Isleta Head Start and Child Care Program utilizes the Dads Matter! Project to involve and recruit fathers to become more involved at their local Head Start program.

Arizona Tribal Program Reserves Patrick Mitchell Training Event

The Hualapai Tribe, in conjunction with the Hualapai Tribal Head Start program in Peach Springs, Arizona, invited Patrick Mitchell to provide an interactive father involvement presentation for most of an all-day father involvement summit in November, 2004.  Sharing his father involvement expertise with early education and child care program professionals, and with parents and community members, Mr. Mitchell emphasized the message that Dads matter to children's educational, social, and emotional development and life success.  The Down To Earth Dad addressed a variety of father involvement topics in an entertaining, informative, and interactive way during the day, and in the evening, he conducted a separate Family Night event focusing primarily on storytelling as a tool for Dads, grandpas, uncles, Moms, grandmas, and aunts to build strong bonds with the children they care for while sharing their personal history, heritage and culture -- with their own children and with children in their community.  The Hualapai live on a reservation encompassing a million acres along 108 miles of the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon.

Patrick Mitchell Keynotes Regional Tribal Child Care Conference

Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell provided the opening keynote address at the Bi-Regional Tribal Child Care Conference Promoting Health, Wellness, and Prevention in Tribal Child Care Communities held in Albuquerque, New Mexico September 14-16, 2004.  Tribal childcare program directors and specialists from 11 states across ACF Regions VI & VIII attended the conference sponsored by the Child Care Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Washington, D.C.

Patrick Mitchell addresses National Head Start Conference 

The U.S. Head Start Bureau in Washington, D.C., Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, invited Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell to address Head Start administrators, program directors, family involvement specialists, and parents from through out the nation at The Father Factor: National Head Start Institute on Father Involvement in Dallas, Texas in June, 2004.  Mr. Mitchell's interactive presentation affirmed the invaluable contributions that fathers can make to the well-being of children, and implored professionals to leverage specific "Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement" techniques in Head Start programs and early education and child care settings. 

Montana School District Invites 'Dad' Back To Fort Belknap

The Gros-Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes of North Central Montana invited Patrick Mitchell back to Fort Belknap to conduct an encore presentation of his father involvement training, this time providing a two-day Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement workshop for Hays/Lodgepole School District No. 50 educators and parents. Mr. Mitchell conducted Day One of the interactive workshop at Hays High School, and Day Two at the powwow grounds in Mission Canyon during the annual Hays Powwow held August 13-15, 2004. Dozens of teachers, parents, children, and members of the Gros-Ventre and Assiniboine tribes participated in storytelling down to earth dad style in the oral language tradition inside an 18-foot diameter tee pee set up by Gros-Ventres Language Specialist Terry Brockie and Assiniboine Linguist Kenneth ("Tuffy") Helgeson.  The Down To Earth Dad workshop, and the interactive activities facilitated by Mr. Mitchell at the powwow, emphasized storytelling as a tool for families, programs, and communities to involve f athers, enhance early literacy, and teach history, culture, heritage, and Native language.  Following these Down To Earth Dad workshops, the Hays/Lodgepole School District deployed The Down To Earth Dad Dads Matter! Project for school district families. 

Missouri Head Start Hosts Patrick Mitchell Pre-Service Training

The Down To Earth Dad provided a full day of father involvement training to pep up the staff at Douglass Community Services Head Start in Hannibal, Missouri and send them into the new school year raring and ready to get fathers involved Fatherhood and Parent Leadership Specialist Cory Combs put the event together, inviting Patrick Mitchell and requesting that he conduct his Father Involvement Via Storytelling workshop in the evening for fathers and families, and a daytime staff development training for 120 Head Start teachers, practitioners, and community partners. Topics covered included some Down To Earth Dad trademark favorites, including The History of Dads, The Power of Play, Quantity Time, Fathers and Daughters, Fathers and Sons, The Academics of Fatherhood/Getting Dads Involved at School, and Community Fathers.  Additionally, recruitment methods for getting fathers, grandfathers, and uncles through the front door of their local Head Start program, and a slew of entertaining and touching audio-visuals, were shared.

Pacific Northwest Child Care Team Hears Down To Earth Dad  

Patrick Mitchell conducted an interactive father involvement presentation at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Washington in September 2004 for approximately 100 Skagit/Islands Head Start educators, staff, care providers, practitioners, and community partners.  The Head Start program serves 431 children and families in Skagit, Island, and San Juan counties in beautiful Washington State. Mr. Mitchell shared numerous father involvement strategies, and presented specific methods educators, practitioners, and parents can employ to leverage the huge positive impact of fathers in the arena of early literacy enhancement.

Family Literacy Program Embraces Storytelling Method

The Even Start Family Literacy Program in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho invited Patrick Mitchell to share his interactive Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement workshop, including the storytelling method he has taught to educators, practitioners and parents for six years, at the Harding Family Center in August 2004. Mr. Mitchell's dual objective for the evening event for families and professionals was to get fathers more involved with their children and simultaneously set in motion a nightly system of storytelling in the oral language tradition to enhance early literacy at the homes of participating families.  This objective was remarkably compatible with Even Start's over-arching goal to have interactive literacy activities take place between parents and their children in the spirit of recognizing that parents are the primary teachers of their preschool children.

Wisconsin College and Head Start Host Patrick Mitchell

Dads, grandpas, uncles, moms, grandmas, aunts, and children participated in an entertaining and informative father involvement and literacy enhancement training provided by Patrick Mitchell, The Down To Earth Dad, at Nicolet College in Rhinelander, Wisconsin the evening of June 2, 2004. Additionally, teachers, child care providers, school district administrators, community partners, representatives from local churches, and state and local child-and-family case workers attended Mr. Mitchell's Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement in-service training the very next day.  Both events were sponsored by Family and Child Learning Centers of Northeast Wisconsin, Nicolet College, and United Way.

Washington Child Advocacy Program Gets Patrick Mitchell Training 

Tri-Cities, Washington area dads, uncles, grandfathers, practitioners, and Head Start staff gathered Wednesday, January 14, 2004 during the day, and again during the evening to hear Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell address a range of father involvement topics.  Child advocacy program staff, community partners, and parents from Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland participated in the interactive workshop.  Mr. Mitchell assisted attendees in reaching out to children, and in reaching out to good men to help them interact more meaningfully with children.   The Down To Earth Dad emphasized that kids need dads, and he provided tools to to help fathers, grandfathers, and uncles better shape kids' social, emotional, and educational development. Both events were sponsored by Catholic Family and Child Service of Pasco, Washington. 

Tribal Families Gather for Down To Earth! Dad Night 

Following the great success of the recent Storytelling Night at Children of the Sun Head Start on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State in December, Patrick Mitchell returned in January, 2004, to conduct his interactive Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement workshop on a larger scale, this time involving dozens of families, extended families, educators, practitioners, and community partners.  The event acquainted participants with children's preschool learning needs, and special emphasis was placed on involving fathers, grandfathers, and uncles in the early literacy enhancement of preschool children.  In addition to providing key information and facilitating the telling, transcribing, and illustrating of true stories of living Tribal members' lives, Mr. Mitchell worked closely with Tribal Elder and Salish Language Expert and Lecturer Merle Andrew.  Tribal history was brought to life in a Coyote Story passed down through the Salish Oral Tradition.  Mr. Mitchell sought to motivate parents and practitioners to help preschool children become aware of, and practice, the basic building blocks of language in light of the reality that these building blocks are essential in meeting preschool children's emergent literacy needs; specifically, that oral language, written language, and reading are all ways of experiencing language and discerning meaning in school and in life. 

Patrick Mitchell Keynotes National Child Care Conference in Texas  

Patrick Mitchell addressed the Ninth National American Indian and Alaska Native Child Care Conference in San Antonio on May 7, 2003, speaking to 400 child care directors from throughout the nation who seek to develop an early learning strategy for Tribes that incorporates unique tribal cultural and language components into President Bush's Good Start, Grow Smart initiative.  The Down To Earth Dad provided a morning workshop on the topic of father involvement and literacy enhancement, and he spoke to the entire assembly during his Plenary Address, seeking to instill a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, the enormous potential awaiting programs, communities, and families who invite fathers, grandfathers, and uncles to become more meaningfully involved in children's lives in early childhood education and child care settings and at home, particularly in the area of early literacy development.  The theme of the national conference, sponsored by the Child Care Bureau in Washington, D.C., was "Strengthening the Foundations for Early Learning in Tribal Child Care Settings." 

Patrick Mitchell Brings Storytelling Night to Tribal Families    

The Down To Earth Dad provided an interactive early literacy w orkshop, including storytelling down to earth dad style for parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and children on Thursday, December 4, 2003, at Children of the Sun Head Start in Wellpinit, Washington on the Spokane Indian Reservation.  Mr. Mitchell's Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement presentation emphasized the important role fathers, grandfathers, and uncles play historically, and in the present day with respect to the early literacy development of young children.

Down To Earth Dad Founder Keynotes Montana Foster Parents Conference

Patrick Mitchell provided the opening keynote address for the Montana Foster Parent Association annual conference on Saturday, October 11, 2003, at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish, Montana.  Foster and adoptive parents, and State and local practitioners and child-and-family advocates attended the two-day conference at which Patrick Mitchell inspired attendees to embrace, and act upon, the reality that fathers matter supremely to children, and that foster parents in particular can make a huge difference in children's lives.   

Ohio Educational Service Center Hosts Patrick Mitchell Presentation

Butler County Educational Service Center teachers and parents interacted with Patrick Mitchell at a special training event featuring The Down To Earth Dad at their Fairfield, Ohio program headquarters in October,2003. Patrick Mitchell's presentation showcased ways practitioners can encourage greater father/"significant male" involvement in the lives of children, and ways dads and moms can build strong bonds with their kids and maximize the positive influence they have in their lives.

Montana Tribes Get Down To Earth Dad Workshop  

Patrick Mitchell provided a daylong, interactive Down To Earth Dad workshop for Fort Belknap Indian Community child care staff and parents in October, 2003. The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, located in North Central Montana near the Canadian border, is home to two tribes, the Gros Ventre, or A'aninin, and the Nakoda People, or Assiniboine tribe.  The goal of the workshop was to increase father involvement generally, and to zero in on father involvement and literacy enhancement specifically. Patrick Mitchell shared strategies for Fort Belknap Childcare Development Program professionals to give fathers, grandfathers, and uncles tools to become more actively involved in young children's cognitive, social, emotional, and educational development.

Down To Earth Dad Trains Washington Staff and Parents

The Benton Franklin Head Start Program in Richland, Washington, has reserved Patrick Mitchell, founder of The Down To Earth Dad, for a day of staff, policy council, and community partner outreach and training on the topic of father involvement and literacy enhancement, and on the importance of getting and keeping dads, grandpas, uncles, and other good men involved in children's lives for a variety of important reasons. Customized workshops will take place at the Richland Center on September, 11, 2003.

Spokane Tribe Hosts Down To Earth Dad Night 

Patrick Mitchell conducted an interactive, entertaining workshop for parents and child care professionals on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 at the Children of the Sun Head Start Center in Wellpinit, Washington on the Spokane Indian Reservation.  Mr. Mitchell's Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement presentation emphasized the important role that fathers, grandfathers, and uncles play in the early literacy development of children ages five and under.  

California Human Services Agency Features Patrick Mitchell

The San Mateo County Human Services Agency invited Patrick Mitchell to provide an interactive workshop for practitioners and parents to give child care social workers tools to get fathers and father-figures more involved in their case plans, and to give parents tools to build stronger bonds with their kids.  Patrick Mitchell's presentation at Mt. Alverno Conference Center in Redwood City, California on Friday, May 30, from 9:30 a.m. to Noon, showcased ways practitioners can encourage greater father and father-figure involvement in the lives of children, and ways dads and moms can maximize the positive influence they have in their kids' lives. Elements of Mr. Mitchell's Dad Factor, and Secrets of Successful Parents were included in the presentation to a diverse audience of practitioners, para-natal professionals, child care social workers, and parents. 

Patrick Mitchell Keynotes Upstate New York Banquet

Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell provided the keynote address at the Family Enrichment Network's 25th Anniversary Celebration in Binghamton, New York in June 2003, addressing parents, community members, Network staff, teachers, and representatives for New York human services agencies on the topic of creating and maintaining father-friendly environments at child-and-family advocacy programs, and how to get and keep good men involved in children's lives.

Confederated Tribes of Oregon Hear Father Involvement Message 

Patrick Mitchell provided afternoon and evening father involvement training for Head Start staff, parents, and area practitioners in Grand Ronde, Oregon on Thursday, April 3, 2003.  The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, consisting of the Rogue River, Umpqua, Chasta, Kalapuya, Molalla, Salmon River, Tillamook, and Nestucca Tribes and bands of Western Oregon and Northern California, invited Mr. Mitchell to share his insights and recommendations on the topic of getting dads, grandfathers, and uncles more involved in the lives of children ages 3-5.  The Down To Earth Dad topics covered included The Power of Play, Quantity Time, Storytelling, Problem Solving, Community Fathers, and Getting Involved At School in this interactive male involvement training.

Tribal Head Start Program Gets Down To Earth Dad Training

Patrick Mitchell provided an interactive male involvement training for Spokane Tribal Head Start practitioners and parents in Wellpinit, Washington on Friday, March 14, 2003.  Topics addressed included strategies for greater involvement of dads, grandfathers, and uncles in the lives of children ages 3-5. Program staff, Moms, children, Dads, grandfathers, uncles, and community partners participated.

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Dads and Grandfathers Featured

The children of the Great Sioux Nation, like children everywhere, need good men in their lives, including fathers, grandfathers, and uncles.  The Down To Earth Dad Dads Matter! Project has generated such great enthusiasm that program coordinators at the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Head Start program in North Dakota are lining up more than the originally-proposed one dad per month to be interviewed in conjunction with the project each month.  Patrick Mitchell of The Down To Earth Dad is reaching out to American Indian Head Start and child care programs across the country with the message that children ages 0 - 5 need dads (and grandfathers, uncles, and other good men!) in their lives.  The Dads Matter! Project seeks to include several American Indian Head Start programs in a collaborative father involvement effort in 2004.

Philadelphia Preschool Invites Patrick Mitchell to Pancake Breakfast

Patrick Mitchell was the guest speaker and provider of male-recruitment assistance at a special event for fathers, grandfathers, uncles, stepfathers, and other men connected to North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania children families on Saturday, November 2, 2002 at the community center located at 10th and Wallace streets.  This outreach and recruitment effort on behalf of Philadelphia Housing Authority Head Start sought to get more good men more involved in children's lives in and around the neighborhoods served by North Philadelphia Head Start programs.  

Pennsylvania Head Start Gets Two-Day Down To Earth Dad Training 

Philadelphia Housing Authority Head Start received two days of Down To Earth Dad Male Involvement Training by Down To Earth Dad Founder Patrick Mitchell on Thursday, October 17, and Friday, October 18, 2002 at the North Philadelphia agency's St. Paul's Church Center located at 10th and Wallace streets.  The staff is making a move toward providing more father-friendly services to the fathers, grandfathers, uncles, stepfathers, and other good men who can have a tremendous positive influence in the lives of children ages 3-5, and Mr. Mitchell provided professional assistance in that endeavor.  The Philadelphia Housing Authority Head Start program has implemented the Dads Matter! Project as a tool to reach out to North Philadelphia families and community partners. 

Washington Childhood Program Gets Patrick Mitchell Training

Lewis-Clark Early Childhood Program (LCECP) of Clarkston, Washington, reached out to teachers and child-and-family advocates across seven Washington and Idaho counties by providing a day of Father Involvement and Literacy Enhancement training featuring Patrick Mitchell on Monday, November 11, 2002.  Mr. Mitchell provided a morning presentation on the topic of male involvement and literacy enhancement in early childhood education. 

Down To Earth Dad Conducts California Pre-Service Training

Patrick Mitchell provided the opening keynote address at the annual Stanislaus County Office of Education Pre-Service training in Modesto, California, in August 2002, addressing State of California Registered Nurses, health aides, family service workers, state instructional staff including permit teachers and instructional aides, and Head Start/Early Head Start site supervisors, program managers, and parents.  Mr. Mitchell's interactive keynote address  emphasized the importance of fathers and father figures to children and families and to the programs and practitioners serving them.

Anaheim Conference Features Patrick Mitchell Keynote Address

Patrick Mitchell will speak at the California State Training Conference in Anaheim, California in October, 2002, providing the opening keynote address for State of California practitioners, foster and adoptive parents, psychologists, social workers, and other child-and-family advocates.

Patrick Mitchell Keynotes National Conference in Las Vegas

Down To Earth Dad Speaks at Lewis and Clark State College

Patrick Mitchell, The Down To Earth Dad, provided mentoring, motivation and support for parents and professionals invited to attend the Lewis-Clark Early Childhood Program Parent Conference at Williams Conference Center at Lewis and Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho in May, 2002.

Orange County Social Services Hosts Patrick at Annual Conference

Cybil Shepherd Hosts Down To Earth Dad on National Television Show

Patrick Mitchell joined Cybil Shepherd and Micky Dolenz (from the band, "The Monkees"), and Micky's daughter, Ami, in a nationally televised discussion about a father's role in the life of his daughter on the Fathers and Daughters edition of Cybil's talk show, MEN ARE FROM MARS, Women Are From Venus. The hour-long show, filmed in a Hollywood studio before a live audience, aired Wednesday, October 4.

Patrick Mitchell is Banquet Master of Ceremonies in Colorado

Down To Earth Dad Trains Utah Head Start Practitioners

Patrick Mitchell provided full day of in-service training for Davis County Head Start teachers, program coordinators and staff at the Family Enrichment Center in Kaysville, Utah in May, 2001. Strategies for getting good men involved in the lives of children were addressed, and significant topics relating to parenthood and child-and-family advocacy were explored in an entertaining and informative manner. Patrick Mitchell is a consultant for Region VIII Head Start. See testimonials from this event.

Oregon Foster Parents Association Hosts Patrick Mitchell

Patrick Mitchell delivered the Keynote Address at a special banquet to celebrate the need for fathers in every day life in Albany, Oregon on Friday, March 9, 2001. Foster fathers and their spouses gathered for the celebration dinner from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. The Oregon Foster Parents Association (OFPA), in conjunction with Linn County and Benton County foster parents programs, sponsored the event.

Down To Earth Dad Founder Keynotes Albany Conference

Patrick Mitchell provided the Keynote Address at the Family Resource Fair at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Oregon on Saturday, March 10, 2001. The special event for parents in Albany, Eugene, and the Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District explored creative ways moms and dads can maximize the positive influence they have in their kids' lives. The Down To Earth Dad challenged dads "to stay involved and reach out to other kids who could really use a good man, and he challenged single moms "...to get some good men involved in the lives of your children. I challenge you to go out and connect your children with good men and continue to be the great parents that you are." In a feature article appearing in the Mid-Valley Sunday edition of the Albany Democrat Herald newspaper, Education Editor Jennifer Moody recapped Mr. Mitchell's speech by suggested that it was filled with good information and humor, and said, "...Mitchell sprinkled his discussion with musical and visual examples of how our culture views fatherhood ...and left most of the nearly 200 people in the audience in tears...."

New York Foster / Adoptive Parents Hear Patrick Mitchell Message

Down To Earth Dad Founder Trains Colorado Dads, Care Providers

Children's Aid Society Gets Patrick Mitchell Training in Manhattan

Patrick Mitchell Speaks at Montana Governor's Conference

Patrick Mitchell Addresses Idaho Practitioners and Parents

Patrick Mitchell Keynotes Teen Parent Conference in Washington

 'Bringing Baby Home' Series Focuses on Fathers

Patrick Mitchell provided the father-oriented elements of a comprehensive series of bimonthly workshops sponsored by Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for new Dads. Patrick conducted his interactive parenting sessions for fathers (and mothers) in February, April, and June of 2001. The "Bringing Baby Home" series combines elements of The Down To Earth Dad's Storytelling, Power of Play, A Father's Magic Touch; and Quantity Time workshops, and features ways new fathers can get involved and stay involved in the lives of their children.

Panel Discussion Addresses Parent/Child Relationships

College Classes Air Male Involvement Message

Patrick Mitchell Conducts 'Power of Play' Workshop

Children learn from their fathers how to "socialize their natural aggression" and to play fair. According to Dr. Stephen J. Suomi, a leading researcher at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Maryland, U.S.A, children who don't learn how to play correctly may be shunned by other kids later in life.

"Kids Need Dads" Workshop Held in Coeur d'Alene

Quantity + Quantity + Quantity = Quality

 Dad Takes to the Airwaves

Patrick Mitchell has been featured in various media throughout the country, including a national television talk show hosted by Cybil Shepherd, The Chicago Tribune, KREM 2 Television Nightly News, The Spokesman Review, KVNI AM 1080 radio, The Idaho Press Tribune, WBEV 1430 AM in Beaverdam, Wisconsin; The Albany Democrat Herald, WMRH 1170 AM in Waupun, Wisconsin; KUDY Radio in Idaho, The Lewiston Morning Tribune, KOOL 109.9 Radio in Sacramento, WTTN 1580 AM in Watertown, Wisconsin; KSPT AM 1400 in Sandpoint, Idaho; WSDL 98.9 FM in Naples, Florida, and News Radio 1120 AM KXLY in Spokane, Washington.