Who are Watch D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students)?

WATCH D.O.G.S.® is a national initiative founded in 1998 to inspire more positive male role models to show all students by our participation that education is important.  The program has been launched on over 8000 campuses through collaboration between school administrators and local communities across 47 States in the U.S. and four countries worldwide, representing millions of volunteer shifts by parents, guardians and community members.

 

WatchDOGS are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer at an official WATCH D.O.G.S.® school. During the day, WatchDOGS may read and work on flash cards with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, watch the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their own students, but other students as well. On the day of their participation, WatchDOGS are given a brief review of their involvement and they wear an official WATCH D.O.G.S. t-shirt with a disposable ‘Dog Tag’ identifying them as WatchDOGS.

There are 2 primary goals of the WATCH D.O.G.S. program:

  1. To provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important.
  2. To provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security and reduce bullying.