To help district parents, Newman Crows-Landing Unified School District hosted the fourth annual father’s conference event at Yolo Middle School last Saturday.

The event focuses on teaching fathers to understand the importance of their presence through this day in age. This year’s theme was navigating fatherhood through the 21st Century. Throughout the event, four topics were discussed: preparing kids for the future, co-parenting and partnership, the evolving role of fathers and digital age parenting. Additionally, there was a bonus topic that focused on men upbringing one another through mentorship.

More than 20 attendees were at Saturday’s event. A headset was provided for non-English speaking individuals to listen to presentations with through a translator. This stood out to Eduardo Davila, a counselor at Yolo Middle and the event’s founder, who said seeing the individuals attending despite a language barrier reminded him of his dad, who didn’t speak English.

“I think about my dad not knowing [how] to speak English and him not wanting to attend [events] because there were no translators,” Davila said. “Having that technology and letting them know, ‘Like hey, we have this in place, you’re going to have somebody that’s going to transmit whatever’s being said in your native language.’ So there’s no excuse.”  

The conference began with a keynote address from Jason Maggard, the chief of staff for Stanislaus County Office of Education. Maggard spoke about various topics that parents should know about such as mental health, building healthy habits with their children and monitoring social media accounts.

“This isn’t an anti-technology conversation. This is to bring awareness so we know what is happening in our own homes  ” Maggard said.

He shared his childhood experience of playing at the playgrounds until dawn, something that he feels has become a bygone when visiting nearby parks. “We’re not seeing that anymore. In Turlock in my community, I can tell you that I’m not seeing that,” he said.

Following Maggard’s address, Hugh Costa, head coach for Orestimba High’s boys varsity volleyball team, asked if a class was offered to teachers and parents to help understand a child’s screen time. Maggard said there isn’t a class addressing that topic, but assured Costa that he will look to find something to address the question.

Costa, who has ADHD, said he struggled in grade school, receiving grades of C’s, D’s and F’s. When he came to Newman in sixth grade, Costa’s sixth grade teacher put out a challenge to class that whoever finished their algebra and prealgebra books could use the Apple Computers, which were new at the time. This motivated him to finish both books in five days and improve his grades to straight A’s. For Costa, he said that moment changed his life for the better, and how important teachers are in teaching a certain style.

“I really think having that sort of stuff and teaching to the kids’ style, it was that I was not being taught to my strengths,” he said. “That story I just shared is an example of how critical technology can be as a tool.”

Speakers and attendees share personal experience

Following the keynote address, attendees went to various sessions with a speaker to discuss certain topics.

Eric Domen, a school counselor at Dena Boer Elementary in Salida, led the Co-Parenting and Partnership session. He talked about his experience growing up with parents who had different parenting styles and how it influenced him when he became a father.

As father of five kids and a dog, Domen said it’s important for parents to understand they have responsibilities to uphold such as taking the garbage and paying the bills. He added that it's important to cherish every moment with their child, especially with them growing up.

“Don’t miss the opportunities, check in [with them],” Domen said.

Halfway through the session, Domen shared an audio of his son reflecting on his parents’ sacrifice and what it meant after he got accepted into a masters program. As the audio played, Domen, sitting on a chair, looked at his phone and held back his tears as that moment that reflected his impact as a father.

“It’s more than a talk, it’s real. As you continue to pour out and see your families, your spouses and your children, it’s going to impact way beyond our days on Earth,” Domen said to close his session.

The Digital Age Parenting session was led by Newman Police Department Officer Jose Gomez. Gomez, in the session, discussed his experience with social media, creating tech-free habits and the risk of online presence.

Caleb Wilkinson, a mental health clinician for the district, led the Evolving Role of Fathers session where he discussed how fatherhood has changed through generations and fathers being seen as the provider, but as a role model and active participant in their child’s life.

The Preparing Kids for the Future session was led by Alfonso Navarro, director of child and nutrition for Ceres Unified School District. He discussed teaching kids financial literacy, supporting their education and career goals and instilling confidence.

Costa led the bonus session of raising men through mentorship, which discussed fathers providing guidance to their kids and giving back to the community.

Oscar Diaz, a custodian at Yolo Middle School, said he’s attended every father’s conference since the first one in 2023. As a father of two kids, one lesson he’s learned is to always take the time to listen to his children and hear what they have on their mind.

“In this world … sometimes we don’t take a step back to even just look at or even to be able to process how we’re going to respond,” he said. “As a dad of 20 years, every day [and] every year, you’re going to be learning something.”

Future plans for father’s conference

With next year being the fifth of the father’s conference, Davila has begun planning on changes attendees want to see. In an email to Westside Connect, Davila stated supporting children with mental health disorders and special needs is the most requested topic to cover next year.