SD170's Wilson School Students Shine in IFI Essay Contest

Davon Harris and Jayla McGee, fourth and fifth grade students at Chicago Heights School District 170’s Wilson School, were honored recently for the Fatherhood Essays they submitted as part of a contest sponsored by the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative (IFI), 21st Century and the Chicago White Sox.

The students, members of classes taught by Mrs. Kristi Jones and Mrs. Linda Anderson, respectively, earned a dinner with their fathers, and the opportunity to throw out a pre-game ceremonial first pitch at a White Sox game later this year.

McGee and Harris submitted 250 word essays entitled, “What My Father Means To Me.” Criteria used in selecting essays worthy of recognition included the way in which the essay described the father/child dynamic; specific detail and stories demonstrating the father/father figure’s character; and the honesty, clarity and simplicity of the essay.

The IFI is a group of men from all walks of life and professions who have joined together to bring about positive change in communities from a father’s perspective.

The initiative began in 1997 with the founder, David Hirsch, then CPS CEO Paul Vallas, and former Chicago Bear and now NFL Hall of Famer, Mike Singletary.

The group made reference then to a U.S. Department of Education study indicating that when both parents are involved in the educational lives of their child, educational outcomes soar and many of the issues that plague society decline. From that reference it became clear that greater father involvement resulted in greater student achievement!

The IFI strives to recognize the importance of fathers and father figures in the lives of students. In an effort to propagate their goals, the IFI has made a commitment to connect fathers with their children (and vice versa), and to create a greater investment by all parties to the educational process. The essay is one way to connect!

To date, with the engagement of education leaders, they have collected more than 400,000 essays from more than 500 schools, engaging well over 10,000 volunteer evaluators and annually recognizing 156 essayists in May and 12 dads each June.

Each child is recognized as a winner for participating and they receive a Certificate of Participation signed by the Governor, and a coupon sheet with activities to further connect with dad.

Kenyea Beach, a teacher at Wilson who coordinated the school’s essay responses, said, “I am very proud of the essays submitted by our students, and believe that all of our participants feel a stronger sense of the father/child relationship as a result of their participation in the contest.”