Blog by Andrea D., Christine C., Michael W., and Stephen L.
On Saturday, September 27, 2025, AC Library once again had the privilege of being an exhibitor at the biannual Fatherhood Summit in Oakland, organized the Alameda County Fathers Corps. The Alameda County Fathers Corps supports family service providers in offering father-friendly services that strengthen parenting skills and promote family engagement. Open to all fathers and father figures in Alameda County, Fathers Corps is part of First 5’s Parent Partnership strategy and is a collaboration with First 5 Alameda County, Alameda County Health, Alameda County Social Services Agency, Alameda County Probation Department, and Alameda County Child Support Services.
Led by our Family Services Coordinator, Andrea D., and joined by Literacy Specialists Christine C., Michael W., and Stephen L. from AC Library’s Education and Literacy Services team, AC Library is proud to support the mission of the Fatherhood Summit in empowering the fathers and father-figures of our community to be active and positive role models in their children's lives, "debunking myths and stereotypes around fatherhood, and providing critical information and support through a variety of targeted workshops" (First 5 Alameda County Fathers Corps, 2025).
This year, AC Library's booth offered a variety of resources and activities for Fatherhood Summit attendees. Activities included a play area with sensory activities and games for young children, literacy resources for selecting the right book and enhancing reading comprehension, a community poetry project made up of attendee contributions, and book giveaways for readers of all ages. We also set up an interactive display where attendees were invited to share feedback and suggestions aimed to inform AC Library’s current initiative of revamping the existing children’s and family spaces within our libraries. More importantly, the Fatherhood Summit provided a space for AC Library staff to have open conversations with attendees to better understand how our libraries can deepen our role to further support Alameda County families in more meaningful and authentic ways.
We at AC Library would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Father Corps and everyone involved in organizing the Fatherhood Summit, and look forward to any opportunities for future collaboration. It is our hope that, by participating in the Fatherhood Summit, AC Library was able to share valuable resources and encourage strong intergenerational literacy.
Community Poetry Project
As part of our display, we encouraged attendees to share their thoughts about fatherhood by responding to the prompt “Fatherhood is...” and completing the passage with their own perspectives. We have arranged the responses into the following community poem, titled “Fatherhood is...”
Fatherhood is...
A blessing
A gift from God
Love, life, and joy
Engagement, experience, exposure
Love, learning, and legacy
power, love, wisdom, and care
an opportunity to learn to love anew
Kids are amazing. They make you see the other side of you
Practicing patience
No sleep, sick, wiped out, but still showing up!
Showing up and being there even when the motivation isn’t there
Patience, play, practice. But never perfect.
Gives kids a chance to see a bigger and better picture in life
An amazing opportunity to shape a young mind
A blessing to become, and teach many new lives
A way to make real fathers stand out
The person that is there to help you keep going
No parent is perfect just stay present be active and remain consistent
Fatherhood is...
The best thing ever
To learn more about the organizers of the Fatherhood Summit, receive information about future events, and get involved in the community, please visit First 5 Alameda County, opens a new window and Fathers Corps, opens a new window. For additional family and parenting resources, visit aclibrary.org/families/.
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