Dads in Demand in Harrow

The Dads in Demand project is run by the Campaign for Learning in partnership with the Fatherhood Institute, Harrow's Ethnic Minority Achievement Service, the Adult Community and Family Learning Service at Harrow Council and delivered in partnership with the British Film Institute and Futurelab. The project is being piloted in Harrow with funding from the Learning Revolution Transformation Fund. 

The aim of the project is to create new opportunities for dads (both birth fathers and other men who play a significant fatherly role in children’s lives) from black and ethnic minority backgrounds to get involved in developing innovative learning activities with their children, based on new media and technology. The activities are used to provide new learning infrastructure that promotes and supports fathers' learning across England. The programmes, introducing dads and their children to new technology, animation and film, are underpinned by 'learning to learn' methodologies, to develop dads' knowledge and skills and increase their ability to support children's learning and development more effectively.

The multimedia products and resources created through the project will be used as a platform to provide new infrastructure support for over 10,000 organisations working with families to develop informal learning for fathers and male carers through the National Family Learning Network. Both Futurelab and BFI aim to use their networks to disseminate findings, resources and information and can reach audiences beyond conventional adult learning networks to professionals working in film, innovation and new technology. The Fatherhood Institute will also disseminate good practice messages through its Think Fathers networks nationally.