During every 6-week cycle of UPNEXT,
we teach the participants how to use PowerPoint so they will be able to make
presentations. In cycle 8, the nine fathers were split into three groups to
create slides for their presentations. The requirement was that the slides had
to address: what they learned at UPNEXT, their personal characteristics, their
workforce talents, and their parental strengths.
This project was daunting for the
fathers. There were those with limited to no computer skills; while others had
to deal with the fear of public speaking. To prepare for the big day, the dads
sacrificed their lunch break, working with staff to rehearse and make any last
minute changes to the presentations. On the day of the presentation, all three groups stood proud in front of their peers and the UPNEXT staff. The results of their hard work manifested in the designs and content of their PowerPoint presentations. The presenters were eloquent, concise, and each added a dash a humor to engage the audience. Towards the end, their presentations were met with applause and positive feedback.