Recognizing higher rates of Black infant mortality in California, the Perinatal Equity Initiative, or PEI, was launched in 2018 to address causes of this disparity and look at best practices. Under the PEI, San Bernardino Fatherhood, a nonprofit based in Highland, was contracted by the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health to provide fatherhood services. Working with the fathers and partners of pregnant and parenting African American women with a child under a year old, the organization aims to assist in the elimination of Black infant mortality.

Recognized by the state as an impactful intervention, the organization’s 24/7 Dad program, educates men on the tools, behaviors and attitudes needed for fathers to help their children thrive. The program provides 12 group sessions that each last two hours. Participants explore their family history and experiences with fatherhood and then learn the characteristics of a 24/7 Dad. Characteristics include self-awareness, self-care, fathering, parenting and relationship skills. Participants are also given guidance on maintaining a positive co-parenting relationship with their child’s mother. The next 24/7 Dad program will be offered at the end of July at a location that has not yet been announced.

“We help them to understand that when they are a good man, that rolls over into being a father,” said Ryan Berryman, the organization’s executive director. “When they support the mom, they are supporting their child who is their future and their legacy.”

New and expecting dads watch a short video. (Courtesy of San Bernardino Fatherhood)

San Bernardino Fatherhood offers multiple programs including an “Understanding Dad” program over eight sessions, which raises mothers’ awareness of the importance of a father’s involvement in a child’s life.

The organization’s Boot Camp for New Dads is a one-day, three-hour workshop for new and expecting dads. The Boot Camp involves veteran fathers who share their experience and encourage rookie dads. New fathers are encouraged to ask any and all question that they have concerns about in a supportive environment. New dads may learn about supporting new moms, breast feeding, changing diapers, safety and many other topics. The program is made possible in part by a grant from the IE Black Equity Fund through the Inland Empire Community Foundation.

The organization also works to connect fathers to the community and to pay forward the support they are given. Fathers are encouraged to volunteer at schools their children attend and to volunteer in their communities, becoming positive role models.

Fathers are also encouraged to participate with their families at events hosted by San Bernardino Fatherhood throughout the year. Events include the annual Daddy Daughter Dance, which this year was attended by more than 300 people. Additional activities have included Inland Empire 66ers baseball games, jazz concerts and a San Bernardino Raceway family event.

“This creates stronger families and healthy communities,” Berryman said. “There is a lot of research showing that when fathers are involved, kids do better in school, have fewer behavioral problems and infant mortalities decrease. There are so many positives in the community when fathers do well.”

There are very few programs available for fathers who need support to overcome a family history of absent fathers and poor parenting, according to Berryman. He believes that the program gives hope to men who want secure and strong families. He also feels that strong positive fatherhood leads to stronger communities with less crime and violence.

“We want people to recognize the importance of fathers and not give up on them,” Berryman said. “We have a lot of good men out there and fathers who love their children.”

Information: https://sbfatherhood.com/ or 909-567-9508

Inland Empire Community Foundation works to strengthen Inland Southern California through philanthropy.

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On a recent afternoon, Annapolis High School physical education teacher Mary Kay Connerton led a freshman science class through a 10-minute yoga break to learn a modified sun salutation.

With the lights off, students started with a few deep breaths each time Connerton rang her miniature singing bowl. Students then stretched upward, inhaling as they brought their arms up to their foreheads and exhaling out and down, stretching to touch their feet.

Students then returned to their seats to inhale, hold, tuck their chin, and exhale. This stress breath, Connerton said, helps engage the mind and focus on regulating the pituitary glands, which release cortisol — a hormone that can reduce anxiety.

After a few repetitions, she called on a student to lead the exercise.

“If you are able to teach others, then you know the content,” she said.

She ends the session with a formal ”Namaste” and bow before exiting the room.

Mary Kay Connerton, wellness coordinator at Annapolis High, leads students in stress breathing exercises before their lesson in a freshmen science classroom on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Brian Krista/Capital Gazette)

In her role as wellness coordinator, Connerton, 37, teaches kids the importance of activity and wellness. However, she has transformed her impact on students with these 10-minute yoga exercises, which total about 30 a week.

That innovative spirit and dedication led to her being named the county’s Teacher of the Year at the 2023 Excellence in Education Awards ceremony at Maryland Live! Casino on April 20.

“Truthfully, I did not anticipate that I was going to win. I was in just such awe,” she said. “This process was just a beautiful journey. It’s taught me a lot about myself professionally and personally, and I just felt so incredibly honored to be standing with so many gifted teachers.”

But to colleagues like Annapolis High Principal Patrick Gelinas, she was the perfect candidate.

“Connerton is a teacher whose daily energy, vision and innovation help transform a school and a school district,” Gelinas wrote in his recommendation letter.

“She’s always engaging with the students. When she comes into our classroom, every student joins in and most are really engaged with what she is teaching,” Annapolis science teacher Geeta Lala said. “They are hesitant to start, but then they all love it when she comes in. Students have smiles on their faces and are ready to go.”

Mary Kay Connterton learns that she is 2023 Teacher of the Year Award at Maryland Live! Casino Thursday, April 20th. (Anne Arundel County Public Schools)

As an active athlete in her teens, Connerton started yoga as a way to recover from an injury she suffered while running on the track team. As she moved on to college, she said she just “fell into” yoga as a daily practice.

“Honestly, it helped me a lot with my own mental health,” she said. “I kept thinking about how awesome it would be if this opportunity to learn yoga was offered when I was younger.”

She received her first certification as a yoga teacher in 2009 from Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams & Centres in New York.

After graduating from State University of New York, Cortland in 2010, Connerton started her teaching career in her home state of New York as a long-term elementary teacher replacement in the Homer Central School District. She was there for about six months when she decided to move to Maryland to work as a special educator at Crofton Middle School. In 2012, she moved to Bates Middle School to do the same thing.

Her integration of yoga/mindfulness/wellness strategies into her teaching resulted in class averages at Crofton Middle School moving from 24% for the first quarter benchmark to 85% for the third quarter benchmark in the first year of implementation, she said.

In 2015, she decided to pursue her master’s degree in Educational Leadership and accepted her current position as Annapolis High School’s wellness coordinator.

That same year, she launched the “Stretch Your Wellness” class, which serves as an introduction to yoga and mindfulness.

Mary Kay Connerton, wellness coordinator at Annapolis High, talks with students about stress reduction and wellness before their lesson in a freshmen science classroom on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Brian Krista/Capital Gazette)

The course introduces a brief history of yoga, the anatomical benefits and the physical practice of yoga as it pertains to relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, specific postures, a healthy diet and positive thinking. Through the exploration of four components of mindfulness, students learn healthy ways to relieve stress and promote a lifetime of wellness, according to its description on the school system’s website.

“Every child has a survey at the beginning of the semester and at the end to track their stress levels, confidence, and academics to measure the impact the course has had on them,” Connerton said.

Connerton got to see first hand how these practices transferred to Annapolis AP Physics students who participated in her yoga/mindfulness strategies and took the Advanced Placement test during the 2019-2020 school year. Connerton said that year, test scores for these students were 10% higher than the global average.

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“It’s amazing. I have always been interested in how these strategies have an effect on students’ academic performance,” she said.

During the pandemic, Connerton cowrote a curriculum with Ryan Voegtlin, the school system’s director of student services, called the “Wellness Block” to help support mindfulness away from the classroom. In collaboration with a few researchers from the Johns Hopkins University, they put together lessons on topics such as healthy relationships, how to be an advocate for yourself and your education, and how to develop a healthy self-care routine.

Johns Hopkins will publish a research article about the new curriculum, listing Connerton as a co-author.

Connerton’s motto is “Success starts with a healthy body and mind,” and she said that she has more ideas on how she can further promote that motto. For now, she hopes that she can encourage the Anne Arundel County Public School System to hire more coordinators like her to reach more schools.

Mary Kay Connerton, wellness coordinator at Annapolis High, looks for a student volunteer as she leads students in stress breathing exercises before their lesson in a freshmen science classroom on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (Brian Krista/Capital Gazette)

Connerton has two children going to school and has been working alongside her husband Rob, who also teaches at Annapolis High, since 2012 when they both were hired at Bates Middle School.

Originally, she and her husband planned to teach in Maryland for a few years then move to New York. They have been living in Arnold for 13 years.

“The reality is we are not in control of much this lifetime, but what we can control is ourselves, so we might as well do the best we can to keep ourselves healthy and handle what comes our way in the best possible way,” she said. “Everything is so fast paced, like we almost have to reteach ourselves how to calm down.”

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