‘Take A Father To School Day’ calls men to take an active part in the education and development of youth. Created by former School Board Member Mark Brentley Sr., the goal of this event is to bring men into the school building to establish better communication with schools, understand that they are always welcome, and explore opportunities for volunteering and becoming more involved in their child’s education. For this day, a "father" is any positive male role model in a child's life: a grandfather, cousin, uncle, older sibling, community leader, mentor, minister, etc.

2017 marked the 19th consecutive year that the nationally recognized Take a Father to School Day was celebrated in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. The theme for 2017 was Take a Father to School Day in 3D: Dads Doing their Duty. On this day, all District schools opened their doors to welcome thousands of Pittsburgh fathers to spend the day with their student(s) and participate in various activities planned at each school.

Research suggests that the involvement of fathers exerts a distinct and independent influence on whether children ever repeat a grade, get mostly A's, enjoy school, and participate in extracurricular activities. In 2012, Take a Father to School Day received the Magna Award from the American School Board Journal, the National School Boards Association and Sodexo.

The Family, Youth and Community Engagement team organizes this family and community engagement event in all schools in conjunction with the PPS Board Sponsor, the Take a Father to School Day Executive Committee, and the District’s offices of Public Information and School Performance.

Attendance Totals for the last 11 years:

2007: 3,669

2008: 4,857

2009: 4,874

2010: 5,720

2011: 5,964

2012: 4,654

2013: 6,314

2014: 6,363

2015: 6,150

2016: 5,800

2017: 6,653