Transformative Programs for Families

Discover our unique services designed to empower fathers and strengthen family bonds. Explore how music and culture create lasting impacts in communities.

The Papa Was Project partners include Detroit Musix, The Fakir Group, One Band Global, the University of Michigan Detroit Center and the University of Michigan School of Social Work. It is a child-company of Parent Think Tank

About the Partnership With the U-M School of Social Work

Rich Tolman is the Sheldon D. Rose Collegiate Professor of Social Work Tolman’s research and community engagement support fathers as they positively parent and partner in their relationships. He co-founded and co-leads the statewide Michigan Action Plan for Father Involvement initiative. This advisory group explores ways to expand support for father involvement and establish sustainable structures for improving policies and programs that benefit fathers and their families.

Tolman co-hosts, with Dr. Caroline Dayton (Wayne State School of Social Work) Serving Fathers and Their Families in Challenging Times, a weekly online meeting for practitioners and fatherhood program leaders. The Papa Was Project grew from conversations between Rich Tolman UM-SSW) and Sam Donald (Parent Think Tank, Detroit Musix) in the weekly meetings.

Tolman’s current research studies how expectant fathers prepare for the birth of a child and how the experience of pregnancy shapes their own positive development. He is also studying how a focus on fathering can help motivate men who have caused harm in their relationships to adopt more positive behavior with partners and their children.