Category: Spotlight

  • FAST Trainer Chris Daniel celebrates 30 years: “At the center of it, for me, is love.”

    This year marks Chris Daniel’s 30th Anniversary with Families & Schools Together. Over the last three decades, Mr. Daniel has valued traveling the world, building relationships with different people, and exposing himself to new cultures and perspectives — helping train FAST programs in 44 states in the U.S. and four countries internationally: Brazil, England, Kazakhstan,… READ MORE →


  • Meet our Senior FAST Trainer Supervisors

    Christopher J. Daniel Chris Daniel first became involved with FAST as a coordinator for one of the early Middle School Level implementations of the program in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1991. He became a trainer shortly thereafter and was intrigued by what FAST had to offer the community through its theme of empowerment for parents, youth,… READ MORE →


  • A conversation about FAST’s partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools: Engleburg Elementary School [webinar]

    This fall, five schools in the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) district — Auer Avenue, Keefe Avenue, Hopkins Lloyd, Brown Street Academy, and Engleburg schools — are (virtually) beginning their fifth cycle of the FAST Program. FAST’s partnership with MPS, which began in 2018 with funding from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, is the… READ MORE →


  • A tradition of involvement at Focus on Community

    Focus on Community in Racine, Wisconsin, is a nonprofit substance abuse prevention agency with a mission “to unite our community in an effort to prevent substance abuse and inspire healthy choices.” Through a variety of research-based and model programs, Focus teaches important life skills to youth and families and provides them with the tools needed to… READ MORE →


  • FAST at the core of One City Schools’ commitment to supporting families

    Within three weeks of starting her position as Director of Family & Community Initiatives at One City Schools in Madison, Wisconsin, Ms. Marilyn Ruffin was on a flight to Cleveland, Ohio, to attend the 2017 FAST® Training of Trainers conference – the FAST Program was to be one of the main components of her new job. Despite… READ MORE →


  • A glimpse of FAST in Brazil

    The FAST® Program in Tremembé, the first and only city in Brazil to offer FAST, is bringing parents and schools together for the future of the child, according to Cristiana Berthoud, Secretary of Education. “I used to say that parents only exist outside the gates. They are the school community; they belong to it but don’t… READ MORE →


  • A century-long legacy of family engagement at The Family Center of Columbus

    The Family Center of Columbus has been empowering families within the community of Columbus, Georgia, for over a century. Serving approximately 10,000 families and community members each year, the organization has been responding and adapting to local needs since it was founded in 1909. As part of an umbrella-approach to increasing family engagement, The Family Center… READ MORE →


  • FAST in Australia

    “FAST is such a part of who I am now. FAST opened so many doors for me. I was at home with my children when I was attending the program. After the program – and then becoming a Coordinator – I was given a job at the school to support families and run playgroups. FAST… READ MORE →


  • At Albuquerque Public Schools, a commitment to meaningful family engagement

    “We are dedicated to running FAST with passion. We are here for the families – to empower parents and support our students.” Monica Garcia, FAST Specialist and Certified FAST Trainer at APS Albuquerque Public Schools (APS), serving approximately 84,000 students in 142 schools across the city and beyond, has long valued the importance of family engagement.… READ MORE →


  • The “Missouri Approach” to juvenile justice centers on family and community engagement

    The “Missouri Approach” to juvenile justice emphasizes moving beyond symptoms to the root causes of juvenile delinquency so that changes made by young people are long-lasting, preparing them to return and contribute positively to their school, home, and community. The Missouri Division of Youth Services (DYS), housed within the Department of Social Services since 1974,… READ MORE →