Tyreque Carter, 19, holds his newborn son, Tymere, as another soon-to-be father takes their photo on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, as part of a program called Dad Prep Academy at DeLaSalle High School in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).
Tyreque Carter held his 2-month-old son, outfitted in a festive Christmas onesie, as he congratulated another soon-to-be teen father on his gender reveal: a girl.
They were among several students at DeLaSalle High School in Kansas City who filed into their seats as they chatted about ultrasound photos and dirty diapers.
The group of teens, five with babies ages 2 to 12 months and two expectant, are part of Dad Prep Academy, a pilot program launched this fall aimed at better preparing young dads for fatherhood.
“Just because an experience is difficult or tough doesn’t mean it’s not good, doesn’t mean it’s not building you up and developing you into something better,” James Hogue, a longtime educator and the program’s founder, told the teens sitting in a half circle before him on a recent Thursday.