Small Ideas that Build Something Special

In 2023, while watching the Super Bowl, Amit Khera, Dan Fu, and Josh Leffler floated a simple question:

There is no shortage of opportunity for small talk but what would it look like for Park dads to gather; not at a birthday party, a fundraiser, a curriculum morning, but around books, conversation, and connection?

We had no guarantee of interest and no real expectations. Just a feeling that perhaps we weren’t the only ones thinking many of these scenarios didn’t allow for a place to build meaningful connection about being fathers, husbands, sons, leaders, and humans in the thick of busy lives.

We decided to give it a shot.

Fast forward to today, and we’ve now hosted 10 of these evenings, attended by more than 200 Park dads. We’ve read intriguing books. We’ve debated ideas. We’ve shared stories about parenting wins and worries, about work pressures and personal doubts, about marriage, legacy, grief, pride, and purpose. And somewhere between the pages and the laughter, friendship and community have formed.

What continues to surprise us most is not just the turnout, but the engagement people bring with them. From the beginning, our only request has been simple: Come. Be curious. Engage. Leave with a deeper connection to someone in this community. These gatherings were never meant to be exclusive or performative. We hoped they would feel big enough to be welcoming to anyone who wanted to attend yet small enough to allow for honesty, sincerity and community building. And time and again, that’s exactly what has happened.

There is something quietly powerful about a group of dads choosing, in the middle of packed schedules, to pause and talk about what is below the surface. About who we want to be for our children. About how we navigate ambition and presence. About the models we inherited and the ones we’re trying to build. These are not always easy conversations, but they are deeply human ones. And they have reminded many of us that none of us are doing this alone.

If you have ever attended one of these nights, know this: simply by showing up, you are already participating in something larger than any single evening. You are affirming a shared belief that community does not just happen, it is built through small, consistent acts of willingness and effort. By showing up, listening and sharing, we build community.

We make a point of saying that if you’re here, it’s because you already believe that community matters. Our hope is that this spirit doesn’t stay confined to one book club. Pay it forward in whatever way feels authentic, achievable, and rewarding to you. Invite someone for coffee. Host a dinner. Volunteer for something new. Sit with a family you don’t yet know well. Start a tradition. Say hello more often. These are the quiet building blocks of a strong school community.

Park is extraordinary because of its values, its teachers, and its children but also because of the adults who choose, again and again, to invest in one another. We are grateful to be a small part of that larger story. And we can’t wait to see what other small ideas help build something special.

We began with an invite list comprising a few of our children's classmates' parents whom we thought might be interested and continually expanded the invite list, which now includes all Park dads, inviting them to join one of the next book club sessions. We feel as though conversation and participation are best with a group of about 15–20, so attendance is capped. If interest exceeds 20, we give preference to folks who were not chosen for the previous session. Want to host your own book club? It's easy and we'd love to get more community members involved. 

By Josh Leffler P'31, '33, and '35

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