62.2K
Downloads
339
Episodes
Conversations about the challenges military-connected kids face as they navigate multiple education systems from birth through high school.
Episodes
Friday May 20, 2022
Friday May 20, 2022
Description: The Botts family shares how taking a gap year provided their son with opportunities they didn't know he needed.
This podcast was made possible thanks to the support of the Mountain Home AFB Officers Spouses Club
https://www.mountainhomeosc.org/
Show Notes:
https://www.springcanyon.org/peak-internship/
Bio:
Morgan Botts is the 19-year-old son of an Air Force Chaplain. He was born along the east coast in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is currently living in Buena Vista, Colorado, where he serves as a staff member for Spring Canyon Christian Conference Center. After completing the gap-year program at Spring Canyon, Morgan intends to finish his final semester of an Associates of Arts degree in General Studies from Southeastern University this upcoming fall.
Thursday May 12, 2022
Thursday May 12, 2022
Description: The MCEC webinar team has a great conversation with Natalie Mack, experienced homeschool mom and HSLDA’s Military Outreach Coordinator, about resources to help military families make the most out of homeschooling.
This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Eielson Spouses Club.
https://eielsonspousesclub.com/
Homeschool Resources for Military families
https://hslda.org/community/resources-for-military-families
Tracking Your Child’s Education:
https://militarybenefits.info/homeschooling-military-child/
Special Needs: Planning, Evaluating and Recordkeeping:
https://hslda.org/teaching-my-kids/special-needs/planning-evaluating-and-recordkeeping
MCEC’s Homeschooling Basics for Military Families new to homeschooling
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eGHnscc6SZWMfNzFBAZ3tg
Bio:
Natalie Mack is an author, speaker, and veteran home educator with over twenty-one years of experience providing leadership and service to military homeschooling families. She is known for her words of encouragement and being a staunch advocate for homeschooling families, particularly during the journey from high school to college. She is a mom of five children: three college graduates, one college sophomore and a 9th grader. Natalie is the spouse of a recently retired Navy Chaplain and enjoyed serving alongside him during his 34 years of active-duty military service.
Natalie currently serves as President of Belvoir Home Educators, a large, active, military homeschool support group in Northern Virginia. In 2020, she became an HSLDA High School Educational Consultant and has served as the Military Outreach Coordinator for HSLDA since 2021. In this role she provides educational consultation to military members, speaks at homeschooling conferences and hosts military homeschooling Facebook live events and webinars. Natalie has authored several articles about homeschooling and is currently working on two books, “100 Tips for Homeschoolers” and “Homeschooling on the Move: Military Style”. She can be contacted at military@hslda.org or Natalie-Mack.com
Thursday May 05, 2022
Thursday May 05, 2022
Description: MIC3 Commissioner Laura Anastasio discusses the facts of the Military Interstate Compact and why this resource is so valuable to military students.
This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support from the:
Funder: Hanscom Spouses Club
https://hanscomsc.org/index.html
Show Notes
- Parent toolkit: https://mic3.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ParentTrainingToolkit_Revised-2021.pdf
- One Pager: https://mic3.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/one-pager-information2.pdf
- Parent Guide: https://indd.adobe.com/view/f41d20ad-3121-4c98-ab68-61c4b7daec69
- Find your school liaison: https://mic3.net/school-liaisons/
Bio: Laura Anastasio
Laura Anastasio is a staff attorney with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and serves as the Commissioner Designee for the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission under the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children. Her responsibilities at the CSDE include providing assistance to the general public and school districts regarding the application of the state’s education laws, including but not limited to school health and nutrition, tenure, truancy, home instruction, attendance, graduation requirements, adult education, priority schools, duties of boards of education, racial imbalance, bullying, school construction, school accountability, private schools, and student rights. She also is responsible for reviewing all contracts for the CSDE and providing guidance to staff concerning compliance with FERPA and with the Freedom of Information Act, and she oversees contract negotiations under the Connecticut Teacher Negotiations Act. She has worked for the CSDE for 17 years. Prior to her employment with the State of Connecticut, she was an associate at Shipman & Goodwin LLP, specializing in education law. Laura received her B.A. from Emory University and her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Thursday Apr 28, 2022
Thursday Apr 28, 2022
Description: Hannah shares how being a military connected kid helped in her quest for swimming in college.
#FindHome
Show Notes:
https://fausports.com/sports/swimming-and-diving/roster/hannah-garner/11199
Bio:
Howdy! My name is Hannah Garner. I am a full-time Division 1 student-athlete at Florida Atlantic University with a marketing major and minor in Hospitality and Tourism. In addition, I am a military brat. I have moved a total of eight times plus moving to college. One of those times was during high school which is the peak season for college recruitment. In my free time, I like to paint, volunteer, and read.
Thursday Apr 21, 2022
Thursday Apr 21, 2022
Description:
Hannah chats about her identity struggle when her dad retired from the military and how she found a way to stay connected to her military roots.
Show Notes:
Third Culture Kids: http://www.crossculturalkid.org/
Capstone Paper:
Hannah Rauhut
Hannah is a born and bred military brat with a passion for sharing the stories of military families like her own. Shortly after she graduated from Messiah University with degrees in English and Communication, her dad retired from the Army and she had to surrender her military ID, prompting a low-key identity crisis. In an effort to stay connected to her military roots, she joined the NMFA team with the hope of building and supporting relationships within the military community. Hannah lives with her husband (a Navy brat—enough said) in Germany where they work with military middle and high school teens through Club Beyond (Young Life Military).
Thursday Apr 14, 2022
Thursday Apr 14, 2022
Alana shares the highlights and the challenges related to being a third culture kid.
Bio:
Alana has been a Military Kid since the day she was born on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, January 2010. 12 years later, Alana is and will continue to be a military kid until her dad decides to retire.
At 5 months old, Alana moved from Hawaii to California, where she lived for almost 3 1/2 years and due to different circumstances had to relocate to three different homes. As a baby she was already experiencing daddy’s many absences due to his military training and long deployments, one being Afghanistan. A few days before her 4th Birthday she was getting ready to take a long flight to her new home in Okinawa, Japan, where she lived for about 3 years and learned to embrace Okinawa’s culture. After Okinawa, she moved to Iwakuni, Japan where she lived for 3 1/2 years and developed a love for Japanese food, and the mainland Japan culture. Today, Alana is living back in the place where all started, Oahu, Hawaii. She currently lives on Marine Corps Base Hawaii and has been for 1 1/2 years. She attends Mokapu elementary school as a 6th grader, also on base, where she interacts with many other military kids.
As a military kid, Alana has had many adventures and experiences but has also had to overcome the many challenges that come with it. ***
Thursday Apr 07, 2022
Thursday Apr 07, 2022
Jasmine talks candidly about her struggle with anxiety and her determination to normalize the conversation about mental health.
Show Notes:
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/
https://www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/
https://www.barryrobinson.org/
Bio:
Jasmine has been a Military Kid on and off since the day she was born on Marine Corp Base Camp Pendleton in California, November 7, 2005. 16 years later she continued to be a military kid while her mom serves in the United States Air Force.
Soon after birth, Jasmine’s dad finished his commitment with the United States Marine Corps and settled on living in their hometown. Jasmine grew up near family in southern California until the age of eight when her mom’s job relocated her and the family to Okinawa Japan. Relocating to a new country was challenging for Jasmine but over the three years of living there she learned to embrace and love the Okinawan culture. Three years later Jasmine’s mom left for training and Jasmine prepared for a PCS to Royal Air Force Base Lakenheath in England. Living in England afforded Jasmine more experiences but with that came the challenge of transition once again. Jasmine attended Middle school and her first year of high school on Lakenheath and embraced the culture and sense of community of living on base. In October of 2020, Jasmines family relocated to the outskirts of San Antonio Texas. Making the transition stateside was the most challenging, as Jasmine had become accustomed to living overseas. Mid Freshman year she transitioned to a local high school in her new town but then sophomore year she started at Randolph High School on JBSA- Randolph where she currently attends as a sophomore. Jasmine is part of the AFJROTC program, S2S, Girl Scouts, and enjoys powerlifting and swimming.
Jasmine loves being a military kid and is thankful for the travels, learning, friendships, community and being close to her family but acknowledges that it has also brought challenges for her to work through.
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
Our “Purple Up” series kicks off with an overview of MCEC's events in April celebrating Month of the Military Child.
Use #MilKidStrong on social media to recognize a military-connected child in your community and share their story; #MOMC and #MonthoftheMilitaryChild for discussion throughout the month and #PurpleUp for promotion and celebration of Purple Up Day on April 14th in your area.
Show Notes:
Month of the Military Child (MOMC) Digital Toolkit:
https://www.militarychild.org/MOMC_Toolkit
Resources to Support Ukrainian Military Children & Their Families
https://www.militarychild.org/resourcesukrainianfamilies
Hiring Our Heroes
https://www.hiringourheroes.org/career-services/military-spouse-resources/
Bio: Lisa Witte
Lisa Witte is MCEC’s Director of Marketing and Communications. A native of Iowa, she has lived the military lifestyle for over twenty years as her family has moved around to different Navy duty stations. Lisa has an extensive background in advertising and has worked at agencies on both the East and West Coasts on national brand accounts. At MCEC, she is responsible for promoting awareness of MCEC’s services and communicating on behalf of the organization. She has a degree in Advertising from Iowa State University, and resides in San Diego, CA with her husband and two children.
Thursday Mar 24, 2022
Thursday Mar 24, 2022
Description: The Staff of STOMP-Specialized Training of Military Parents will discuss the important role that parents have in advocating for the emotional, medical, and educational needs of their loved ones with exceptional needs.
Show Notes:
https://wapave.org/links-for-military-families/
The podcast was made possible thanks to the generosity of the North Country Spouses Club and the Spouses’ Club of Fort Eustis.
https://www.northcountryspousesclub.com/
Bios:
Guest Host: Marie McGarry
Marie, a native of Massachusetts, has lived in in 5 different States and two foreign countries during her 20 years as a military spouse. She currently calls Springfield, VA home.
Marie has a son and a daughter, both in High School. Marie has a master’s degree in Literacy Curriculum and Instruction and was an Elementary School teacher for 11 years.
Marie has been an Educator with the MCEC® since 2017. In her free time Marie enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling.
Dee Bosworth:
Over twelve years of marriage to her Active-Duty sailor, Dee has been a Navy Command Ombudsman for six years (cumulatively) while raising their child with exceptional needs. She is a mom, teacher, therapy facilitator, and active volunteer with state and national programs for persons with disabilities. As a Political Science major and a graduate from her state’s Partners in Policymaking Program, Dee is passionate about advocacy and empowering military parents to advocate for a better world for our loved ones with exceptional needs
Keishawna Smith
Keishawna A. Smith is the wife of retired disabled combat veteran and mother of two children with special healthcare needs. Keishawna began working in the disability community when her first child was born at Ft. Hood, Texas. Later, she became involved with the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center (MS PTI) as the Executive Assistant to the Director. She added on the responsibility and position of Parent Educator/Advocate, where she educated parents about their rights and responsibilities under IDEA/ADA. She has also been the Parent Coordinator for the Mississippi Family 2 Family Health and Information Center, helping families navigate health care systems and advocating for children with special health care needs across the state. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Sickle Cell Foundation and was a consultant with Community Links coordinating for The Respite Connect (TRC) Program.
A major charge for Keishawna is to help parents/caregivers become better advocates for their children and their communities by assisting them in navigating health care and educational systems, accessing resources, and discovering the power of their voice. She wants to make sure that parents/caregivers are involved and have a seat at the table regarding their child(ren)’s health, education, and overall well-being.
Thursday Mar 17, 2022
Thursday Mar 17, 2022
The Staff of STOMP-Specialized Training of Military Parents discuss the important role that parents have in advocating for the emotional, medical, and educational needs of their loved ones with exceptional needs.
Thanks to the Naval Officers Club of San Diego for sponsoring this episode.
https://noscsandiego.com/
Show Notes
https://stomp-trainings.padlet.org/STOMP30/ony2yec5gpky800o
https://wapave.org/toolkit-basics-where-to-begin-when-a-student-needs-more-help/
Bios:
Guest Host: Marie McGarry
Marie, a native of Massachusetts, has lived in in 5 different States and two foreign countries during her 20 years as a military spouse. She currently calls Springfield, VA home.
Marie has a son and a daughter, both in High School. Marie has a Master’s Degree in Literacy Curriculum and Instruction and was an Elementary School teacher for 11 years.
Marie has been an Educator with the MCEC® since 2017. In her free time Marie enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling.
Dee Bosworth:
Over twelve years of marriage to her Active-Duty sailor, Dee has been a Navy Command Ombudsman for six years (cumulatively) while raising their child with exceptional needs. She is a mom, teacher, therapy facilitator, and active volunteer with state and national programs for persons with disabilities. As a Political Science major and a graduate from her state’s Partners in Policymaking Program, Dee is passionate about advocacy and empowering military parents to advocate for a better world for our loved ones with exceptional needs.
Jolynn Lee
Jolynn Lee is the spouse of a Marine Veteran and a mother to three adult military-connected children. With two children still at home, Jolynn is also the mother of a child with exceptional needs. Jolynn worked as a Special Education teacher for 11 years and has a Master’s degree in counseling. She has utilized her military-life experiences to facilitate a site branch of Reboot Combat Recovery, a 12-week PTSD recovery program for military personnel, veterans, and their families. Motivated by a passion for supporting military families in need, Jolynn is eager to help bring awareness and training within the military community. She knows first-hand the challenges faced raising a child with exceptional needs. One of her favorite mottos is, “People only know what they know, but we can work together to expand that knowledge base as we learn and grow together.”