Episodes

Friday Jun 17, 2022
Guiding How Our Children Process Race
Friday Jun 17, 2022
Friday Jun 17, 2022
Description: Sesame Street discusses resources that can help prepare military families on the conversation of racial justice.
This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support from the Air Force Officers Spouses Club of Washington, D.C.
Show Notes:
https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/
https://sesamestreetformilitaryfamilies.org/
A Conversation with Sesame Street about Racial Justice Resources for Military Families Webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/eCZpAFR5qUH_3MA6eMsbFDNrb5PVL4bAOr1V7DoiLXE6sGeYY21w9BswWc1dMJA5DEbJzvBPpBnhag1t.AYjOMeY117S6GEHt?startTime=1650988736000&_x_zm_rtaid=4m5zTm_GQumf-0y-kHSK5w.1655483423039.769650079e8c0ae34e6badaa17e5803a&_x_zm_rhtaid=786
I am Me Activity:
https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/racial-justice/?activity=i-am-me
Explaining Race:
Racial Justice Resources for Military Families:
https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/subtopics/racial-justice-resources-for-military-families/
Great Things:
Bio:
Sabrina Huda is the Project Director for various Sesame Workshop initiatives that reach our most vulnerable and underserved families. Currently she leads Sesame Street’s initiatives for Military Families, Sesame’s COVID-response, and social justice initiatives. Sabrina formerly worked on Sesame’s international projects in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia. Prior to joining Sesame Workshop, Sabrina was an Assistant Director at Spence Chapin working in domestic adoption. She was also a Teacher at the Barnard Center for Toddler Development.
Sabrina holds a BA in Neuroscience & Behavior from Barnard College and an MA from Teachers College. When not on longest street in the world, Sabrina is getting into trouble with her 11mth old daughter.
Anna Carbone is a Project Coordinator within the U.S. Social Impact Department at the Sesame Workshop, and a licensed community social worker by trade. She comes to Sesame with experience developing programs and communications strategies in the nonprofit, federal government, and higher education sectors. In her role at the workshop, Anna works on the creation, management, and implementation of resources created for kids and families around the nation with a focus on supporting military-connected and veteran families through their biggest milestones. Anna holds a BA in Communications from Marist College and a Masters of Science from the School of Social Work at Columbia University. She's honored to be among such amazing individuals today and to share more about how to use these tools in your everyday life!

Monday Jun 13, 2022
Homeschooling in the Military
Monday Jun 13, 2022
Monday Jun 13, 2022
Description: Discussing the legal aspects of homeschooling for our military families.
This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support from The Military Spouses’ Association- 29 Palms
Show Notes:
https://hslda.org/community/resources-for-military-families
Bio: TJ Schmidt
Tj was homeschooled starting in the second grade for nearly every year through high school graduation. For much of that time, his family served as missionaries in Haiti.
He earned his juris doctor from Oak Brook College of Law and began working as a legal assistant at HSLDA. Now, having served as an HSLDA Staff Attorney for over 18 years, Tj assists members across the country with legal questions and challenges to their homeschool freedom.
Tj and his wife, Susan, homeschool their seven children: Josiah, Suzanna, Ella, Makenna, Jonah, Annika, and Ezra.

Monday Jun 06, 2022
Strength Based Parenting
Monday Jun 06, 2022
Monday Jun 06, 2022
Description: The Travis Manion Foundation discusses what it looks like and how families can utilize this powerful resource.
This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support from the Hickam Officers' Spouses Club
https://hickamosc.wildapricot.org/
Resources:
- Value of Strength Based Parenting - University of Melbourne Article https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-value-of-strength-based-parenting
- Lea Waters - Flourishing Center Researcher Call https://flourishing.mn.co/landing?from=https%3A%2F%2Fflourishing.mn.co%2Fposts%2F1054754
- Finding Kids Strengths Article by Dr. Lea Waters https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/07/finding-kids-strengths-and-why-being-good-at-singing-isnt-the-same-as-being-a-superstar?CMP=share_btn_link
- Being Positive Is Not for the Faint Hearted Lea Waters Ted Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80U__KwX0iU
- Other examples
- How can I bring Character Does Matter Courses to my child's school? https://www.travismanion.org/our-programs/character-does-matter/
- How can I get involved as a Mentor? https://www.travismanion.org/our-programs/character-does-matter/
- How can my family lead a community service project? https://www.travismanion.org/events/operation-legacy/
- How do I join other TMF Events or TMF Chapters?https://www.travismanion.org/events/search-local-events/
Bio:
Dion Brugger
I served from 2000-2004 as an Artillery Officer with 1st Bn 10th Marines, based out of Camp Lejeune, NC. My Father served in the U.S Navy. My Brother, Uncle and Great Grandfather all served as Marine infantrymen. My grandfathers served in the US Army during WWII.
Bachelor's Degree in Business Management - Texas A&M University.
David Boyd
A United States Marine Corps veteran who served as an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Specialist and a Personal Security Detail Team Leader. Current student at Liberty University pursuing my BS in Psychology with a concentration in Life Coaching.
Kelsey Petrone
Navy veteran, military spouse, proud daughter of a Vietnam Veteran (Marine Corps), and granddaughter of two World War II Veterans (Army and Navy).
B.S. Oceanography, United States Naval Academy.

Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
Coping with Tragedy
Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
Description: Dr. Melissa Brymer discusses how parents and educators can best support their children when it comes to different types of emergencies and how to talk about the impact of a traumatic event, such as a school shooting.
Resources:
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/creating-school-active-shooter-intruder-drills
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/helping-youth-after-community-trauma-tips-educators
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/child-trauma-toolkit-educators
Additional Tools:
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/helping-military-children-traumatic-grief-tips-educators
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/after-service-veteran-families-transition
https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/resources/talking-kids-about-tragedies/
Bio:
Melissa Brymer is director of terrorism and disaster programs at the UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress and an expert on how children deal with stress following disasters, like, for example, school shootings. Brymer studies how best to offer psychological assistance in the aftermath of disasters, and the role the center can play in such relief.

Monday May 30, 2022
The Future of the SAT
Monday May 30, 2022
Monday May 30, 2022
Description: Dr. Rashida Savage from College Board to chats about the SAT and how it’s evolving to better support students.
This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support from the Hickam Officers Spouses Club.
https://hickamosc.wildapricot.org/
Show Notes:
https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/practice-preparation/official-sat-practice-khan-academy
https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/sat-school-day
Bio: Dr. Rashida Savage
Director SAT Training and Support
College Readiness Assessments
Dr. Rashida Savage is a Director of College Readiness Assessments at the College Board. An Ohio native, Dr. Savage has a range of experience in education, as a classroom teacher, school administrator and instructional designer. She currently resides in Orlando, Florida and enjoys cooking, exercising, and spending time at the beach.

Wednesday May 25, 2022
Wednesday May 25, 2022
Description: Military and veteran kids experience unique stressors that may influence their decisions to engage in risky behaviors such as underage drinking. Join MCEC and Responsibility.org as we bring together experts to discuss how talking with your teens and young adults about alcohol early and often is the best way to keep them safe.
Thank you to the Fort Lee Area Spouses Club for their support of this podcast.
https://www.fortleeareaspousesclub.com/
Resources:
Understanding Youth Substance Use: For Military Parents and Caregivers
NMFA and Bloom Survey
https://www.militaryfamily.org/the-military-teen-experience/
https://www.responsibility.org/
Advice for Parents from Parents
https://www.responsibility.org/prevent-underage-drinking/talking-to-kids-about-alcohol
Advice for Parents from Experts on Talking to Teens
https://www.responsibility.org/prevent-underage-drinking/end-teenage-drinking/parenting-teens/
https://www.responsibility.org/prevent-underage-drinking
Bio:
Tim Farrell, MCEC’s Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (COO), is a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel who served for more than 23 years. Before joining MCEC, Tim served as the CEO of the National Association of Veteran-Serving Organizations (NAVSO), and as COO and interim President & CEO of Operation Homefront.
Having balanced his military service and raising his children for many years, Tim has a personal understanding of the difficulties military families face during periods of transition. He is a strong believer in using this experience to serve his community through his work on the World Affairs Council of San Antonio’s Board of Trustees and the City of San Antonio’s Veterans Affairs Commission, as well as his selection as the inaugural board chair of Students of Service (SOS) - San Antonio.
Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Rutgers University (where he also played college football), a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, and an executive certificate in Transformational Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife Gina live in San Antonio with their two sons, Aidan and Keagan.
Chris R. Swonger
Chris serves as the President & CEO of both the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Mr. Swonger has extensive experience guiding corporations to lead in business while playing a positive role in communities through proactive engagement. With over 25 years of experience in the public and private sector, Mr. Swonger brings extensive experience breaking down the traditional barriers that exist between corporations, non-government organizations and activist groups by facilitating consensus-based outcomes and knowledge leading industry in corporate social responsibility strategies.
Dr. Katie Friedman is a board-certified pediatrician, writer, spokesperson, and mother. Dr. Friedman completed her residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital at the University of Miami and currently practices pediatric emergency medicine in South Florida. Along with her sisters, she is also a co-founder of ForeverFreckled.com, where she serves as an educator and spokesperson.
Using her passion for preventive medicine and pediatric safety, Dr. Friedman has worked alongside several educational initiatives, such as KnowYourOTCs, Talk Early, and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, to guide parents through obstacles of childhood safety, illness prevention, and pediatric medicine. In addition to her hospital work and writing obligations, she also serves as a medical correspondent for Lifetime’s Access Health and The Balancing Act.

Wednesday May 25, 2022
Wednesday May 25, 2022
Description: Military and veteran kids experience unique stressors that may influence their decisions to engage in risky behaviors such as underage drinking. Join MCEC and Responsibility.org as we bring together experts to discuss how talking with your kids about alcohol early and often is the best way to keep them safe.
Thank you to the Fort Lee Area Spouses Club for their support of this podcast.
https://www.fortleeareaspousesclub.com/
Show Notes:
- Understanding Youth Substance Use: For Military Parents and Caregivers
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/understanding-youth-substance-use-for-military-parents-and-caregivers - Responsibility.org https://www.responsibility.org/
- Talking to Tweens About Alcohol: https://asklistenlearn.org/parents/conversations-and-communication/
- Ask,Listen, Learn: https://asklistenlearn.org/
Infographic on Ask, Listen, Learn Conversation starters
- English
- Spanish: https://asklistenlearn.org/materials/spanish-language-building-communications-infographic/?lessonplan=Parents
- Advice for Parents from Parents https://www.responsibility.org/prevent-underage-drinking/talking-to-kids-about-alcohol
Bio:
Tim Farrell, MCEC’s Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (COO), is a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel who served for more than 23 years. Before joining MCEC, Tim served as the CEO of the National Association of Veteran-Serving Organizations (NAVSO), and as COO and interim President & CEO of Operation Homefront.
Having balanced his military service and raising his children for many years, Tim has a personal understanding of the difficulties military families face during periods of transition. He is a strong believer in using this experience to serve his community through his work on the World Affairs Council of San Antonio’s Board of Trustees and the City of San Antonio’s Veterans Affairs Commission, as well as his selection as the inaugural board chair of Students of Service (SOS) - San Antonio.
Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Rutgers University (where he also played college football), a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, and an executive certificate in Transformational Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife Gina live in San Antonio with their two sons, Aidan and Keagan.
Chris R. Swonger
Chris serves as the President & CEO of both the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Mr. Swonger has extensive experience guiding corporations to lead in business while playing a positive role in communities through proactive engagement. With over 25 years of experience in the public and private sector, Mr. Swonger brings extensive experience breaking down the traditional barriers that exist between corporations, non-government organizations and activist groups by facilitating consensus-based outcomes and knowledge leading industry in corporate social responsibility strategies.
Dr. Katie Friedman
Dr. Friedman is a board-certified pediatrician, writer, spokesperson, and mother. She currently practices pediatric emergency medicine in South Florida. Along with her two sisters, Dr. Friedman is co-founder of ForeverFreckled.com, guiding parents through obstacles of childhood safety, illness prevention, and pediatric medicine. She also serves as a medical correspondent for Lifetime’s Access Health and The Balancing Act.

Friday May 20, 2022
Taking A Gap Year- It’s not a year off!
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
Homeschooling is a Journey
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
Fact vs Myth: The Real Deal about the Military Interstate Compact
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.