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Conversations about the challenges military-connected kids face as they navigate multiple education systems from birth through high school.
Episodes
Thursday Mar 10, 2022
Thursday Mar 10, 2022
Description: The health and satisfaction of Army Families today directly impacts the future of the fighting Force of our Nation. Representatives from the US Army Public Health Center discuss the Health of the Army Family report and their hope it will bring attention to the Army Family health and aid in the understanding of the health needs and concerns of Army Families.
Show notes:
Army Public Health Center: https://phc.amedd.army.mil/Pages/default.aspx
2020 Health of the Force report: https://phc.amedd.army.mil/PHC%20Resource%20Library/2020-hof-web.pdf
Army Health and Wellness Portfolio: https://phc.amedd.army.mil/organization/hpw/Pages/default.aspx
Health of the Army Family: https://phc.amedd.army.mil/Periodical%20Library/haf-2021-report.pdf
Bio:
Dr. Theresa Jackson Santo is the Division Chief of the Public Health Assessment Division within the Health Promotion and Wellness Directorate at the United States Army Public Health Center in Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. Her division’s mission is to build, document, and apply the evidence base of community-based programs, policies, and practices within the U.S. Army. Her multidisciplinary team of more than 2 dozen scientists, epidemiologists, program evaluators, and public health practitioners executes formative and summative evaluations for a multitude of interventions each year within the United States Army. These projects strive to systematically assess what’s working, what’s not, and how the Army’s public health enterprise can be improved to best meet Soldiers’ needs and achieve favorable outcomes. Dr. Santo holds a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina and a PhD in Public Health from the University of Maryland. Her professional passions include mixed methods designs, survey development, applied program evaluation, and public health program planning. In her personal life, Dr. Santo has four children ages five and under, including her newest addition, Abigail, who was born in January of this year.
Ms. Laura A. Mitvalsky is the Director of the Health Promotion and Wellness Directorate at the United States Army Public Health Center in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Her directorate’s mission is to advocate for global force fitness through strategically developing, integrating, standardizing and evaluating health promotion and wellness services within the Army public health system. Ms. Mitvalsky directs all programmatic and administrative activities for health promotion and wellness at Army Public Health Center and has enterprise oversight for four program areas within her directorate: Health Promotion Operations, Army Wellness Centers, Integrated Health Education, and Public Health Assessment. She leads approximately 75 scientists, program and policy officers, program developers, health educators, and more, across CONUS and OCONUS locations to realize the directorate’s vision and mission. She has served in this role for nearly 11 years; prior to this, she worked on various health promotion and wellness initiatives for the Army, including developing the Army’s first standardized commander’s councils to strategically and systematically integrate health, readiness and resilience at Army installations. In September 2019, she was named Aberdeen Proving Ground’s Supervisor of the Year in recognition of Women’s Equality Day. She was recognized then for her mentorship, positive guidance to employees, especially to female employees, both within and outside of the Army Public Health Center. Her professional passions include making strategic connections and taking a systems perspective to help individuals, units, and communities realize optimal health and wellness. Ms. Mitvalsky is a Florida native and spent many years living overseas. She is the proud parent of two college-aged children.
LTC Virgil Rivera
LTC Virgil Rivera is currently serving as the deputy chief for the Health Education and Application Division under the Health Promotion and Wellness Directorate. His primary duties are focused across a variety of Army enterprise level projects. Additionally, he has been selected to serve as the lead action officer for the Health of the Army Family strategic objective. LTC Rivera is a board certified diplomate and supervisory licensed clinical social worker where he recently completed the Child and Family Fellowship under the National Capital Consortium, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Some of his previous assignments include chief of the Family Advocacy Program behavioral health service line at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, behavioral health officer for the 3d Cavalry Regiment, deputy chief for the Health Facilities and Plans office for Regional Health Command Europe (formerly Europe Regional Medical Command), aide-de-camp, and platoon leader during his time with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy. He graduated with a bachelor’s of science from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio and completed the U.S. Army masters in social work program at Joint Base San Antonio. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Medical Department Captains Career Course, Command and General Staff College, and has deployed twice to Afghanistan. LTC Rivera is a first generation Army officer and third generation soldier as his family originates from the Philippines. His late grandfather was a Philippine Scout and a survivor of the Bataan Death March while his late father served in the signal community during the Cold War period. He is married to LTC Kelly Rivera who is also a U.S. Army social work officer and they have two children.
Thursday Mar 03, 2022
Thursday Mar 03, 2022
Description: Rylie, a cadet at the West Point Prep School, chats about her experience with MCEC’s Student to Student and how it has influenced her future.
Show Notes:
https://www.westpoint.edu/usmaps
https://www.militarychild.org/programs/student-2-student
Bio:
Hi! My name is Rylie and I attend the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS/ Prep School). I am a military child. Within my life I have moved 7 times and have attended 6 different schools. I first joined the Student 2 Student program in 8th grade and have been an active member all throughout high school. Being apart of the Student 2 Student program has taught me several valuable life skills I still use to help me succeed within USMAPS.
Thursday Feb 24, 2022
Thursday Feb 24, 2022
Mil-Kid Tyler and his dad, share their experience of exploring ROTC programs and the Army Service Academy.
Show Notes:
West Point Summer Leader experience: https://www.westpoint.edu/admissions/summer-program?gclid=CjwKCAiA9tyQBhAIEiwA6tdCrExoQnrhKQUts-ch-oz40D1sQBjjURwYFuCtoT7mTlIN-s3znXmVqxoCpGYQAvD_BwE
DOD INSTRUCTION 6130.03, VOLUME 1 MEDICAL STANDARDS FOR MILITARY SERVICE: APPOINTMENT, ENLISTMENT, OR INDUCTION: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/613003v1p.PDF?ver=7cPFjXiGqfqNSF2HHw-X6w%3D%3D
West Point Application Timeline: https://www.westpoint.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/ADMISSIONS/Admissions%20Timeline.pdf
College Application Process Webinar https://events-na5.adobeconnect.com/content/connect/c1/968319730/en/events/event/private/1825780098/3001957119/event_registration.html?sco-id=3157525450&_charset_=utf-8
Bio: Tyler
Tyler is currently a sophomore at the United States Military Academy and majoring in Economics. He grew up as a military child in the Army and had seven moves before he entered West Point. His choice to attend a service academy built upon a family tradition of service, as his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all career military officers. He hopes that his experience applying to both USMA and Army ROTC can help others navigate the unique requirements of those and similar programs.
Thursday Feb 17, 2022
Thursday Feb 17, 2022
The value of a trusted relationship between parents and teachers.
Show Notes:
-Learning Heroes
- Team Up for Success: Resources & Tools for this School Year
https://bealearninghero.org/team-up-for-success/
https://bealearninghero.org/readiness-check-02/
https://bealearninghero.org/dear-teacher-letter/
- Parent-Teacher Planning Tool
https://bealearninghero.org/parent-teacher-planning-tool-2021/
Bio: Bibb Hubbard - Founder and President of Learning Heroes
Bibb founded Learning Heroes to help parents most effectively advocate for their children’s educational success. She brings extensive experience in communications, policy, and advocacy from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors. She held leadership positions at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Widmeyer Communications, and Scholastic. Her public-sector experience includes positions at the White House and the U.S. Labor Department. Bibb sits on the board of the New York City Leadership Academy and is the proud mother of two teenage sons.
Guest Host Bio: Georgia McKown- Director of Planning, Analysis and Evaluation
Georgia McKown is the Director of Planning, Analysis, and Evaluation at MCEC. Her work experience prior to this role included instructional design, pre-service teacher education, and elementary education. Georgia is currently finishing her PhD in Learning Sciences at Clemson University, where she has focused on education of military-connected children, education technology, and teacher preparation.
Monday Feb 14, 2022
Monday Feb 14, 2022
The Stephens family share how being a military caregiver is a family endeavor and the importance of recognizing that military-connected children and youth are often part of this support.
Show Notes:
https://caregivers-homefront.org/
https://www.elizabethdolefoundation.org/fellows/
https://hiddenheroes.org/resources/hiddenhelpers/
Bio: Noah Stephens
Hidden Helper
Noah Stephens is 19 years old and lives with his family in southern California. His father, John, is a combat wounded veteran of the Marine Corps. His mom, Nikki, is his caregiver. Noah has four siblings, and is the oldest one living at home, along with his 15-year-old sister and twin 8-year-old brothers.
Noah has never thought of himself as a “caregiver kid.” He just thought he was someone who happened to have a dad who was injured, and a mom who cared for him, and that he helped them both, because he was their son, and they love each other.
He helps his family in many ways, whether it’s helping his mom with his siblings, running errands, taking on his dad’s chores when he’s unable to after seizures, and so much more. Noah takes on all of these responsibilities to help his parents along with his own, but he says he wouldn’t have it any other way. Noah also knows what to do when his dad has a seizure. He believes it’s empowering to have some of these skills that you only pick up as a caregiver kid; but when his dad experiences a seizure, he can’t help but feel scared and overthink.
Noah has returned to college to study film production. Noah turns to television and film to help relax from the daily stress of being a caregiver kid. A particular film Noah loves is Good Will
Hunting. He relates to Will. Noah has experienced trauma and hasn’t gotten the chance to heal from it because life as a caregiver kid doesn’t let you, but he knows he’ll get his chance.
Bio: Nikki Stephens
Hidden Hero
Nikki had never heard of traumatic brain injury (TBI) until her husband, John, was diagnosed with it in 2009. John was deployed in Iraq and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marines Corps in 2006. When he met Nikki after the Marine Corps, he experienced some symptoms of post-traumatic stress.
Nikki slowly slipped into the role of a caregiver as she helped John manage his emotions. After his health continued to unravel, it took 16 months for doctors to correctly diagnose him with left temporal lobe epilepsy, due to the TBI that went undiagnosed for so long, as well as a host of other issues. That was the moment Nikki knew she was officially his caregiver.
Since joining the Elizabeth Dole Foundation as a Dole Caregiver Fellow in 2015, Nikki has sat on numerous committees, campaigns, and is very passionate about serving families of our nation’s wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans. Nikki is committed to building a stronger military and veteran caregiver community.
As a Dole Caregiver Fellow, Nikki advocates, not only for her husband and other caregivers, but for military children as well.
Thursday Feb 03, 2022
Thursday Feb 03, 2022
Jeremy Hester from the Fort Bragg Armed Services YMCA to chat about food insecurity and our military families.
Show Notes:
https://www.asymca.org/fort-bragg-home
https://www.asymca.org/?hsLang=en
https://militaryfamilyadvisorynetwork.org/our-programs/military-family-food-insecurity-3/
Bio:
Jeremy Hester, Armed Services YMCA Fort Bragg Executive Director
Jeremy grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia playing soccer throughout high school. He started volunteering and getting involved with the YMCA in 2012, which eventually led to interest in working for the YMCA. His first position was as membership director with the Mount Trashmore YMCA in Virginia Beach and the rest is history. He is a self-proclaimed "Y guy" now. Jeremy most recently comes from the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA after serving as their Executive Director and overseeing the opening of a brand-new YMCA location.
Jeremy recently moved to North Carolina from Tampa with his wife Aubie and 4-year-old son, Leo, who will start kindergarten in the fall. They love the outdoors and are excited about being part of the Armed Services YMCA family and this community.
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Corie Weathers, a licensed professional counselor (LPC), sought-after speaker, and consultant, discusses teen apathy, dimensions of wellness and how parents can help kids find their value.
Show Notes:
5 Minute Check-in: https://www.life-giver.org/5-minute-check-in/
Gallup Strength:
https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx
Feelings wheel: https://feelingswheel.com/
Angela Duckworth's book Grit: https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/
Bio:
Corie Weathers, licensed professional counselor (LPC), is a sought-after speaker, consultant, and author of the award- winning book Sacred Spaces: My Journey to the Heart of Military Marriage. Corie has focused her career for the last 20 years as a clinician specializing in marriage, military and first responders, the service culture, and its impact on families.
She has traveled to Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf to visit troops and report on deployment conditions with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and has taught service families across the globe, including Japan.
Nicknamed “#Coriespondent”, Corie consults on military and first responder culture, produces content through interviews and videos, emcees events as well as facilitates meaningful and productive sessions and retreats for families on how to live, lead, find purpose, and build relationships using their natural talents. Her Lifegiver Podcast provides encouraging content and inspirational interviews to service families and marriages.
Friday Jan 21, 2022
Friday Jan 21, 2022
Join us we discuss military caregiver kids, learn the unique challenges they face, and the support services available to them.
Show notes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk1kfy8DfRI&t=1776s
https://hiddenheroes.org/news/hiddenhelperslaunch/
EDF_ExecSummary.pdf (hiddenheroes.org)
https://hiddenheroes.org/resources/hiddenhelpers/
Bio:
Rashi Venkataraman Romanoff
Vice President for Programs & Partnerships
Elizabeth Dole Foundation
Rashi Venkataraman Romanoff serves as the Vice President for Programs & Partnerships for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, where she oversees all programs and is steering new strategic partnerships to enhance the Foundation’s reach and resources. Prior to joining the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Rashi worked at America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) as their Executive Director for Prevention and Population Health. In this role, she led programs, activities, and industry-wide initiatives related to prevention, wellness, and public health and launched AHIP’s strategy to address the social determinants of health.
Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Rashi is an experienced health care professional with a demonstrated history of working in the public and private sectors. From 2010 to 2017, Rashi worked at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), starting as a Presidential Management Fellow and eventually serving as the Director of Operations for the VA Center for Strategic Partnerships. In this role, she was responsible for directing collaborative projects valued at more than $150 million to better serve our nation’s Veterans and their families. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Rashi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Public Policy and a Master’s Degree in Health Care Policy & Management. She is also the previous recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship (2008) and Presidential Management Fellowship (2010).
Mathematica Researchers Bios
Hidden Helpers at the Frontlines of Caregiving
Cleo Jacobs Johnson
Cleo Jacobs Johnson, a developmental psychologist and qualitative researcher, leads research designed to shine a light on the people providing the essential work that is often invisible and overlooked, military and veteran caregiving families and family, friend, and neighbor childcare providers. In this work, Dr. Jacobs Johnson’s keenly invests in partnering with various stakeholders to identify strategies and solutions for promoting equitable access to systems and supports.
Dr. Jacobs Johnson’s work with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation has enhanced meaning because she is a military spouse and is deeply committed to amplifying the voices of military families. Her husband, Staff Sergeant Damien Johnson, has 20 years of service in the Army and served two tours of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her family has PCSed 4 times during his career, including two cross-country moves.
Dr. Jacobs Johnson holds a PhD in Human Development and Applied Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s of Arts in Psychology from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology.
Steven Malick
Steven Malick is a researcher at Mathematica and the spouse of a veteran who served one tour of duty in Afghanistan. Mr. Malick focuses on bridging the gap between research and practice, particularly aimed at improving equitable outcomes for children, and in this context, ensuring that children in military caregiving families have full and rewarding lives. Mr. Malick specializes in working with stakeholders, educators, state officials, and staff from philanthropic organizations to understand and apply evidence in order to tackle problems of practice and make progress toward their goals. His research considers important questions about how to align complex systems to achieve desired aims.
An experienced facilitator of adult learning experiences, Mr. Malick employs human-centered design principles and continuous improvement frameworks to help stakeholders unpack the challenges they face and realize evidence-informed approaches to tackle those challenges. This work has included partnering with stakeholders to help them use and apply data and research; designing and facilitating workshops, webinars, and communities of practice; assembling expert feedback to inform clients’ efforts; and distilling research on complex topics into easy-to-read briefs and blogs. Before joining Mathematica in 2015, Mr. Malick spent nearly a decade in the public education system as a middle school math teacher and as a coach of new teachers. He has a master’s in public affairs and politics from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
Kerry Irvin from Camp Corral discusses the importance of identifying military connected children who are also caregivers and the support available to them.
Show Notes:
https://hiddenheroes.org/resources/hiddenhelpers/
Identifying if a child is a caregiver: https://www.campcorral.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Identifying-caregiving-kids.pdf
Supports for caregiving children: https://www.campcorral.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/At-home-supports-for-caregiving-youth.pdf
15 Things Military and Veterans’ Kids Want You to Know: https://www.campcorral.org/resources/
Bio: Kerry Irvin
Kerry Irvin a DoD certified Master Resilience Trainer and the Director of External Relations and Partnerships at Camp Corral, a national non-profit organization whose mission is to transform the lives of the children of wounded, ill, and fallen military heroes through camp, advocacy, and enrichment programs.
Kerry is the North Carolina Military Spouse of the Year and mother of four whose work in support of military families has been recognized with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Secretary of the Army’s Superior Public Service Medal.
She is a frequent guest speaker and trainer on the topics of military family well-being, resilience, emotional intelligence, growth mindset, leadership, and team building.
Thursday Jan 06, 2022
Thursday Jan 06, 2022
Dr. Becky Porter, CEO of MCEC, reflects on 2021 and how MCEC's accomplishments will influence their direction for 2022.
Show Notes:
School Quest: https://schoolquest.militarychild.org/
Military Student Consultant: https://www.militarychild.org/MSC
Purple Star Schools: https://www.militarychild.org/purplestarschools
Food Insecurity: https://www.csis.org/analysis/food-insecurity-among-us-veterans-and-military-families
Bio:
Dr. Porter is a proven “people first” leader with more than three decades of military service. As the President and Chief Executive Officer of MCEC, she oversees a wide range of research informed initiatives and distinct programs for military and veteran-connected students, parents, and youth-serving professionals. She leads the nonprofit organization whose mission is to support all military-connected children by educating, advocating, and collaborating to resolve education challenges associated with the military lifestyle. Dr. Porter earned the US Army Surgeon General’s “A” proficiency designator, a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Clinical Psychology, and a Master of Science degree in National Security and Strategic Studies; she is board certified in Clinical Health Psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology).