MCEC Podcast

Special NTS 2021 Series: Student Achievement Highlight

On our special NTS episode today you are going to hear from Destiny Little our Implementation Manager for Purple Star Readiness at MCEC, but if you are a friend of MCEC you probably know her best from her work over many hears with our Student2Student Program.

This year, several of our sponsors – AT&T, BAE, and Boeing – will participate on a panel presenting a wide range of options in STEM-related career opportunities for the students in attendance. Each of the NTS sponsors eagerly seeks out ways to benefit and support our military-connected children each year.  Thanks to sponsors USAA, AT&T, BAE, Boeing, AMBA, Tutor.com, Defense Credit Union Council, MBA and College Board for making the 2021 National Training Seminar possible and free to all attendees.

MCEC provides support to military-connected students through peer-to-peer mentoring programs, the Frances Hesselbein Student leadership Program, student-focused webinars, and our Student Advisory Council. https://www.militarychild.org/audience/students

You can still register for the Virtual 2021 National Training Seminar (NTS):

2021 NTS: Embracing the Future for #Milkids. Join this FREE three-day virtual event for a unique opportunity to engage with senior military, government, education, and thought leaders.

REGISTER NOW

 

Special NTS 2021 Series: Parent Support Highlight

This week you are going to hear all about parents from our MCEC Parent Support Implementation Manager Louise Webb. Hear about an exclusive event for our military families as part of our National Training Seminar this year. Don’t forget to RSVP for the Premiere Tell Me a Story Event this year at: https://tmassignin.questionpro.com/ Seats are limited so sign up today!

Start here for information pertaining to Parents of military-connected children. https://www.militarychild.org/audience/parents

Thanks to a very generous grant from the USAA Foundation, one of our earliest and most significant donors, MCEC was able to develop SchoolQuest, an unprecedented set of tips, tools, and resources specially designed to assist highly mobile military-connected students and their families prepare for their sequence of moves.  Alongside AT&T, BAE, Boeing, College Board, AMBA, Defense Credit Union Council, MBA, and Tutor.com, USAA is also a Gold-level Sponsor of the 2021 National Training Seminar

Special NTS 2021 Series: Embracing the Future for #MilKids Kickoff

Join us as we kick off our MCEC podcast National Training Seminar Series where we will feature special guests as we lead up to our virtual NTS later this month.  Carrie Garlick the NTS Project Manager for over 16 years leads the conversation this week by giving our guests a peek behind the curtain to what they can expect this year and also insight into NTS 2022.  Listen in to be the first to know inside details about the biggest event of the summer for military kids! 

Registration is Open for the Virtual 2021 National Training Seminar (NTS):

You won’t want to miss the 2021 NTS: Embracing the Future for #Milkids. Join this FREE three-day virtual event for a unique opportunity to engage with senior military, government, education, and thought leaders.

REGISTER NOW

 

We want to take this opportunity to especially thank the sponsors that are making this National Training Seminar possible – and FREE – to our attendees as we connect them to the resources, knowledge, and community to best support military children in an educational setting.  Our heartfelt thanks goes out to USAA, AT&T, Boeing, College Board, BAE, Defense Credit Union Council , AMBA, Tutor.com, and MBA. We invite you to visit their booths and learn more about them when you attend the Seminar.

 

Show your pride in military kids by participating in our PURPLE OUT event the first day of the seminar on July 19^th by wearing purple or your official 2021 NTS t-shirt provided by Defense Credit Union Council!

 

To learn more about some of the speakers that Carrie mentioned in this episode check out: https://www.militarychild.org/programs/2021-national-training-seminar-nts

 

GAB-on!

As parents we all struggle when it comes to conversing with our kids. Join us as we chat with Jarrid and Sylvia Hall, creators of GAB-on! a platform that  creates "opportunity for conversations through authentic learning".

 

This podcast has been made possible thanks to the Spouses’ Club of Lewis-McChord.

 

Join the creators of GAB-on! for a session at the virtual MCEC National Training Seminar! Register Now at no charge for participants at https://www.militarychild.org/programs/2021-national-training-seminar-nts

 

Find out more about GAB-on! at: https://gab-on.com/

 

Sylvia Hall

Sylvia is the proud mom of two teenagers and co-founder of GAB-on!. With a 15+ years career in strategic and relationship marketing, she pivoted her energy and dedication to navigating the world of special education in both private and public schools on behalf of her son who learns differently. Sylvia holds a certificate from the Harvard E.D.U. "Family Engagement in Education" course; has a passion for writing, and has a tendency to bring rescue pups home at a moment's notice.

Jarrid Hall

Jarrid is the Dad of two teens, an idea-generator, and builder of GAB-on! His resume includes years of business development and sales at Fortune 500 companies (most recently at Google) and startups domestically and in Europe. He started his first business at age 12, went on to build the US business for a Dutch start-up, and spent time in London to open a new technology market. He built GAB-on! to connect with his kids and to show them how to be unafraid to try to start something from scratch and to be involved in an effort for the impact it can have.

 

Together, through the GAB-on! journey, Sylvia and Jarrid are graduates of the MassChallenge; graduates of the Rhode Island Social Enterprise Greenhouse Impact Accelerator; finalists for the MilkenPenn Business Plan contest, and recipients of the Rhode Island 50 On Fire Award.

 

DoD Impact Aid for Children with Severe Disabilities

Chief of the Education Partnership and Resources Division within the DoDEA, Kathy Facon joins us to provide an overview of impact aid and encourage eligible Local Education Agencies to apply for a portion of $20M in funding available to schools through the DoD Impact Aid for Children with Severe Disabilities (CWSD) program.

 

This podcast has been made possible thanks to the generous support from the Edwards Spouses’ Club. https://www.edwardsspouses.com/

 

 

Show Notes: 

Learn more about the DoD Impact Aid for Children with Severe Disabilities Program at: https://www.dodea.edu/partnership/disabilities.cfm

 

Application Deadline

Completed applications are due July 15, 2021 to be eligible for FY 2021 funds.

 

 

Kathleen Facon is the Chief of the Education Partnership and Resources Division within the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). In this role, Ms. Facon is responsible for leading efforts to increase family, school, and community partnerships to expand educational opportunities to leverage the influence and share resources of the Department of Defense Education Activity with to support children from military families. She is responsible for the oversight for policy and management of the Non-DoD School Program (NDSP), providing support and funding for the education of over 4,000 school age children of military members and DoD civilian employees assigned to approximately 135 international locations.   Ms. Facon provides leadership and oversight for a competitive grant program which promotes and expands continuity in academic and social support programs in military-connected school districts and is responsible for the administration of the congressional funding for Department of Defense Impact Aid Program. Over the past thirty years, Ms. Facon served as an expert advisor, senior staff officer, and consultant on child and youth development, early education, national accreditation systems, partnerships, parent education and involvement, curriculum programming, youth education support, and exceptional family member programs.

 

Building Trusting Relationships with LGBTQ+ Students

SFC Kristina Manookin Equal Opportunity Advisor currently serving at Fort Sill, OK shares how families and educators can build trusting relationships with LGBTQ+ students as they transition into and out of schools and communities.

This podcast has been made possible thanks to the Fort Riley Spouses’ Club https://www.fortrileyspousesclub.org/.

Show Notes:

Transgender Law Center https://transgenderlawcenter.org/

National Equality Map “This map shows the overall policy tallies (as distinct from sexual orientation or gender identity tallies) for each state, the District of Columbia, and the five populated U.S. territories. A state’s “policy tally” counts the number of laws and policies within the state that help drive equality for LGBTQ people. The major categories of laws covered by the policy tally include: Relationship & Parental Recognition, Nondiscrimination, Religious Exemptions, LGBTQ Youth, Health Care, Criminal Justice, and Identity Documents.” https://transgenderlawcenter.org/equalitymap

Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) believes every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education.  We are a national network of educators, students, and local GLSEN Chapters working to make this a reality. https://www.glsen.org/

PFLAF  It’s incumbent upon parents, families, friends, and allies to make schools safer for ALL students. PFLAG chapters work directly with schools and stakeholders in their communities, providing support, resources, training, creative programs, and even model policy to create an environment of respect.  https://pflag.org/cultivating-respect-safe-schools-all

Trevor Project  You are not alone!  If you’re looking for a place where LGBTQ youth and their allies can find answers to frequently asked questions or explore resources related to sexual orientation, gender identity and more please go to the Trevor Support Center at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/trevor-support-center/

If you or someone you know are thinking about suicide, you deserve immediate help - please call the Trevor Lifeline at 866-488-7386 or by Text START to 678-678 y

Trevor Project Trainings for Professionals include in-person Ally and CARE trainings designed for adults who work with youth. These trainings help counselors, educators, administrators, school nurses, and social workers discuss LGBTQ-competent suicide prevention.  https://www.thetrevorproject.org/education/

GSA Network is a next-generation LGBTQ racial and gender justice organization that empowers and trains queer, trans and allied youth leaders to advocate, organize, and mobilize an intersectional movement for safer schools and healthier communities.  https://gsanetwork.org/

The It Gets Better Project’s mission is to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe.  https://itgetsbetter.org/

Parenting, Supporting and Becoming an LGBTQ Ally

MCEC is an original cosponsor of the Armed Forces Transgender Dependent Act and aims to support ALL military-connected children.  In this three-part podcast series, Brooke walks us through their family's approach to parenting, supporting and becoming an LGBTQ ally in a military community.  We discuss specific challenges related to the military lifestyle, parental concern, building a trusting and safe family environment, and the unique advantages of being an LGBTQ military child during times of transition.          

This podcast has been made possible thanks to the Air Force Officers’ Spouses’ Club of Washington, DC.

Show Notes and Resources: (see attachment)

You can read more about legislation at: House Democrats introduce bill to protect transgender military dependents | TheHill

 

Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) believes every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education.  We are a national network of educators, students, and local GLSEN Chapters working to make this a reality. https://www.glsen.org/ 

 

PFLAG It’s incumbent upon parents, families, friends, and allies to make schools safer for ALL students. PFLAG chapters work directly with schools and stakeholders in their communities, providing support, resources, training, creative programs, and even model policy to create an environment of respect.  https://pflag.org/cultivating-respect-safe-schools-all 

 

Trevor Project You are not alone!  If you’re looking for a place where LGBTQ youth and their allies can find answers to frequently asked questions or explore resources related to sexual orientation, gender identity and more please go to the Trevor Support Center at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/trevor-support-center/ 

If you or someone you know are thinking about suicide, you deserve immediate help - please call the Trevor Lifeline at 866-488-7386 or by Text START to 678-678 y 

Trevor Project Trainings for Professionals include in-person Ally and CARE trainings designed for adults who work with youth. These trainings help counselors, educators, administrators, school nurses, and social workers discuss LGBTQ-competent suicide prevention.  https://www.thetrevorproject.org/education/ 

GSA Network is a next-generation LGBTQ racial and gender justice organization that empowers and trains queer, trans and allied youth leaders to advocate, organize, and mobilize an intersectional movement for safer schools and healthier communities.  https://gsanetwork.org/ 

The It Gets Better Project’s mission is to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe.  https://itgetsbetter.org/ 

 

LGBTQ+ Youth Allies

In this episode, MCEC MSC Sue Lopez talks with Sadie a college student who has been brought up in a military family about practical ways that military-connected parents, extended families, teachers, school counselors and peers can become effective allies for the LGBTQ+ loved-ones in their lives.

This podcast has been brought to you thanks to the Air Force Officers’ Spouses’ Club of Washington, DC.

Gay Straight Alliance https://gsanetwork.org/

Gay Straight Alliance supports LGBTQ+ youth organizers across the country to take action and create change at all levels, from school-based campaigns that impact individual school districts to national days of action that unite GSAs for racial and gender justice. GSA organizing is making schools safer, changing communities, and building power for the next generation of LGBTQ+ youth.

Trevor Project- https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning youth.

Brene Brown— https://brenebrown.com/

Ted Talks https://www.ted.com/talks

Join us again next week to hear from Sadie’s mom Brooke.

The Wilson’s Family Adventure

PCS season is upon us! Military kids and authors of The Wilson’s Family Adventure, Drayton and Lauryn, share their perspective about moving and how writing a book in their own voice not only helped them but could help other military kids not feel alone when experiencing continuous transitions.

 

Their newly retired dual-military parents, Darrell and Youlanda, also share about building a “framily” at each new duty station, making kids “part of the process” and other positive strategies that families can implement to build connection and facilitate a smooth transition for their children. 

 

This podcast has been made possible thanks to the Air Force Officers’ Spouses’ Club of Washington, DC.

 

Show Notes:

The Wilson's Family Adventure: Walker, Drayton & Lauryn, Bean, Izzy: 9781948270021: Amazon.com: Books

 

SchoolQuest: College Selection/Moving

SchoolQuest has tools that gave milkid Haven the ability to plan ahead with the college selection process and her mom Tara with being proactive at solving problems and keeping paperwork organized for three kids amidst a move. 

Sneek Peek at the SchoolQuest tool: Researching and Choosing a College (militarychild.org)

This podcast has been made possible thanks to the USAA Foundation.