Voice For The Military Child

Great News for Military Families: Tutor.com

"...The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that, effective immediately, it is paying for unlimited Tutor.com service (private tutoring and Live Homework Help(R)) for all active duty military service members, reservists, National Guard personnel on active duty in a deployed status, and DoD civilians in a deployed status. The program covers all military dependents, including spouses and children."

Military Families Gain Access to Free, Online Tutoring

By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2010 – The Defense Department has launched a free, online tutoring service for servicemembers and their families.

The site – http://www.tutor.com/military -- offers round-the-clock professional tutors who can assist with homework, studying, test preparation, resume writing and more.

Marine Corps and Army families have had access to the program for more than a year. Seeing the value, Defense Department officials decided to expand the service to encompass all servicemembers and their families, officials said.

“Providing 24/7 academic and career support for military families during a time when so many parents have a deployed spouse has been an important and well-received benefit for Marine Corps and Army families,” said Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy.

“We are pleased to expand this program to all U.S. military families and provide peace of mind that their children are never alone when it comes to learning – there is always a certified, professional tutor available to help,” he said.

... See the entire article
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=57732

... Link to tutor.com
http://www.tutor.com/press/press-releases-2010/20100126

"...Military students are eligible for this program right now regardless of whether they are in public school, private school, parochial school, or are home schooled. And, that if their school or district serves a substantial population of military families, they may be eligible to have a Tutor.com representative do a free in-person and/or online demonstrations for interested students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Any questions, please contact Bart at bepstein@tutor.com."

 

@15 - Scholarship Opportunity from Best Buy

The MCEC recently learned about a scholarship opportunity which may interest many of our readers. Like many other business organizations, Best Buy, supports student programs that provide opportunities to develop leadership skill and encourages volunteering in local communities. Additionally, the Best Buy @15 Scholarship Program awards 1,000 scholarships of $1,000 to students (grades 9-12) in the United States and Puerto Rico who plan to continue their education after high school.

You will have to become a @15 member (free), and, yes, there will be information about other Best Buy programs, but this is a great opportunity for high school students. You can read about the program at the site below, but hurry because the application window is from December 28, 2009 through February 15, 2010.

If you are in grades 9-11, you will have future opportunities to apply again, so make sure you get the picture of the type of students that Best Buy is looking for:

1.    Students with good grades.
2.    Students who are volunteer at school and their community, OR
3.    Students who already work.

You’ll find that many organizations will be searching for the same kind of students for their awards also.

 

http://www.at15.com/

 

- The Military Child Education Coalition's Aunt Peggie

Interstate Compact - 27 States are now in!

New Jersey is now the 27th state to adopt the Compact and to join the Interstate Compact Commission! New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine signed the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children into law just before leaving office this week.

“Military families move between postings on a regular basis. While reassignments can often be a boon for career personnel, they often wreak havoc on the children of military families. Issues these children face include: losing and making new friends, adjusting to new cities and bases, and changing schools. While the armed services have taken great leaps to ease the transition of personnel, their spouses and most importantly children, much remains to be done at the state and local levels to ensure that the children of military families are afforded the same opportunities for educational success as other children and are not penalized or delayed in achieving their educational goals by inflexible administrative and bureaucratic practices. The average military student faces transition challenges more than twice during high school, and most military children will have six to nine different school systems in their lives from kindergarten to 12th grade. With more than half of all military personnel supporting families, the impacts of reassignment and long deployments are key considerations when making long-term life choices…”

Find out more about the Interstate Compact, here: http://www.csg.org/programs/policyprograms/NCIC/interstatecommission_militarychildren.aspx.

 - posted by Laura Campbell, Media Specialist for the MCEC

Military Family Resource Collection in Onslow County Public Library/Camp Lejeune

The Military Child Education Coalition is so proud to have helped sow the 'seeds' for this project - sure to be a beloved resource for the military families and educational professionals in Jacksonville, North Carolina - by providing the initial materials for the project. But it has taken many hours from a dedicated, hard-working team there (including the Camp Lejeune School Liaison Officer as well professionals from the Onslow County Public Library, and contributions of many, many others) to make this Military Family Resource Collection a reality! What a wonderful resource - what a wonderful example of how a need is recognized and then filled by a community, working together.

Onslow County Public Library in Partnership with Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune to hold Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Grand Opening of New Military Family Resource Collection

(Onslow County) – Onslow County Public Library in partnership with Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune invites the public to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening of the new Military Family Resource Collection at the Main Library in Jacksonville on Friday, January 29 at 10:00 am.

The first of its kind in the nation, the partnership between Camp Lejeune and Onslow County Public Library provides for an ongoing and growing collection of books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and story kits designed to address the unique challenges faced by children of military families. The collection provides not only resources for military families, but for educators, counselors, and community partners who are instrumental in reducing the impact of the mobile military life style on military children and who work with issues related to transition, deployment, trauma, and loss.

The initial materials to start the Military Family Resource Collection were provided by the Military Child Education Coalition on behalf of military children at Camp Lejeune. The project was initiated by the Camp Lejeune School Liaison Officer and was originally designed to provide local educators who have military children in their schools and classrooms easy access to resources through the public library. After initial meetings between the Camp Lejeune School Liaison Officer and Onslow County Public Library, that mission was quickly expanded to include resources for parents, educators, counselors and community members who care for, educate, and advocate for military children, as well as resources specifically for military children and teens. Onslow County Public Library has since provided additional resources to the collection. The Camp Lejeune Base Libraries have also come onboard agreeing to supplement their own collection with similar resources, which are available to Onslow County Public Library card holders through interlibrary loan. At present, the Military Family Resource Collection is small, but the resources are significant and will grow along with the partnership.

Onslow County Public Library and Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune both recognize the Military Family Resource Collection as another example of the long-standing and vital partnership between the citizens of Onslow County and Camp Lejeune. Nationally, other military bases have already expressed an interest in forming similar partnerships with public libraries.

For more information about the Military Family Resource Collection, please call Estell Carter, Assistant Library Director/Collection Development Officer for Onslow County Public Library, at 910.455.7350 ext. 227. For more information about the Camp Lejeune School Liaison Office or the Military Child Education Coalition, please call Julie Fulton, Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune Liaison Officer, at 910.449.9915. For more information about Onslow County Public Library including how to get a library card, please visit www.onslowcountync.gov/library or call 910.455.7350.

 

Hot Topics

2010 is going to be a great - read: busy - year! With so much going on, it's easy to "lose the bubble" on resources or upcoming events. Below are some great online resources that may be new, new to you, or a heads up for what's on the horizon.

• If you are looking for a tutor for your school-age child, check out: http://www.myarmyonesource.com/ChildYouthandSchoolServices/CYSServices which has online tutoring with certified teachers.
• Good news for applicants! FAFSA has updated the technology for their online form so it's even easier to fill-out. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/site-of-the-week/site/?i=62486
• New site for the G.I.Bill: http://www.todaysgibill.org/
• Need a great "resource for parenting positive kids"? Check out Fishfulthinking.com.
• Looking for some inspiration on how to serve your community? Check out ServiceNation.org. Service Nation will also help build awareness for any MLK Day projects your communities and organizations will be holding this January 18.
  

What's in your plans for 2010? Have you discovered any new web sites or information that are figuring into those plans?

- posted by Laura Campbell, Media Specialist for the MCEC

Fort Hood Heroes Named Texan of the Year

This year, the Dallas Morning News "Texan of the Year" is actually a group: the Heroes at Fort Hood from the November 5 incident. The heroes of Fort Hood: Ask people around the world's biggest military base to recount personal tales of calamity since 2001, and the shooting spree that killed 13 and wounded 32 on Nov. 5 surfaces almost as an afterthought. At Fort Hood, it's all personal. It's all family."

Ed Veiga, MCEC Vice President of Strategic Communication was interviewed for the write up ("It's not a pity party," says Edwin Viega, vice president of the Military Child Education Coalition, which helps kids adapt to the stresses and challenges of their parents' jobs. "It's not, 'Gee, our poor military kids.' ... We have a chance to learn from this [wartime experience] to build more resilient families.") as well as some of the local students involved in the MCEC's Student 2 Student program ("...To cope with it, kids have to be "kind of 'Army strong' like your parents," says Harker Heights High School senior Andrea Young, 17.)

To read the full story, click here: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/texanofyear/stories/DN-texone_27edi.State.Edition1.15c7b83.html

 

What's the Texan of the Year?
The annual Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year series, now in its seventh year, draws from reader nominations to the newspaper's editorial board.

"We had a long list of thought-provoking nominations this year," said Keven Ann Willey, vice president and editorial page editor of The News. "We deliberated and debated a lot during the selection process, but ultimately I'm proud of the decisions we made."

The newspaper's criteria for the distinction call for "a Texan (or Texans) who has had uncommon impact; who exemplifies Texas traits of trailblazing, independence and staring down adversity; and who has affected or influenced lives (positively or negatively)."

The editorial board selected the finalists and winners through an internal vote. Recent Dallas Morning News Texans of the Year include:

2008: Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins, for his dedication to reversing cases of injustice.

2007: the illegal immigrant, who caused the political and social pot to boil while keeping Texas' economy humming.

2006: Roy Velez of Lubbock, for exemplifying love and compassion in the face of the overwhelming tragedy, the war-related loss of his two sons.

2005: the city of Houston, for its stellar response to Hurricane Katrina victims.

 

- posted by Laura Campbell, Media Specialist for the Military Child Education Coalition

Helping Kids Help Others

I look around today and see how blessed I am.  The United States is among the richest countries in the world.  While we may at times wonder how we will afford this or that, we are blessed to have a roof over our heads, food to eat and a bed to curl up in at night.  But in a society of expensive toys and gadgets, how do we help our children see how blessed they are?

As Christmas approaches, my children are no different, I admit.  My daughter wants a camera, and not just any camera, a digital camera with all the bells and whistles.  While I want to fulfill her Christmas wish, I also want to teach her gratitude. As with anything we do as parents and adults, it is best to lead by example.  How are we behaving?  Do we go out of our way to help others or do we go out of our way to avoid any entanglements?  I want my children to see me caring about others: stopping to help a harried mother, shoveling snow from a neighbor’s walk, taking the extra time to listen with both heart and ears – going out of my personal comfort zone to assist someone else.

Every child is different and has different ways of expressing themselves.  For the adventurous child,  a mission trip to help build houses or assist those less fortunate is a great idea.  Schools, church groups, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts give children an excellent opportunity to help others while in a safe setting.  Simple things that can be done: helping out in the church nursery, volunteering at care centers, or babysitting as a gift.  The options are out there, we just have to have our eyes open to see them.

HeroesHelpingHeroes.org is based in Baltimore, MD and has a terrific program model.  At-risk boys ages 11-18 are taught how to help themselves by helping others in a three-pronged approach.  First, they are held accountable for their own academics.  School attendance and good study habits are enforced.  Next, they are paired up with children who are ill or have disabilities.  They become companions and role models for these kids.  This mentor-ship helps the “heroes” gain confidence, poise, and compassion.  The third prong in this approach is basketball.  Playing time is earned by meeting the program standards.  The boys are part of a team and learn the importance of working together and personal accountability.

Teaching our kids compassion is not a simple thing to do.  We cannot tell them without showing them.  Look for teaching moments; they are fleeting so you must be prepared when they arise.  Praise your child when they do put others first.  Help your child see his/her strengths and how they can use those to bless others.  And, don’t make compassion something you pull out at the holidays and dust off to put on display.  Each day, challenge yourself and your kids in doing one thing that will bless someone else. 

“Happiness is a perfume that you cannot pour out on others without getting a few drops on yourself.” -Anonymous 

- Posted by Amy Soupene, MCEC's SchoolQuest Program Manager

Living In the New Normal Update

This past Fall, the Military Child Education Coalition conducted two very successful Living In the New Normal Public Engagements in Vermont and Virginia. You can see a report of Vermont's event here.

Unique to these two Public Engagement events was the simultaneous launch of a new website, LINN.MilitaryChild.org. LINN Public Engagements are all about being together resources within a community to help military-connected children, and this web site supports the work that comes after the event. This website enables communities to continue their communication, provides resources for parents, educational professionals, and community leaders, and provides forums for special topics. You can build a profile and become a member of a specific group or browse all the site has to offer.

- posted by Laura Campbell, Media Specialist for the MCEC

Texas Tuition Waiver Program for Dependents

Fact Sheet

Texas Tuition Waiver for Dependents of Deployed Soldiers

Recently passed Texas legislation provides College Tuition Exemption at public Texas State Colleges and Universities for dependent children of military service members who are serving on Active Duty in a combat zone.  This program is commonly referred to as The Texas Tuition Waiver for Dependents of Deployed Soldiers.

 

This tuition waiver program covers the tuition expense at Texas public institutions of higher learning; other academic fees and book costs are not covered by this exemption. 

 

Dependent children of active duty Soldiers are eligible for this benefit, provided they are:

Ø  Texas resident or entitled to pay tuition at the Texas resident rate (in-state rate).

Ø  Claimed dependent of a parent who is a member of the U. S. Armed Forces (posses ID card).

Ø  Enrolled for any semester or other academic term at a public Texas college/university during which the Soldier sponsor is deployed on active duty for the purpose of engaging in a combative military operation outside the United States. 

 

Documents required to establish eligibility for this tuition exemption include copies of:

Ø  Sponsor’s most current LES

Ø  Sponsor’s deployment orders

Ø  Eligible dependent ID card.

 

This tuition waiver program is effective as of Fall 2009, and is retroactive to the beginning of Texas

college/universities Fall 2009 semesters. 

 

For state-wide information on this program, please click on this website:

<o:p>http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/apps/financialaid/tofa2.cfm?ID=580</o:p>

 

Today’s GI Bill - New Site

“Today’s GI Bill – also known as the Post-9/11 GI Bill – went into effect in August 2009, making the reality of higher education more attainable than ever for today’s service members and veterans. The Bill significantly expands educational benefits available to those who have served since September 11, 2001, offering up to 100 percent tuition and fee assistance at institutes of higher learning; housing assistance; an annual stipend for books and school supplies; and the option to transfer benefits to immediate family members.”

This site has so much helpful information! If you want to know more about the GI Bill, this is the perfect place to get started: http://www.todaysgibill.org/.