Ohio Military Kids: Building the Resilience of Military Youth
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Date
2019-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ohio State University. Office of Outreach and Engagement
Abstract
Ohio Military Kids (OMK) is a joint effort between OSU Extension 4-H youth development and Ohio National Guard Family Readiness and Warrior Support. OMK activities offer a positive opportunity to meet other children who face the unique family situations, stresses, and successes of a military family. Learn what OMK offers including camps and workshops, as well as the resilience developed by military youth who participate in our programs. Visit the OMK poster to see how to refer military families to our local resources, learn how you could become a volunteer, and how we, as a community, can support those families who bravely serve our country.
Description
Ohio Military Kids (OMK) is a joint partnership of OSU Extension 4-H youth development and Ohio National Guard Family Readiness and Warrior Support. There are roughly 30,000 Ohio children with a parent or guardian serving in the military. These 30,000 youth are spread across every county in Ohio; and 16 counties have more than 500 military youth residing in them. With only one active duty base in Ohio (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base), the importance of education and community outreach is necessary when it comes to supporting the social, emotional, and academic needs of these children. Ohio has the outstanding benefit of community and university support to offer countless resources to military families. With financial support of private donors and grants, OMK is a thriving program that offers year-round educational and recreational programs to youth of military families. In addition, OMK promotes and distributes resources to equip families with the skills and networks necessary to thrive as a successful military family, whether on reservist duties or actively serving. Events offered by OMK are intended to let military-connected youth know they are not alone. Youth build relationships with other children who are experiencing similar situations. Not only does every county in Ohio have military youth residing in them, every school district in the United States has military-connected youth. "Military-connected youth" are children, adolescents, or students with a close family member (parent, step parent, sibling, step-sibling, cousin) or friend serving in any branch of the United States Armed Forces in any status (active duty, reserve, or national guard). Ohio Military Kids offers several programs that support the youth and their families through the deployment cycle. Programs that will be highlighted in the presentation include hero camps, troop and family camps, youth and teen camps, and parent workshops. The mission of OMK is to empower and support the social, emotional, and academic needs of all Ohio National Guard and Reserve Component youth. OMK educates the public on the impact a deployment has on service members’ children, families, and communities through awareness-building and educational trainings with schools and community organizations. Through programming, OMK also educates the youth to build upon their resilience and how they can make the best of their unique situation. This conference poster will highlight recent trends in OMK involvement, promote the resources that are offered, and convey the resilience with which OMK programming equips military youth.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Kayla Oberstadt, 4-H program manager, OSU Extension, oberstadt.1@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Theresa Ferrari, OSU Extension specialist, 4-H youth development; Alexis Howell, 4-H student assistant, OSU Extension; Heather Corson, 4-H student assistant, OSU Extension
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Kayla Oberstadt, 4-H program manager, OSU Extension, oberstadt.1@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Theresa Ferrari, OSU Extension specialist, 4-H youth development; Alexis Howell, 4-H student assistant, OSU Extension; Heather Corson, 4-H student assistant, OSU Extension
Keywords
military, youth, community, resilience
Citation
Engaged Scholars, v. 7 (2019).