Kansas National Guard Child & Youth Program

Transcription

1 Kansas National Guard Child & Youth Program Charlie Girls Squad Received the first ever Operation: Kids Camp Leadership Cup Scoring was made possible by the Camper Evaluation Forms implemented this year to provide written evidence of each individual campers overall growth throughout the week in Leadership, Readiness, and Resilience. Annual Report 2017

2 Mission Statement & Program Goals To Support The Kansas National Guard youth and their families during all cycles of deployment through youth development, advocacy, resource referral and community outreach. Focus on providing peer to peer opportunities while building social, cognitive, and emotional abilities Research resources and scholarships for National Guard youth Educate the community about the effects of the emotional cycle of deployment on military youth and their families Collaborate with schools to identify military students within their classrooms, and provide character building and resilience to that population Operation Kids Camp had a couple firsts this summer with two new additions. The first new addition was the Emma Williams Citizenship Award. This award went to the camper that had the biggest growth in categories of Leadership, Readiness, and Resilience throughout the 5 days at camp. The second addition was the Operation Kids Camp Leadership Cup. The Kids Camp Cup went to the group that showed the most growth from the start of the camp to the end of the camp. Camper Evaluation Forms were part of the award process and were filled out nightly by the campers Squad Leaders. The new evaluation forms have been a fantastic source of providing actual documentation to how beneficial the Kansas National Guard Child & Youth Program is for our Service Members and their Dependents. I was really honored to receive this award because my Squad leaders wrote about me. Emma loves this camp. We miss her, but know she s in our hearts. Reese Perkins (10) First recipient of the Emma Williams Citizenship Award

3 Our School Liaison Program received Gold Stars and High Praise from all the military students we reached each month through our Military Support Groups. FY 17 marked the 8 th year for the Kansas National Guard to partner with 12 Topeka area schools to teach military kids about their uniqueness. This program has given them the opportunity to do things with other children that have similar family dynamics. It is not uncommon to hear from many students throughout the school year that they too would like to pursue a military career themselves someday. It is very exciting having the opportunity to encourage and direct them when that seed is planted. For elementary students, the curriculum was based around the 7 Army Core Values of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Self-Less Service, Honor, Integrity, & Personal Courage and how each child possessed these values. The middle school aged curriculum was based around Resiliency, Teamwork, and overcoming adversity. Spending time with the middle school age allowed us to have discussions about teamwork as well as discussions about joining the JROTC Program once at the High School Level. School Liaison Program Resiliency Topics- Goal Setting, Hunt the Good Stuff, and Problem Solving The Military Support Group has been a positive presence in our school and in the lives of our students who participate. They have really enjoyed having a group of other students that understand some of the hardships they are experiencing and a group with whom they can identify. Our kids look forward to it every month. -Sarah Richards, School Psychologist

4 Dedicated to developing leadership skills, volunteering and enhancing life for Military Children and Youth in Kansas This year the Kansas Teen Panel had a total of 12 teens from all across the state; 10 Army teens and 2 Air teens. Monthly conference calls were made on the first Monday of each month and regular s were exchanged between the teens and both the LYCPC and the CYPC to ensure good communications all around the state. Total Volunteer hours in FY17: 792 hours Volunteered: Garmin Marathon, Harvester s Community Food Bank, and Baby Jay s Legacy of Hope Foot golf Tournament Helped pack over 2,500 pounds of food at Harvesters Community Food Bank Teen MRT Topics- Understanding Resilience, Goal Setting, Hunt the Good Stuff, Mental Games, and Problem Solving 3 of our 2016 Teen Panel Graduates received academic scholarships largely due to the experience they gained while on the Kansas Teen Panel The council to me felt like a second home, I knew that there were always people who are there for me and support me. My short time on the council did in fact teach me a lot about the leadership that has been inside of me all along. With helping at kids camp and having more say in what happens, or going to teen camp my last year and having Kim look to us for inside reports or updates about what people like/dislike. I honestly wish I would've joined sooner to have more experience because I feel like I'd better myself even more, along with the fact that I simply miss it. I enjoyed every minute of being on the council, and I'd tell everyone who could apply to apply. -Madison Ruthig, 2017 Teen Panel Graduate

5 Program Highlights 1 Operation Kid s Camp 1 Teen Camp 78 School Liaison Meetings 3 Partnered Events 11 Month of the Military Child Events 13 Resilience Leadership Lesson 10 Teen Panel Meetings 1 Community Outreach 3 Yellow Ribbon Events Kansas Teen MRT Program 58 Geographically dispersed Kansas teens received Master Resilience Training in these 7 Competencies: Hunt the Good Stuff Goal Setting Avoid Thinking Traps Put it in Perspective Real Time Resilience Assertive Communication Effective Praise & Active Effective Responding Key Partners USD 437 Auburn Washburn USD 450 Shawnee Heights Kansas National Guard Foundation Kansas Regional Training Institute 190 th Air Refueling Wing 184 th Intelligence Wing Kansas National Guard Resilience Rock Springs 4H Center Customink.com DJ Cain Humphrey Kenwood Cove Capital City Nannies All Star Lanes Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure Wholesale Hats Crown Trophy Hoosier Foods Baby Jay s Legacy of Hope 891st Engineer Battalion Fred Grooms, LLC Waters True Value - Salina, KS Moes Hugghis K9-OTC Pizza Hut, Salina, KS Mr. Jeffery Thompson- Pulau Corporation Harvester s Community Food Bank Manhattan HHB th FA Salina Fire Department KSARDA: Search and Rescue Dogs 108 th AV, Salina, KS Plains Guardian Newspaper Used to promote events, raise awareness, and interact with military youth and their families. The page has over 700 likes!

6 Military Youth Served Kansas Child & Youth Participants Army NG Air NG Other Total Ages Ages Ages Adults ,584 Total # of Volunteers: 312 Total # of Volunteer Hours: 1,682 Total # of Program Hours: 417 Volunteer Impact The Kansas National Guard Child and Youth Program has had another successful year thanks to the time and talents donated by our incredible volunteers. Our volunteers include military kids, parents, retired community leaders and Service Members Most are repeat volunteers that look forward to attending the same events every year 312 adults and teens volunteered to support military youth and their families during FY 17 The cost saving provided by volunteer support is invaluable. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates the value of a volunteer hour as $ In 2017 volunteers provided 1,682 hours of service, totaling $37, Operation: Kids Camp Volunteer Logistics Team Our behind the scenes volunteers without whom our camp would not be possible! Program Contact Information Kimberly Worley Lead Child & Youth Program Coordinator kimberly.s.worley6.ctr@mail.mil Office: Keven Courtney Child & Youth Program Coordinator keven.s.courtney.ctr@mail.mil Office: