Mission Homefront Professional Development

First Tuesday Online Learning Sessions

New online sessions will be posted to this page when they are announced.
 

Previously held First Tuesday Online Learning Sessions 

In order to view the recorded presentations, you must have the Blackboard Collaborate Java application downloaded to your personal computer. There is no cost to download the software. To configure your computer, visit the Blackboard Collaborate support page.

Resiliency and the Military Child

This online session was originally held on May 1, 2012.

Children of parents or caregivers who have been deployed experience a range of emotions and unique educational needs. This presentation focused on building resilience in military connected youth.  It offered an overview on the factors that build resilience and promote healthy development in ALL youth.  Dr. Ginsburg focused on military youth and the challenge deployment poses to healthy, meaningful family connections.  Dr. Ginsburg also introduced the participants to a comprehensive stress management strategy.

Kenneth Ginsburg, M.D., M.S. Ed is a pediatrician specializing in Adolescent Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and an Associate Professor Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. His research over the last two decades has focused on facilitating youth to prioritize and explain their own proposed solutions to social problems and to teach clinicians how to better serve them. He developed the Teen-Centered Method, a mixed qualitative/quantitative methodology that enables youth to generate, prioritize, and explain their own ideas. Dr. Ginsburg has more than 100 publications, including original research clinical practice articles, books and Internet-based and video/DVD productions.

Dr. Ginsburg is honored to be working on behalf of those who serve our nation. He is working with The Child, Adolescent and Family Behavioral Health Office of the U.S. Army and The Military Child Education Coalition to prepare military parents, health professionals, counselors and teachers to incorporate stress reduction and resilience building strategies as they serve the nation’s nearly 2 million military children. The overriding goal is to assure military spouses and children are prepared to thrive despite needing to cope with their loved one’s deployment.

Session Recording, Slides and Resources

View the recorded online session

SLIDES

Session slides (PDF format) 

WEB RESOURCES

Fostering Resilience website

Tools for Teachers: A Standards-Aligned  Review of Resources for Military Kids 

This online session was originally held on February 7, 2012.

Children of parents or caregivers who have been deployed experience a range of emotions and unique educational needs. This presentation provided a brief overview of the emotional cycle of deployment as well as some of the needs experienced by these children.

Dawn Hicks, the reigning Mrs. Pennsylvania International 2011, is a veteran and civilian analyst for the Department of Defense. She grew up in a military family and served 9 years in the U.S. Air Force. Through her efforts, she continues to generate awareness of the challenges military members face and provide support for the families left behind. Mrs. Hicks shared a first-hand perspective of the important role school personnel can play in helping children handle the stress and struggles associated with military deployment.

A detailed description of various tools and resources available to students to help create a supportive educational environment in which they can succeed was also provided; along with a standards-aligned lesson plan for an activity to help support children affected by military deployment.

Session Recording, Slides and Resources

View the recorded online session

Session slides (PDF format)

Handouts (PDF format)

• Educator's Guide to the Military Child During Deployment
• This is My Life
• Strengthening Our Military Families
• Military-Connected Students and Public School Attendance Policies
• Ready, Set, Go - February 23 - State College
• Ready, Set, Go - March 8 - King of Prussia
• OMK Pittsburgh Regional Team Save the Date Flyer
• Save the Date: Living in the New Normal Institute: Helping Children Thrive in Good and Challenging Times - February 28-29
• Save the Date: Living in the New Normal Institute: Helping Children Thrive in Good and Challenging Times - March 12-13
• Save the Date: Living in the New Normal Institute: Helping Children Thrive in Good and Challenging Times - March 22-23

Helping Military Kids Cope - Understanding the Deployment Cycle 

This online session was originally held on November 1, 2011.

Presenters
Dean R. Clepper, School Liaison Officer, Carlisle Barracks
Chaplain (MAJ) Max Furman, Chaplain, Pennsylvania Army National Guard
Robin Edwards, State Youth Program Coordinator, Pennsylvania National Guard's Family Program Office
Susan J. Smith, Project Coordinator, Operation: Military Kids Program Pennsylvania

Session Description
Children of parents who are deployed with the military or living at home with veterans experience a range of needs that are not addressed in the traditional school setting. This presentation was offered to help to identify the number and prevalence of military youth in Pennsylvania as well as provide strategies and resources to meet some of those needs.

The presentation addressed the following:

1. The prevalence of military families and the unique needs of their children in Pennsylvania.
2. A first hand perspective of the deployment cycle.
3. What a School Liaison Officer is and how to obtain their services when not living on a military base.

Session Recording and Slides

View the recorded online presentation

Presentation Slides (PDF format)