U of M Moment: Operation Military Kids

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (6/21/2007) - The "University of Minnesota Moment" radio feature for the week of Monday, June 25th, is available to Minnesota radio stations for free:

Operation Military Kids

Nearly 15,000 Minnesota children are affected by the military deployment of a loved one. To support them during these difficult times, the University of Minnesota, U.S. Army and others have teamed up to host "Operation Military Kids." Jim Deidrick, a University of Minnesota Extension associate professor, explains.

U of M Extension conducts Operation Military Kids outreach training in metro communities

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL ( 6/19/2007 ) --The University of Minnesota Extension Center for 4-H and Community Youth Development will conduct Operation Military Kids (OMK) workshops in Anoka, Bloomington and Brooklyn Park on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 26 and 27.

The free outreach training programs are for community members who want to learn how to support military kids in their communities.

The Twin Cities metro area workshops are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on June 26 at the Penn Lake Library, 8800 Penn Ave. S., Bloomington; from 2 to 4 p.m. on June 27 at the Elks Lodge, 2875 Brookdale Dr., Brooklyn Park; and from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on June 27 at Zion Lutheran Church, 1601 4th Ave. S., Anoka.

Titled "Hidden Heroes: How Deployment Impacts 'Suddenly Military' Kids," the programs are designed to offer insight into military culture and the deployment cycle and suggest ways to understand the needs of military kids and their families by bringing local community resources together. The workshops provide an opportunity for state partners to develop strategies for creating local support networks of youth workers, educators, counselors and community service agents throughout Minnesota.

The programs are open to all community members, including neighbors, business owners, youth and family service providers, educators, counselors and clergy.

"When military parents living in civilian communities are mobilized, their children suddenly have unique needs for special support services," said Jim Deidrick, Minnesota 4-H state military liaison. "These 'suddenly military' kids need to connect with other youth in similar situations. They seek friends and adults who can help them cope with their new world."

The metro area events are part of more than 35 OMK "Hidden Heroes" workshops being conducted by the University of Minnesota Extension Center for 4-H and Community Youth Development throughout the state this summer.

In Minnesota, an estimated 5,000 soldiers have been mobilized to serve in a number of conflicts around the world. And when they return home this summer, some 2,600 Minnesota men and women will have taken part in the longest brigade-level deployment in the history of the National Guard.

OMK is an outreach effort sponsored by Army Child and Youth Services in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Extension Center for 4-H and Community Youth Development, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral, American Legion, Minnesota Department of Education and the National Guard and Army Reserve.

NOTE: News releases were current as of the date of issue. If you have a question on older releases, use the news release search (upper left-hand column of the News main page) or the main Extension search (upper right of this page) to locate more recent information.

URL: http:// www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews/2005/OMK07.html  This page was updated June 22, 2007 .
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