Back to school in many military homes can be a scary time -- apprehension, nerves, and fear.
Our children are sometimes faced with many more challenges than the typical child due to frequent changes of location.
If we're lucky, we can lessen the burden by moving during the summer or completing certain grades where a change in school would have been necessary even if we didn't PCS.
While I think my girls are amazingly resilient, I still see that concern they have for the unknowns and the changes that are brought on by every new school year. Thankfully, I'm not on my own. Not only are there military families that surround me to help and support, but there are wonderful organizations out there that deal specifically with these issues and have some relief in sight for our military children.
Here are 5 resources for helping your military kid go back to school:
1. Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)
By far my favorite pick for help with military children during the school year, MCEC has resources from "The Call for the Arts" to "Tell Me A Story." I highly recommend you look into "Parent to Parent" in your local community as well as "Student to Student" -- two peer-based programs that are outstanding. If you have an education challenge, the folks at MCEC are always there to direct you to the resources you need to solve or cope with the issue at hand.
2. Blue Star Families, Books on Bases
Books on Bases is a program started by Blue Star Families in conjunction with Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) to positively impact the lives of military children through the power of reading. Each year, books are donated to military children, base libraries, Department of Defense schools, and military-impacted public schools.
3. Operation Homefront Back-to-School Brigade
The Operation Homefront Back-to-School Brigade is an amazing program to help military families in need. You can receive or donate backpacks, notebooks, notebook paper, pens, pencils, colored pencils, crayons, markers, calculators, glue, rulers, and other school supplies from your local chapter. Look for dates of this yearly event by searching for your local chapter online or via Facebook.
4. Our Military Kids
Our Military Kids provides grants to military member's children for participation in sports, fine arts, camps, and tutoring programs that nurture and sustain children while a parent is away in service to our country or recovering from injury.
5. Tutor.com
Funded by the Department of Defense MWR Library Program, Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program and Navy General Library Program, Tutor.com offers free tutoring for military families. Get homework and studying help from a professional tutor any time you need it -- 24/7 on as many as 50 different subject matters. And pssst ... they even have an app!
Whether your kids are excited for the start of school or are feeling a little apprehensive, these five resources will help make the transition back to the books easier than ever.
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