Yesterday you may have briefly read about the launching of Operation: Military Kids Program, also known as OMK, in our 2011 Highlights.
Many have asked, what is OMK? How did the OMK reach Sumter County? Who can get involved? Where can I find more information about OMK?
Sumter and Lee County 4-H Programs collectively received $20,000 grant from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Operation: Military Kids and the DoD-USDA Partnership: Child Youth Deployment Support Project at Kansas State University in late 2011. This national initiative is designed for all military youth in grades Kindergarten through 12th to help them find positive ways to cope with the stress of their loved ones’ deployment.
When a family member is mobilized or deployed, youth and families fear the unknown, may experience change in financial resources, may have inadequate social support when coping with deployment of a loved one, youth may assume more household responsibility and may have trouble expressing emotions.
The goals of OMK initiative are to:
·
Create
community support networks for military youth.
·
Collaborate
with groups across the state to provide sustainable support services to
military youth before, during and after their family members are deployed.
·
Raise
community awareness and foster understanding about the impact of the
deployment cycle on the service member, family, youth and
the community.
·
Deliver
recreational, social and educational programs for military youth living in
civilian communities
OMK initiative
includes four major core program elements- Ready, Set, Go! Speak out for
Military Kids (SOMK), Mobile Technology Labs (MTL), and Hero Packs (HP).
Ready, Set, Go!
The purpose of this training is to provide participants with hands-on practical information to assist them in building capacity; to educate communities about local issues related to understanding and supporting military kids currently coping with the stress of a deployed loved one.
Sumter/Lee County OMK Programming is having its Ready, Set Go! Training on January 28, 2012 8:30 a.m. to Noon. It is a free event open to everyone in the community.
Ready, Set, Go!
The purpose of this training is to provide participants with hands-on practical information to assist them in building capacity; to educate communities about local issues related to understanding and supporting military kids currently coping with the stress of a deployed loved one.
Sumter/Lee County OMK Programming is having its Ready, Set Go! Training on January 28, 2012 8:30 a.m. to Noon. It is a free event open to everyone in the community.
Speak Out for Military Kids (SOMK)
SOMK is a youth-driven community outreach program. Through participation in SOMK, military and non-military youth in grades 9-12 help generate community awareness of issues face by military youth when a parent is in the deployment cycle. SOMK provides youth participants with the opportunity to gain valuable leadership, research, organization, technology, public speaking, and presentation skills. Youth use these skills to support military youth in their communities.
First SOMK Workshop in Lee County was held on January 9. First SOMK Workshop in Sumter County is tonight, from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Sumter County Agricultural Center.
Other levels of engagement for individuals or organizations in the Lee & Sumter County Community:
Ambassador
– Help build the
community capacity to respond to the specific needs of military families
experiencing deployment. SOMK is a youth-driven community outreach program. Through participation in SOMK, military and non-military youth in grades 9-12 help generate community awareness of issues face by military youth when a parent is in the deployment cycle. SOMK provides youth participants with the opportunity to gain valuable leadership, research, organization, technology, public speaking, and presentation skills. Youth use these skills to support military youth in their communities.
First SOMK Workshop in Lee County was held on January 9. First SOMK Workshop in Sumter County is tonight, from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Sumter County Agricultural Center.
Other levels of engagement for individuals or organizations in the Lee & Sumter County Community:
Make a
Donation – make
a monetary gift to support the development and distribution of hero packs to
military youth.
Mentor – Attend adult mentorship
training and provide one-on-one support to a youth who has a deployed parent.
Partner – Serve on the Regional Support Network and connect youth and families with support systems that help alleviate the distress family members face when they have a deployed loved one.
Partner – Serve on the Regional Support Network and connect youth and families with support systems that help alleviate the distress family members face when they have a deployed loved one.
Volunteer
Direct Services –
volunteer time to lead or teach a program to support military youth.
Volunteer
Indirect Services –
help spread the word about OMK in Sumter and Lee Counties through word of mouth
and disseminating literature about our programming to members of the community.
You may have missed a few opportunities but it is not too late to get involved.
For more information about Lee and Sumter County OMK Program contact:
April Bowen at 229.924.4476 or aprilb@uga.edu or visit our website: http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/sumter/4h/OMKinSumter-LeeCounties.html
To find more information about OMK in your area, please visit: http://www.operationmilitarykids.org/public/states.aspx
You may have missed a few opportunities but it is not too late to get involved.
For more information about Lee and Sumter County OMK Program contact:
April Bowen at 229.924.4476 or aprilb@uga.edu or visit our website: http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/sumter/4h/OMKinSumter-LeeCounties.html
To find more information about OMK in your area, please visit: http://www.operationmilitarykids.org/public/states.aspx
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