Alex’s Education Journey: Reflections & Tips by a Military Connected Youth with Disabilities

Alex is a young man who considers himself a “military brat”; he grew up in an Air Force family. He’s also one of the Branch’s military-connected consultants who help us with research, writing, and their lived experiences in the military community. Alex is an individual living with a disability which did not significantly affect his education.

Here is Alex’s education journey:

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Scholarships! Financial Resources for Military and Non-military Youth with Disabilities

A college education can be extremely expensive, and debt from student loans can impact students and their families for years. Military parents may have financial challenges paying for college as military salaries and benefits don’t always stretch to cover today’s higher education costs. Earning scholarships is an excellent way to lower future monthly payments; some scholarship awards completely cover annual college expenses!

Below are two resources: scholarships for military-connected youth, and scholarships for youth with disabilities. The lists include awards for two- and four-year undergraduate degrees, graduate studies and vocational programs. All scholarships are national in scope; a few are international. Youth and their families may find scholarships that fit their needs or inspiration for a further search. Parent centers:  feel free to select and share the most relevant scholarships for the families you serve. These lists are great for youth outreach, email campaigns, social media, workshops, support groups, resource fairs and newsletters.

Region C Military Installations and Contacts

The maps help you find military installations in your state, along with contact information for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Family Support or School Liaison Office (SLO) staff in each location. For Coast Guard and National Guard locations, we have contacts for the Special Needs Program (SNP) and the Family Assistance Coordinators, respectively. Contacts who support Recruiter families are also included.

Scroll down to find the mini-map for your state. 

  1.  To open the map, click on the open square icon, which is in the upper right corner of each mini-map on this page.
  2. In the open map you can click on a colored icon for contact information, or use the side list. You can also drag the map along on this page by placing the cursor on the map and moving the cursor when it becomes a hand.
  3. For just the list of installations and contacts, click on the list icon at the top left of the mini-map. If it says something like “and 55 more”, click on that phrase to open the entire list.
  4. When the list opens, select the installation or contact you want; information opens in a new box.
  5. The map and list use Google Maps for you to get directions.
screenshot of part of a map illustrating the text directions
Example mini-map

Download map information as a Word .docx:

Illinois     Indiana     Iowa     Kansas     Kentucky     Michigan     Minnesota     Missouri     Montana     Nebraska     North Dakota     Ohio     South Dakota     Wisconsin     West Virginia     Wyoming

 

Region D Military Installations and Contacts

The maps help you find military installations in your state, along with contact information for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Family Support or School Liaison Office (SLO) staff in each location. For Coast Guard and National Guard locations, we have contacts for the Special Needs Program (SNP) and the Family Assistance Coordinators, respectively. Contacts who support Recruiter families are also included.

Scroll down to find the mini-map for your state. 

  1.  To open the map, click on the open square icon, which is in the upper right corner of each mini-map on this page.
  2. In the open map you can click on a colored icon for contact information, or use the side list. You can also drag the map along on this page by placing the cursor on the map and moving the cursor when it becomes a hand.
  3. For just the list of installations and contacts, click on the list icon at the top left of the mini-map. If it says something like “and 55 more”, click on that phrase to open the entire list.
  4. When the list opens, select the installation or contact you want; information opens in a new box.
  5. The map and list use Google Maps for you to get directions.
screenshot of part of a map illustrating the text directions
Example mini-map

Download map information as a Word .docx:

Arizona     Alaska     California     Colorado          Hawaii     Idaho       New Mexico     Nevada     Oregon     PACIFIC BASIN     Utah     Washington

 

 

 

 

Region B Military Installations and Contacts

The maps help you find military installations in your state, along with contact information for Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Family Support or School Liaison Office (SLO) staff in each location. For Coast Guard and National Guard locations, we have contacts for the Special Needs Program (SNP) and the Family Assistance Coordinators, respectively. Contacts who support Recruiter families are also included.

Scroll down to find the mini-map for your state. 

  1.  To open the map, click on the open square icon, which is in the upper right corner of each mini-map on this page.
  2. In the open map you can click on a colored icon for contact information, or use the side list. You can also drag the map along on this page by placing the cursor on the map and moving the cursor when it becomes a hand.
  3. For just the list of installations and contacts, click on the list icon at the top left of the mini-map. If it says something like “and 55 more”, click on that phrase to open the entire list.
  4. When the list opens, select the installation or contact you want; information opens in a new box.
  5. The map and list use Google Maps for you to get directions.
screenshot of part of a map illustrating the text directions
Example mini-map

Download map information as a Word .docx:

Alabama Arkansas Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Texas

2 Quick Resources for Military Families Moving Overseas

Military parents whose children have disabilities may have concerns about moving their child from a stateside school (public or Department of Defense) to a school in another country where their school options are limited and laws protecting individuals with disabilities are not the same. Here are two quick resources for these parents to give them a jump-start on their research and decision-making:

Military Children Transitioning into the DoDEA School System (podcast from the Military Child Education Coalition, with Dr. Dell W. McMullen, Europe Director for Student Excellence, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)

Department of Defense Directory on Early Intervention, Special Education and Related Services in OCONUS Communities (“OCONUS” – Outside the Continental United States)

And here is some more in-depth information about Department of Defense Education Activity schools and Special Education:

Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) School System

Download this article as a Word .docx

Help for Grandparents and Other Temporary Caregivers of Military Children-with Handout

It’s fairly common for military-connected children to stay with other family members or family friends when their parent’s military duties take them away for extended periods.  Parents will try to anticipate what the caregiver will need but life has a way of inserting the unexpected. Parent centers can use these resources to help:

  • Military parents planning for their child’s time away
  • Long- and short-term temporary caregivers
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Outreach Tips-Military Families and Their Unique Culture

Your parent center uses culturally-appropriate outreach on a regular basis to engage parents and youth in underserved communities. Military life creates a unique culture for service members and their families-a culture just as distinct as that of an ethnic or linguistic community. We hope this resource with tips from military family members helps you in your outreach and services to military families.

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16 Financial Resources for Military Families-with Handout

Military families with whom you are working or who contact your parent center might find the resources in this article very helpful. Included in this article is a link to a parent-friendly handout with the same resources. Resources focus on national-level services available in every state. There are also resource-finders for some of the most common military family needs, especially as they are entering or leaving a community. Some are military-specific while others are open to civilian and military alike. Read online, or download the article and parent handout.

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Meet Your New Super-Volunteers-Military Families!

Does your parent center need volunteers to expand and continue your work?

Military family members are super-volunteers!

According to the results of the 2017 Military Lifestyle Survey, military spouses place high value on their civic responsibility. 78% of those respondents volunteer in their civilian communities. The military strongly encourages service members to volunteer, and military children and teens are active volunteers as well. Find out how to tap into this volunteer-strong community.

Continue reading “Meet Your New Super-Volunteers-Military Families!”