North Dakota

Mission To support youth of North Dakota military families from all branches of service through collaboration with community partners during all stages of deployment, including peacetime.

OMK Goalsz Collaborate with groups

across the state to pro-vide sustainable support services to military youth before, during and after their family members are deployed

z Create networks of sup-port for military children and connect them with other military and nonmilitary youth through a variety of recreational, social, emotional and educational programs

z Raise community awareness and foster understanding about the impact of the deploy-ment cycle on the service member, family, child and larger community

z Act as a resource for military children/families

Operation: Military Kids

2012 North Dakota Annual Report

We’re pleased to provide the 2012 Operation: Military Kids (OMK) annual report. North Dakota is finishing its fourth year

of having an Operation: Military Kids program.Even though OMK was introduced nationally in 2004, North

Dakota didn’t become officially eligible until 2008. In a state news release in October of that year, I stated that “the Center for 4-H Youth Development is in the early stages of building a team of part-ners who have an interest in supporting military youth and their families.” By December, we had assembled an 11-member state team to carry out this work.

As I look back on the past four years, I ask myself, “What is the single most important thing we have accomplished?” And my response is our contribution to building community. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, community is defined as a “unified body of individuals.” This is certainly how I would describe our cur-rent Operation: Military Kids state team.

During the past four years, we’ve seen team members come and go, but their commitment to the mission and purpose of OMK has been unwavering. A key to their success is their ability to forge strong partnerships at the community level across our state. A com-mitted team and committed community partners have allowed us to grow our state team to 13 members, but our development of com-munity goes much farther than the state team and its work. We have developed community from other perspectives.

We’ve developed a much stronger community of staff within our Extension Service by raising our own awareness of youth who are members of military families and their unique needs across our state. We developed this community by creating an informed and trained staff through professional development opportunities we provided. We were especially honored to have Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, the North Dakota National Guard’s adjutant general, address our entire Extension Service staff at a conference where we focused on serving military families in our state.

We also have built a community of informed and trained volun-teers. We have not only done this through our state team but also through two regional networks. We are strengthening community support by raising awareness of the impacts of the deployment cy-cle on military youth and families, service members and the larger community. More than 300 community members have been trained as a community of volunteers in service to youth of military families.

Our most important contribution to community is our work with families – military families – particularly those who have children to be served. Through a variety of intentional social, educational and recreational youth development programming, we are increasing the resilience of military youth by building their life skills, specifi-cally skills in communication, relationship, coping, competence and confidence.

We do this community building by creating opportunities for military youth to make connections with others with similar back-grounds and experiences. We have families who call on OMK and their partners to strengthen and support them. We know through research that military families are resilient, but repeated, lengthy deployments can push youth already dealing with normal stressors of adolescence beyond their coping mechanisms. They need addi-tional support to be successful, and we are contributing by building a sense of community among them.

Why is building community, from a variety of perspectives, so important? Because it provides us with the best opportunity to es-tablish sustained support in more fully carrying out the North Dakota OMK mission statement, which is to serve all military youth during all stages of deployment, including peacetime. Our unity of effort has played a significant role in accomplishing this.

Brad Cogdill, State 4-H Program Leader and State Military Liaison

Military Appreciation Day at Bison Football GameOperation: Military Kids worked together with the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee; NDSU Bison Athletics; 4-H; NDSU’s Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences Department; Karmas, Lee & Jackson Engineering (KLJ); and Steven McDonough, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, to honor military youth.

Volunteers from KLJ and the Air National Guard/Rockin’ Robots 4-H Club introduced military youth to the 4-H

Robotics program during this action-packed day.NDSU’s Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences Department conducted a unit, com-

plete with taste testing healthful snacks, in which youth learned the importance of eating healthful, nutritious food. McDonough taught youth about the importance of staying physically active and, along with volunteers from the Fargo Youth Council, led physical activities and fun games.

Youth posed for pictures with the Bison cheerleaders and received a photo button. Military kids were invited onto the field before the Bison football game to be recognized and held the American flag for the singing of the national anthem.

More than 600 military service members and their families received complimentary game tickets and an invitation to a special pregame open house for refreshments.

Military youth explore the 4-H Robotics program at the Military Appreciation Day event.

Month of the Military Child North Dakota joined the national campaign to heighten the awareness of military youth in our communities through Purple Up! Members of schools, businesses and government agencies were among the hundreds of people across the state to wear purple on April 13.

Two Valley City elementary schools, Washington and Jefferson, held programs to honor and recognize youth with family members serving in all branches of the military. Forty-nine youth were presented a True Patriot Award, photo button of their service member, a Hero Bear and patriotic bandana.

School counselors Judi Hillier and Vanessa Kocka coordinated the program, which included an address by Amy Wieser Willson, deputy public information officer for the North Dakota National Guard a former military child and Valley City elementary school student. School choirs honored service members and their families with a performance.

UND Atmospherium: 18 youth and 19 adults participatedPartners: University of North Dakota, North Dakota

National Guard, OMK, Grand Forks Air Force Base School Liaison Office and Youth Center

Planetarium Event: 24 youth and 16 adults participatedPartners: OMK, Cass County Extension Service 4-H

NDSU Staff Training on Serving Military Families n Extension Fall ConferenceMaj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard, together with Jason Goltz, Richland County Extension agent and member of the North Dakota National Guard, and Stacy Wendt, 4-H/Army youth development specialist, spoke at the NDSU research and Extension fall conference general session about the staff’s role in supporting military families.

Sprynczynatyk gave an overview of the impact the NDNG has had in the past year. Goltz shared his experience with the deployments he has been involved in and how that has impacted his work as a county Extension agent.

Wendt, who has served as a youth member of the North Dakota Operation: Military Kids state team, shared her story as a child of a National Guard soldier, the effects of deployment on the family members and how the community 4-H club supported her family during this time.

Duane Hauck, then the NDSU Extension Service director, asked the more than 230 research and Extension staff attending the session to go back to their own communities and see how they can support military families through their work.

n North Dakota 4-H Adult and Teen TrainingDiane Hahn, OMK program coordinator, led a session on OMK supporting military kids at regional trainings held in November 2011. The session focused on the unique challenges facing military children and their families, and included ways local 4-H clubs could support OMK.

Results: Southeastern North Dakota 4-H Activity Days: Mobile Tech Lab Ransom County 4-H Club: Mobile Tech Lab - eight youth

Speak Out for Military Kids The 2012 Speak Out for Military Kids Retreat was held at Jamestown (N.D.) College. Three youth attended the weekend retreat. Youth were instructed on the use of the Tech Discovery curriculum and iPads, and created an iMovie production of their deployment experience.

Staff assisted the youth in expressing their personal experience with deployment. Family members joined the military youth during the final session and the movies were shared.

Nurturing America’s Military FamiliesFour advocates for military families sat together at the Guard and Reserve Institute program, which the Military Child Education Coalition sponsored in 2011. Through the learning activities at the event, the four women became friends.

Angela, Donna, Beth and Julie also became determined to make a difference in the lives of military families.

In the fall of 2011, a National Guard unit from Wahpeton would be deploying to Kuwait. With the OMK state coordinator serving as convener, the women came together and decided to offer a parenting program for families, extended families, coun-selors, the faith community, teachers, community leaders and others who assist military families affected by the deployment.

The result was the Nurturing America’s Military Families program, which the NDSU Extension Service’s Region V Parenting Resource Center, North Dakota Department of Human Services’ Children and Family Service’s Division, the North Dakota National Guard’s Child and Youth Program, and Beyond Boundaries Therapy Services sponsored in the fall of 2011. The free three-part program was held in Wahpeton and Fargo.

“This curriculum, developed by Dr. Stephen Bavolek, was selected because of its comprehensive content focusing on the entire family’s needs during deployment while addressing what we, as community members, can do to support them,” says An-gela Berge, Cass County Extension agent and Region V parenting resources coordinator.

“This class was helpful, I hope, because it allowed those family members to see that they aren’t alone, that they will get through this, and that there is help when they need it,” says Beth Sandeen, one of the program’s presenter and the North Dakota National Guard’s youth services program coordinator.

Sandeen and fellow presenter LaDonna B. were able to speak from their personal experiences with husbands who have deployed numerous times. As a bonus John Sandeen, Beth’s husband, participated in the session to share his experience as the deployed soldier.

OMK provided programing with the Mobile Tech Lab for youth while their parents attended the session.

Mobile Technology Lab: used 13 times reaching 284 military youth and 67 military family members

Nurturing America’s Military Families events in Fargo and WahpetonRansom County 4-H Activity DaysFargo Youth Council MTL Training Air Guard Family DayGrand Forks AFB Family Deployment Line

The Mobile Technology lab reached 284 military youth in 2012.

Jason Goltz and Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk speak at the NDSU research and Extension fall conference.

She was so happy and excited about her experience and the projects your team helped her make. You guys do a great job! Thanks for what you do to support military families and children.” (Aaron, Army National Guard member)

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Local/Regional Support NetworksNorth Dakota launched two regional OMK teams, one in north-eastern North Dakota in November 2011 and the other in north-central North Dakota in 2012.

The purpose of the regional team is to support community efforts to address specific changes in the lives of military youth and families, especially during deployments.

Northeastern North Dakota is home to the Grand Forks AFB, the Cavalier Air Force Station, and National Guard and Reserve families and youth. The team has been involved in regional community-based activities at the Devils Lake Learning Fair and in communication with schools in the region to heighten awareness of military families in their communities.

The north-central region team held its first meeting in 2012. As a result of its efforts, a network of individuals and agencies has been created to support military youth in the region.

This group hosted its first event for youth at the Dakota Territory Air Museum, with 46 youth attending the day’s events. Partners in this effort were: the Ward County Extension office, Da-kota Air Museum, Minot AFB Youth Center, North-central OMK Regional Team and Tom Schrader (chief meteorologist at KXMC-TV).

Thank you, thank you, thank you – so excited about Jake having a great time at the SOMK Retreat; he said it was tons of fun. I feel Jake’s weekend away was just what he needed. I just watched the video he made and I just love it – brought tears to my eyes again! Thanks for all that you do; it is a great organization!” (Leah, proud mother of a U.S. Marine and Jake’s mom)

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North Dakota Operation: Military Kids State Team

Operation: Military Kids Partners

Military/4-H partnerships are supported by 4-H National Headquarters/NIFA/USDA; Army Child, Youth and School Services; Air Force Airman and Family Services; Navy Child and Youth Programs; and North Dakota State University’s Extension 4-H program through grant funding at Kansas State University.NDSU is an equal opportunity institution. This publication will be made available in alternative for people with disabilities upon request, (701) 231-7881.

Carolyn Henderson North Dakota Military Family Life ConsultantBob Krause North Dakota American Legion and AuxiliaryCourtney Adams Youth Services Specialist Army Reserve Child, Youth and School ServicesKelly Painter Grand Forks Air Force Base School Liaison OfficerHeather Lau North Dakota Child Care Resource and Referral Agency Family and Group Child Care ConsultantAngela Messmer Military OneSource Consultant (JFSAP)Jim Davis CYS Military Family Life ConsultantNicole Cook North Dakota National Guard Child and Youth Program CoordinatorMegan Janssen Northeast Region OMK Program CoordinatorJessica Clark-Woinarowicz North Dakota National Guard State Youth Coordinator

n OMK supported four Yellow Ribbon events n Babysitting: Three clinics held in Bismarck, Cavalier and Fargo - 26 military youth participated. Facilitated by OMK state team member

n SOMK: nine youth trained n Military Family Days: (OMK provided program support)

North Dakota Air Guard Family Day Fargo National Guard Spring Event Grand Forks AFB Family Deployment Line Day

n State Team Meetings Held: 10

n RSG! and Briefings: Reached 324 community members on the impact of deployment on military youth and their families

Presentation: Military Child and Spouse Impact of Deployment - Hunter churchesNorth Dakota Education Association conventionNorth Dakota League of CitiesNorth Dakota Association of Counties conference

n Citizenship in Action event53 youth (two military youth) attended. A military family shared about its deployment experience from the perspective of the service member, spouse and youth. Followed by a Q&A session.

n Camps96 Youth attended three residential OMK camps at the Western North Dakota 4-H Camp 14 participants (5 families) attended OMK Military Family Camp (in partnership with ROAW

and STEP) at Cooperstown Bible Camp

Donations Cash:Hunter churches, Fargo Legion Auxiliary Unit 2, Timeless Salon Spa, North Dakota 4-H Foundation $ 3,000

In-kind:NDSU Extension Service – master computer to support MTL and Tech Discovery curriculumUND – Atmospherium: free admission

Volunteer Hours: 82 community volunteers provided 325 hours of service.

Brad Cogdill Chair, Center for 4-H Youth Development, and State 4-H Military Liaison NDSU Extension ServiceDiane Hahn OMK Coordinator, Center for 4-H Youth Development NDSU Extension ServiceCathy Palczewski Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development NDSU Extension Service, Burleigh CountyPenny Dale Director of 4-H Military Programs, Center for 4-H Youth Development NDSU Extension ServiceBeth Sandeen North Dakota National Guard Lead Child and Youth Program CoordinatorMaureen Wanner North Dakota National Guard Youth Programs VolunteerJody Harms North Dakota Air National Guard Airmen and Family Readiness Program Manager Linda Vig Service to Armed Forces (SAF) Coordinator West Dakota Chapter, American Red Cross

www.operationmilitarykids.orgwww.4-hmilitarypartnerships.orgJoin us on North Dakota Operation: Military Kids

For more information about Operation: Military Kids, contact:

Brad CogdillState 4-H Military LiaisonNDSU Extension ServiceDept. 7280, P.O. Box 6050Fargo, ND 58108-6050phone: (701) 231-7253 fax: (701) 231-8568 email: brad.cogdill@ndsu.edu

Diane HahnOMK Coordinator Center for 4-H Youth DevelopmentNDSU Extension ServiceDept. 7280, P.O. Box 6050Fargo, ND 58108-6050phone: (701) 231-9601email: diane.f.hahn@ndsu.edu

North Dakota 4-H Youth Development

www.ndsu.edu/4h

The American Legion and Auxiliary

www.ndlegion.org

Child Care Aware of America

www.childcareaware.org

U.S. Army Child, Youth and School Services

www.armymwr.com

Boys & Girls Clubs www.boysandgirls.org

Military Child Education Coalition www.militarychild.org

North Dakota State University Extension Service www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension