Engaging Military Youth in After-School Programming for Resiliency and Positive Life Skill Development

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

Kasey L. Bozeman, University of GeorgiaFollow

Location

Verelst

Strand #1

Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Family & Community

Relevance

Through successful after school programming, the development resilience and life skills for military youth (high-risk population) is critical for their social and emotional success. Additionally, the overall health and wellness military families are concerns. While the service member is deployed or separated from the family from extended periods of time, he/she needs to focus on the mission and not be concerned with issues their dependents are facing. Building these skills in military youth is critical for the overall success of the service member.

Brief Program Description

Since the events of Sept 11, 2001, military service members have experienced frequent war-zone deployments, causing issues of separation, anxiety, and stress in military youth. Using established learning models and curriculum development tools, learn how to plan, implement, and evaluate after-school programming for military youth, enabling them to build resiliency and develop life skills to deal with these challenges.

Summary

Since the events of Sept 11, 2001, military service members have experienced frequent long-term deployments to active war zones, causing issues of family separation and anxiety. Orthner and Rose (2005) report that 37% of Army spouses state that their children seriously worry about what could happen to their deployed parent and that school issues and depression occur in about 20% of their children. Using Hendricks’ (1998) “Developing Youth Curriculum Using the Targeting Life Skills Model” and Ginsburg and Jablow’s (2011) “Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and Wings,” the presenter has collaborated with Army Child, Youth, and School Services (CYSS) to positive youth development experiences for military children and youth. Leadership, citizenship, and life skills developed during programming can build resiliency and assist these young people during times of transition and turmoil. During this session, participants will learn how the Liberty County 4-H Agent works with Fort Stewart Training and Curriculum Specialists to train CYSS staff to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate after school 4-H programming for CYSS children and youth. Examples of successful integration of the Fort Stewart 4-H members into the Liberty County and Georgia 4-H programs will also be shared. Additionally, opportunities for replication with other agencies, education, and military installations will be provided. While this is based upon 4-H program planning models, it can easily replicated to meet the needs of military dependents involved in any youth organization! The session will include discussion of recent studies conducted about military families, hands-on activities, and question/answer session. See how proper engagement in after-school programming provides military youth with positive life skill development.

Evidence

Using Ginsburg and Jablow’s (2011) seven crucial “C’s” - competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control – the presenter has designed, implemented, and evaluation youth programming for military audiences. Through formal evaluations of youth and interviews with CYSS staff, evidence suggests that youth are feel more prepared to deal with issues because they gain confidence while participating in 4-H programming. Ms. Joan Styles, Fort Stewart School Age Center Director, states, “the partnership is important to the School Age Center because it provides a variety of programs for our youth from agriculture to creative dance, and the 4-H program enhances programs we already have in place.” A Fort Stewart 4-H’er that competed in the 4-H District Project Achievement shared “my project was about Nintendo because I really like playing the games. I was nervous when I was doing the presentation and it was very stressful. I’m glad I did it. I accomplished getting my project finished and I won 2nd place, and that made me very happy.” His mother said, “it was a positive experience … which gave him exposure to public speaking and for him to interact with other children outside of his usual realm.”

Biographical Sketch

Kasey Bozeman is the 4-H/Youth Extension Agent in Liberty County. She holds a M.S. in Environmental Education from Nova Southeastern University and a B.S. in Environmental Science from Piedmont College. She is currently earning an Ed.D. in Curriculum Studies from Georgia Southern University. Kasey is responsible for coordinating, developing, implementing, and evaluating the 4-H program in Liberty County. She directs 800+ 4-H youth with project work, leadership, and citizenship activities, camps, conferences and public relations, and manages 50 volunteers. Her specific areas of interest include working with military families and teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities. She has presented information about military children and youth at regional and national conferences and was recognized as the 2014 National 4-H/Military Partnership Award recipient.

Keyword Descriptors

military youth, resilience, life skills, after-school, program development

Presentation Year

2015

Start Date

3-2-2015 10:30 AM

End Date

3-2-2015 11:45 AM

Recommended Citation

Bozeman, Kasey L., "Engaging Military Youth in After-School Programming for Resiliency and Positive Life Skill Development" (2015). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 11.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2015/2015/11