2017 Annual Report

Minnesota Army National Guard

Child, Youth and School Services

The mission of the Army National Guard Child and Youth Program is to positively impact Soldier and family readiness, resilience and retention by providing secure, timely, flexible and high-quality youth development opportunities and resources which promote the overall well-being of ARNG children and youth.

Branch Army Air Marines Coast Guard Navy

Guard 1,816 685

Reserve 90 53 36 7 46

Active 36 91 7 11 20

Ages 0-5: 414 Ages 6-12: 2,217 Ages 13-18: 703

Volunteers provided additional support and were force multipliers at youth and teen events throughout the year. They supervised activities, maintained ratio and shared military experiences. There were 201 volunteers who donated 10,961 service hours in FY17.

Mission

Goals

Volunteer Support

3,334 Youth and Teens Served

Opportunity: Provide quarterly events for military youth to connect with peers and enhance leadership skills. Outreach: Connect with 650 schools located in counties with a high density of military students to increase awareness of Child, Youth and School Services. Resilience: Provide age-appropriate Master Resilience Training at youth events and engage 100 teams in MRT workshops. Education: Expand the Military Kids Toolkit curriculum from 7 to 14 lessons.

2017 Highlights 1,572 school contacts have been made to raise awareness for military

youth

947 followers to the MN National Guard Child and Youth Programs Facebook page

40 Military Kids Club meetings were held in Proctor, Little Falls, Cottage Grove and Hastings

10 Yellow Ribbon events aimed at helping youth process the deployment and reintegration cycle

8 Teen Panel conference calls to maintain connection and provide planning updates

5 family overnights were held to increase family connection, communication and HTGS

4 MN Military Teen Panel meetings provided career exploration, community service, teamwork and leadership opportunities

3 Military Appreciation events with the Twins, MN Wild and MN State Fair

2 Statewide youth symposiums to foster leadership, teamwork and youth development

2 Youth Pheasant Hunts which built competence and confidence by learning a new skill

2 Statewide educational conferences to connect with school counselors, social workers and superintendents

1 television appearance on Twins Live (Fox Sports North)

1 Youth ice fishing event designed to encourage competence and confidence while increasing family connection

1 Region 5 Teen Summit hosted by Michigan—4 MN Military Teen Panel members attended and participated in leadership activities, shared best practices and gained life skills

1 Press conference with Sen. Amy Klobuchar to highlight the importance of supporting military-connected youth

1 tween overnight focused on resilience and adapting to new environments

Best Practices Family Overnights

Military service members have many obligations and extended trainings that take them away from their family. The goal of the Family Overnights is to include programming and activities to enhance networking and communication skills for families. They also have the opportunity to learn how to Hunt the Good stuff as a family.

The family overnight was an excellent and much-needed experience. It gave us a unique change from our normal routine and allowed me to learn and bond with my child at a level she craved. These types of experiences are priceless and important for building strong bonds and resilience within our families.—SGT Lindsey Weaver

In the past three years that I have been part of the panel I have strengthened my

communication and time management skills. After all the experiences that I have been able to be a part of, my communication and public speaking have greatly been strengthened.—AJ Steinmetz, MN Military Teen Panel member

Teen Panel

Teen Summit

This year’s theme was: Rough Waters: Be the Light

“Thanks for all of the hard work that you put into the summit! My daughter shared that she enjoyed the speaker, had a great

time and made new friends. Thanks for this opportunity. It was very ben-eficial and helped her get out of her comfort zone.—SFC Samuel Williams

650 Community service hours 33 teens attended the Teen Summit 13 dedicated Teen Panel members 4 teen newsletters and monthly conference calls 4 teens attended Region 5 Summit 1 teen was interviewed for Minnesota Military Radio

Service projects

“I am lighthouse rather than lifeboat. I do not rescue but instead help others to find their own way to shore, guiding them by my example.”

Building leadership skills, a sense of community, and an understanding of resilience among military-connected teens.

Summit Highlights:

BG Johanna Clyborne addressed the teens and spoke on overcoming obstacles to becoming a general in the Army National Guard

Military 101 and understanding military culture Service project—teens made fleece tied pet beds Guest speaker from Lakes Area Humane Society who spoke on adaptability

of animals Speakers Brandon White, discussed how he overcame the “rough waters” in

his life to become a ballroom dancer and professional speaker while fighting depression, anxiety and a stutter as a child

The MN Military Teen Panel is a group of dedicated teens who are the voice for other military-connected youth across the state. They are part of the decision-making process and help plan, organize and implement the Teen Summit.

Feed my starving children Minnesota State Fair Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary Big Marine Lake Military Youth Ice Fishing Event Pet Beds Linus Project

MN Military Teen Panel donated their time to the following projects:

Teen Leadership Forum

Community Outreach - A MN “Best Practice”

Minnesota Purpled Up in recognition of Month of the Military Child (MOMC) in April. With the support of several community partners, approximately 1,000 youth and their families were able to participate in various events and were recognized for their support and sacrifices.

750 Nickelodeon wristbands were handed out at the Purple Up! Event at Mall of America, 35% increase from 500 in 2016 300 bears were purchased from Build-A-Bear by USAA at the Purple Up! Event, a 50% increase from 2016 200 1st-3rd graders at Bay View Elementary listened to COL Mark

Vavra and the Assistant Commissioner of Education read a children’s book in honor of MOMC

27 families submitted a photo for the MOMC photo contest 40 kids participated in pre-game activities at a MN

Timberwolves pregame/halftime activities 19 Military-connected youth entered artwork to our 4th annual

MOMC art contest and Ars Bellum provided prizes for winners 7 athletes and 3 mascots were invited by United Heroes League

to provide autographs and photo opportunities for kids 3 photo contest winners were announced and won prizes

donated by the Mall of America 1 MN Military Radio Hour spot during April for MOMC 1 Television appearance on Twins Live (Fox Sports North)

promoting MOMC

Teen MRT training Teen MRT skills were taught at the Teen Leadership Forum, Teen Summit and Teen Panel. Hunt the Good Stuff is incorporated at every youth event. The teens have learned Active Constructive Thinking, Avoid Thinking Traps, HTGS, Character Strengths and Active Constructive Responding.

I love Mel’s resilience training. She makes it short, sweet and easy to comprehend. She has taught us many things that make us more aware of how we interact with others and how we react to certain situations. It is really beneficial.—Zara Meyer, MN Military Teen Panel member

“Both of my twins really enjoyed the Teen Leadership forum. The event kept them busy. Thanks for offering these types of

growth activities as I believe they are very useful in a teen’s life.—MSgt. John Giese

The Teen Leadership Forum was held at Ironwood Springs Ranch with a focus on gaining knowledge of leadership and teambuilding through teaching how to trust and be dependent on one another to accomplish a common goal. Guest speaker Fred Grooms promoted the idea that “leaders

influence others to accomplish what they would not alone.”

New Initiatives

Stay Connected Laura Groeneweg, Lead Child and Youth Program Coordinator 651-268-8695, laura.l.groeneweg.ctr@mail.mil

Mel Johnson, Child and Youth Program Coordinator 651-268-8378, Melissa.l.johnson125.ctr@mail.mil

MAJ Marian Belinski, State Family Programs Director

651-268-8207, marian.m.belinski.mil@mail.mil

MN National Guard Youth Programs

MN Military Teen Panel

National and State Partners ADAPT American Legion Ars Bellum Foundation Beyond The Yellow Ribbon Networks Child Care Aware Fishing for Life Fox Sports North Fox University Lake Superior Zoo Mall of America Military Child Education Coalition Military Family Learning Network Military One Source Minnesota 4-H Foundation Minnesota Department of Education Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Minnesota Military Family Association Minnesota Military Radio Show Minnesota National Guard Youth Camp Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

Minnesota Timberwolves Minnesota Twins Minnesota Veteran Family Support Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Zoo National Military Family Association Project Youth Extension Service Reptile Amphibian Discovery Zoo Sea Life Aquarium School Districts: Little Falls, Proctor, Cottage Grove and Hastings The State of Minnesota United Heroes League University of Minnesota Extension Office USAA Urban Ice Anglers Veterans Campground on Big Marine Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars Wild Wings of Oneka Urban Ice Anglers

“MKC has been an amazing opportunity for our Military kids and families alike. It has been a place for them to build a community with other kids in their same situation

and lean on each other when things are tough or stressful. - Suzy Hartwick, Bay View Elementary teacher

The Military Kids Toolkit is a seven-lesson curriculum that will be expanded to offer 14 lessons. The toolkit is offered as a free, online, and tangible tool for educators who support military-connected youth. The lessons cover military-related topics such as stress, coping, communication and resilience. The lessons can be implemented in small or large group setting. The toolkit helps youth process their military connection at their age level and helps to unite youth so they know they are not the only ones who have a military connection.