MCEC Podcast

The Purple Star School program is designed to help schools respond to the challenges military-connected children face during their school transitions.  Listen to Mr. Hovet Dixon, Jr., and Mr. Jason Fowler discuss how schools, districts, and community organizations are working to support military families.   This podcast is made possible by generous funding from Alabama State Department of Educatio...

In this podcast, you’ll hear my conversation with three of last year’s Call for the Arts Middle School Winners: Claire, Amaris, and Annabelle.  Listen as they discuss their beautiful works of art as an expression of their military experiences. Congratulations once again to all the 2024 CFA winners!   This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Randolph Spouses’ Club.  To learn more,...

Listen as Dr. Brooke Rice, Vice President of Curriculum and Work-Based Learning at NAF, discusses the changing landscape of college and career readiness for high school students.  She shares NAF's innovative approach to transform the high school experience through, "Exposure to career options and opportunities to build upon one's aspirations, to develop future ready skills, and create critical wor...

The MCEC Call for the Arts program invites military-connected children from all over the world, representing every branch of service, to share interpretations through art of what it means to be a military-connected child.  Listen as one of our 2024 Call for the Arts high school winners, Genevieve, shares how she expresses herself through art.    This podcast is made possible by generous funding fr...

Dr. Daniel Perkins and Dr. Jennifer Karre discuss the importance of policy in supporting military-connected students and families.  Listen as they examine the implementation of four policy initiatives: Advance Enrollment (AE), the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3), the Military Student Identifier (MSI), and the Purple Star School program.   This podcast is made possible by g...

MCEC’s 2024 Call for the Arts received hundreds of entries from across the globe and every branch of service, with creative expressions of strength, bravery, pride, and community. In this podcast, hear my conversation with three of last year’s Elementary School Winners: Aurora, Jack, and Lucia. Seeing and hearing the world from the perspective of a child is inspiring and will brighten your day. Co...

Military children will experience on average 6-9 school transitions during their K-12 education, and some of these transitions may happen during the school year.  Listen as Dr. Jenny Cogbill discusses moving in the middle of the school year and the impact it has on students.  She shares valuable tips on how to best support these military children.   This podcast is made possible by generous fundin...

DoDEA’s mission is to "Educate, Engage, and Empower military-connected students to succeed in a dynamic world". Listen as Kathleen Facon discusses DoDEA’s grant programs and how they are being implemented in communities to support military-connected students.    This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Wright-Patterson Officers’ Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https://wrightp...

The Purple Star School program is designed to help schools respond to the educational and social-emotional challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school.  Listen as Pete LuPiba, “Founder of Purple Star Schools,” discusses how the Purple Star Program is helping military-connected students and families thrive.   This podcast is made possible by generous funding...

Listen as Dr. Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth discusses the importance of conducting research of military and veteran families to improve their overall well-being.  She discusses the Military Family Research Institute’s Operation Military Experience, a nationwide study that looks at the experiences of families who have faced a parental deployment.    This podcast is made possible by generous funding f...

Partners in PROMISE is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect the rights of military children in special education and disability communities to ensure they receive equal access to education.  Listen as Dr. Jenna Kremkow and Carla Wyrsch discuss how the PROMISE advocates for military children with special and exceptional needs.   This podcast is made possible by generous funding from...

Dr. Kimberly Dickman discusses an epidemic of loneliness across the United States and the impact that it's having on mental health.  She also shares the importance of developing meaningful connections, and how those connections influence our overall well-being.     This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the USAA Foundation.     Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas....

September 15th through October 15th is National Hispanic American Heritage Month, celebrating the contributions of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation.  Listen as Dr. Jessica Meléndez-Carrillo, a lifelong educator, discusses the importance of embracing a cultural community with understanding, respect, and support.  In addition, she shares best practices for su...

Technology has had an incredible impact on how we live and work in the world today.  Our access to videos, websites, and social media platforms are just at our fingertips.  But does digital media usage affect our mental health?  Listen as Dr. Justin Rowberry discusses the impact that this usage has on our mental, emotional, and behavioral health… especially for our kids.   This podcast is made pos...

The topic of mental health continues to be a priority in our world today.  Listen as Ashley Jensen discusses why our emotional, psychological, and social well-being are so important.  She also shares how the Cohen Veterans Network is helping support our military-connected families. This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Fort Bliss Spouses’ Association. To learn more, visit http...

Dr. Patricia Jennings discusses the importance of supporting our educator’s mental health and well-being, especially those that work with our military-connected students.  She introduces us to CARE for Teachers (Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education), a professional development program designed to help teachers with stress management and rediscover the joys of teaching.   This podcast...

We were delighted to be able to sit down with Lucy a year after our first conversation.  Listen as she discusses her recent PCS, how it feels to start all over again as the new kid, and how her love of music helps during those challenging times.   This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Mountain Home Officers’ Spouses’ Club and Naval Officers’ Spouses’ Club Washington, D.C. To l...

Student 2 Student is a peer-to-peer student-led program that brings military and civilian students together to welcome new students, create a positive environment for all, support educational opportunities, build connections through service, and ease transitions.  Listen as Emily discusses how her S2S is helping new students start the school year with a great support network.     This podcast is m...

Listen as Scott Arcuri, Vice President of Field Operations at Operation Homefront discusses their mission to build strong, stable, and secure military families.  They provide relief and recurring family support programs, including events like the Back-to-School Brigade, Holiday Meals for Military, and Star-Spangled Babies.  Operation Homefront is truly focused on helping military families not just...

Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are foundational to a child’s healthy development and well-being.  Listen as Dr. Elizabeth Hisle-Gorman and Dr. Binny Chokshi discuss promoting PCEs and how the Healthy Outcomes From Positive Experiences (HOPE) model supports strengthening families.   This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Ramstein Officers’ Spouses’ Club. To learn more, vi...

BigFuture’s mission is to ensure every student has free resources to plan for life after high school.  Listen as Greg Rafal, Director of BigFuture Program Implementation at College Board, shares how they are focused on supporting all students plan for their future.  He also discusses the importance of consistent college and career guidance for our military-connected students, and how BigFuture is...

"Every child deserves love, acceptance, and respect."  In this powerful discussion, Keygan Miller from The Trevor Project shares the organization’s mission to support and empower LGBTQ+ youth.  The conversation highlights the importance of education, acceptance, and creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals, especially in the military community. Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Tex...

Resilience is often described as our ability to “bounce back” as we are faced with challenges.  Our military-connected youth live a highly mobile lifestyle and developing resiliency skills can assist in navigating the unique challenges of this life.  Listen as Dr. Rachel Millstein and Stacie Fredriksson discuss programs that provide opportunities for youth to build these skills.     This podcast i...

Dr. Elizabeth Connors and Dr. Samantha Reaves discuss the impact that data has in developing a comprehensive school mental health support system.  They address the importance of having system and individual level data to assess the quality of programs and services, and how to utilize that data to make improvements.   This podcast is made possible by our partnership with The National Child Traumati...

In our latest episode, we were honored to have Lisa Howard delve into the critical topic of mental health within the military community.  Lisa open-heartedly shares her personal family experiences, emphasizing why having open conversations is vital to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health.   This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Team Seymour Spouses' Club. To learn mor...