Some reasons to celebrate military dependent students:
Military kids move 3 times more than their civilian counterparts
- Over 2 million have a mother or father who has served in Iraq or Afghanistan and many have served multiple tours
- They attend 6-9 different schools from kindergarten through 12th grade
- They experience frequent separations from at least 1 parent and not just because of deployments. Duty days, TDY’s, schools, and trainings all take the service member away from them in addition to deployments
Military children are truly amazing and incredibly resilient in the face of challenges most adults would crumble beneath. They adapt to new places and faces all while dealing with frequent transitions within the home.
Convinced it’s time to celebrate them? While I highly encourage you to celebrate the military kid in your life year-round, The Month of the Military Child in April gives us an opportunity to go above and beyond. Here’s a way you can celebrate and show support to the military children in your community: Wear PURPLE on April 15th. This is officially PURPLE UP day – a day designated to celebrate how awesome military kids are! Ask military-connected kids to share their experience or interesting facts about places they’ve lived. I bet their responses will surprise you and you’ll probably even learn a thing or two.
No matter how you choose to recognize the military child in your life the most important thing is that you do! Military kids are often overlooked, but they serve and sacrifice too. Let’s all take a minute to thank them.
Here are some events celebrating military child month:
Month of the Military Child Festival
To celebrate the month of the Military Child, volunteers at the Veterans Museum have created a festival to recognize all of the children in San Diego County. “The festival is a first of its kind for our region and we are excited to open our doors to the public. All children and their families, whether military or not, are invited to join us for this free activity-packed day of fun,” said Sheldon Margolis, President of the Veterans Museum.
Activities for the day start with a Happiness Parade at 10am. All children in attendance are invited to participate in the parade. The day will be filled with over 20 S.T.E.A.M. and craft activity stations where children can build, draw, tinker, paint and create. Musical performances will be ongoing at outdoor and indoor stages. Picnic lawns surround the museum, so families are encouraged to bring picnic baskets and blankets to relax and soak in the fun and sun.
San Diego’s own version of Indiana Jones – Planetary Scientist, Explorer and Marine – Ryan Davis is building an interactive maze that will lead children through a series of S.T.E.A.M. activities in search of treasure in the “Raiders of the First Light,” the main attraction of the event.
“All of the activities are free and all of the families in our region are invited. We want this to be the biggest celebration that San Diego has experienced in support of the children who love and cherish their parents who are serving and protecting our country,” said Tony LoBue, Director of Arts for the Veterans Museum. “Surrounded by arts, culture and historic beauty, Balboa Park is the ideal location for this celebration. Our partnership between the Veterans Museum and the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture allows us to provide events of this magnitude for the community.”
Location: Veterans Museum Garden in Balboa Park
Sunday, April 29, 2018, 10:00am to 4:00pm
Kickboxing
This is your month so do something FUN! Try live kickboxing with a professional and experienced coach to guide you through activities and experiences. This activity is not only an excellent physical workout, but helps to build self-esteem, self-respect, and perseverance. Open to teens, 11-18 years. Newly registered teens are entered into a drawing! Release form required prior to event.
Call for details.
Murphy Canyon Youth Center
858-268-2828
Friday, April 13, 2018, 4:00-6:00 pm
