Photo By Wood Francois | For 25 years, the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) has been supporting...... read more read more
Subscribe
The Military Child Education Coalition is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides educational programs and resources to military students.
The entire MCEC organization has a passion for serving military families and ensuring military- connected students have every opportunity for a quality education. Founded in 1998, MCEC educates, advocates, and collaborates to solve educational challenges military-connected students face.
Doctor Mary Keller was an area superintendent of the then largest school district with military children outside of Fort Hood, Texas, when she saw a need within her community. She brought education, military, and corporate leaders together to highlight the recurring challenges she and other educators had noticed in her community, especially as it related to military children.
The conversations focused on ways to alleviate the challenges that military children often face due to the transient military lifestyle, with an average of 6-9 moves, deployments, and separations during their academic career. Keller helped spur momentum for what ultimately became MCEC.
Today, Dr. Becky Porter, President and CEO, leads the organization using her own experience as an Army Colonel and clinical psychologist. Dr. Porter ensures MCEC is aligned with issues that are top of mind for military families and that the resources the organization offers reflect those needs.
Cindy Simerly, Vice President of Advancement, has been with MCEC for 12 years and, as an Active Duty Army spouse, is intimately familiar with the unique experience military families and students face.
“Our mission is to ensure all military and veteran connected students have the best educational opportunities they can have,” said Simerly. “We also have tremendous appreciation for the challenges that our educators and school administrators face.”
Since its founding, MCEC has evolved to offer a variety of programs and resources that encompass a 360-approach working with educators and education professionals, parents, and directly with students.
For professionals, the organization offers-learning opportunities to help identify and respond to the complex needs of military-connected children.
MCEC also offers workshops, both virtual and in-person, designed to help parents as they guide their children through their educational journey.
Peer-to-peer mentoring programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels complete MCEC’s 360-approach by working directly with the students that are impacted.
At the heart of MCEC is giving military families the tools to allow children to thrive in the face of transition and separation. This mission has taken on a new level of significance after the COVID- 19 pandemic.
“We have seen the negative effects of the virtual learning environment where students were unable to make in-person bonds,” illustrated Tara Gleason, Director of Programs at MCEC. “Connection and belonging are top concerns across students, parents, and professionals.”
MCEC created the Military Child Well-Being Toolkit to give parents, educators, and youth- serving professionals the resources needed to address the well-being of military children, especially in today’s post-pandemic world.
It takes collaboration to care for military children including parents, educators, and community partners. One way MCEC recognizes partnerships that work to benefit military-connected children is through the Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award. Each year, awards are presents to recognize schools, installations, and programs at the Global Training Summit (GTS).
Among the installations that were recognized for their partnerships last year were Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.
Moving into it’s twenty-fifth year, MCEC continues to keep military children at the core of every program it offers.
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2023 12:51 |
| Story ID: | 443242 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON DC, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 103 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, MCEC: 25 Years of Dedication, by Diana Nesukh, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
