The Wisconsin Operation Military Kids Team is the recipient of the 2012 Excellence in Community Engagement Award from the University of Wisconsin Colleges and University of Wisconsin-Extension.
UW Colleges and UW-Extension Chancellor Ray Cross presented the award at the institutions’ Chancellor’s Awards Reception, Sept. 20, in Madison. The annual Chancellor’s Awards recognize UW Colleges and UW-Extension partners, supporters and employees for their outstanding contributions to the quality of life in Wisconsin.
In giving the award, Cross praised Operation Military Kids for developing a strong community support network for military families and children dealing with challenges encountered when a loved one is deployed.
Cross added, “The Chancellor’s Awards are a once-a-year celebration of UW Colleges’ and UW-Extension’s valuable contributions to lifelong learning, but the work of these two institutions is in evidence every day of the year in all 72 Wisconsin counties.
“Let us thank the 2012 awards recipients for protecting the environment, developing youth and adult leaders, reaching state residents with learning opportunities via cost-effective technologies, creating win-win collaborations and so much moreall with the goal of bringing university resources and knowledge to the people of our state.”
Over 14,000 children in this state have parents in the military. These children and their families face many challenges. The cycle of military deployment has an enormous impact on youth from the day the parent learns about the deployment through the reintegration when they return home. Operation: Military Kids (OMK) provides opportunities for these kids to connect with other youth in similar situations, and provides adults who can empathize and help them cope with their new world.
Operation Military Kids is made possible through the strong partnership and hard work of many individuals including: Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB), Wisconsin National Guard, Army Child Youth and School Services, 115th Fighter Wing, Fort McCoy, Navy League, Supporting Families Together, 4-H Youth Development, UW-Platteville, and University of Wisconsin Extension, Cooperative Extension.
UW Colleges is comprised of 13 freshman-sophomore campuses that offer an associate degree in arts and science and prepare students of all ages and backgrounds for baccalaureate and professional programs. UW-Extension includes Cooperative Extension offices in 72 counties and three tribal nations, 12 Small Business Development Centers, and outreach and e-learning programs delivered via the 26 UW System campuses and distance-learning channels, as well as the statewide networks of Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television.
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Photo information: The Wisconsin Operation Military Kids State Team, 4-H Youth Development, Cooperative Extension, University of Wisconsin-Extension, is a recipient of a University of Wisconsin Colleges and University of Wisconsin-Extension 2012 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Community Engagement for developing a strong community support network for military families and children dealing with challenges encountered when a loved one is deployed. Chancellor Ray Cross (standing, far right) congratulated team members and supporters at the Chancellor’s Awards event, Sept. 20, 2012, in Madison.
Front row: Ruth Price, Jan Fink, Cathy McPhail, Becky Walley, Tina Jeffords
Back row: Lt. Col. Tammy Gross, Ellen Magee, Kim Sandleback, Sue Curtis, Jim Larson, state Sen. Dale Schultz, John Ashley, Denny Behr, Laura Pettersen, Col. Julie Gerety, Chancellor Cross
Team members not pictured: John Benberg, Flormaria Gonzalez, Lilly Irvin-Vitela
Photo by Jim Gill/Wisconsin Public Television
Contact:
Laura Pettersen
(608) 487-1966
laura.pettersen@ces.uwex.edu