Photo By Lance Cpl. Christian Radosti | U.S. Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma leaders, Yuma School District One teachers...... read more read more
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[MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, ARIZONA] - Supporting grassroots community involvement in K-12 education provides a distinct benefit to school age youth and the broader Yuma community. Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma works directly with local schools to establish partnerships that enhance educational outcomes for K-12 students and support opportunities for Marines to volunteer and serve their community.
Adopt a School partnerships, a partnership between a local K-12 school and a Marine Corps unit, establishes reliable Marine Corps volunteers to serve as strong role models for school-aged children and youth. Their commitment to discipline, integrity, and leadership can inspire youth to adopt similar values. The mentorship from Marines can provide the guidance they need to navigate challenges and set higher aspirations for themselves.
“Both the military members and the students grow and gain from their interactions.” stated Amanda Norton, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) GrantProject Coordinator for Yuma School District One.
The Marines active participation in schools can instill values of citizenship, service to the community, and civic responsibility in young minds. Educating children about their role in society and how they can contribute positively encourages future generations to engage in community service and local governance. Local units such as H&HS, MALS-13, VMU-1, and MAG-13 have maintained strong Adopt A School partnerships with Yuma School District One schools over several years.
The Purple Star School designation, earned by several schools within Yuma County and across the state of Arizona, recognizes schools for supporting military-connected students and their families.
These clubs also complement Office of Secretary of Defense funded resources such as school-based Child and Youth Behavior Military Family Life Counselors (CYB-MFLC), who provide free, confidential, non-clinical support for military children and families. MCAS Yuma currently coordinates CYB-MFLC support for 9 Yuma School District One schools.
“I would say another really big takeaway is seeing the schools working through the Purple Star School program and implementing it at their site. The biggest impact I've seen is the ability to forge closer working relationships with those schools to better support military families.” stated Candice Brown, School Liaison with Marine Corps Community Services Yuma.
The designation is significant, requiring a designated school to comply with Arizona Purple Star School requirements as enumerated in House Bill 2246, passed unanimously by the Arizona Legislature and signed into law in April 2024. Purple Star Schools use evidence-based practices such as a peer-to-peer mentorship program, training at least 70% of school staff on military life and associated challenges, and designating a trained point of contact for their school to support incoming military families and students.
Being named a Purple Star School indicates that it is dedicated to addressing the specific needs of military families. This recognition can enhance the school's reputation and attract families looking for supportive educational environments.
“By earning the Purple Star School designation, our schools demonstrate that they are well-equipped to address the unique educational and social-emotional challenges faced by military children as they relocate to new school environments. We take pride in supporting our military community and are honored to hold this designation.” stated Sandra Carbajal, Yuma School District One Military-Connected Advocate.
“We are grateful to hold such a designation that acknowledges our district's schools for their
outstanding commitment to supporting military-connected students and their families,” stated Sandra Carbajal, Yuma School District One Military-Connected Advocate.
“Purple Star Schools value military-connected families. They seek to ensure students feel welcome and experience a smooth transition to their new District One School. They are required to provide resources tailored to military students, including counseling services, academic support, and social-emotional learning opportunities.”
Mitigating the challenges military students face when adapting to new schools and communities allows military families to thrive during their tour in Yuma. With a designated Purple Star point of contact at each school and dedicated website, military-connected families can easily locate their school’s resources.
U.S. Marine Corps Colonel, Jared K. Stone, Commanding Officer of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma reflected on the importance of the program when he said, “Military kids face unique challenges based on the requirement to relocate every two to three years, long separations from parents due to military deployments, and many other factors that schools often aren’t equipped to accommodate. Establishing purple star schools in Yuma is meaningful for Marine Corps families. The speed with which the school districts are responding, after the state of Arizona passed the Purple Star School legislation, isn’t surprising at all based on the great relationship MCAS Yuma has with the local schools. We appreciate all the community support for the Marine Corps here in Yuma, and nothing could be more important than something like this that directly impacts and helps our children thrive in school, while their families serve our nation in the Marine Corps. “
The impact of these efforts extends beyond the individual children, strengthening the community by fostering resilience, engagement, awareness, and a shared commitment to creating a brighter, healthier future for all.
| Date Taken: | 10.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.10.2024 16:45 |
| Story ID: | 482955 |
| Location: | YUMA, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 148 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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