UMass Amherst Institute Addresses How to Help Children of Military Families

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

The UMass Amherst School of Education and 4-H's Operation Military Kids are co-hosting “Living in the New Normal (LINN) Institute: Helping Children Thrive in Good and Challenging Times,” on Nov. 14-15 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 165-69 Campus Center. The program is sponsored by the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC).

Participants will learn about the experiences of children of deployed military personnel in hands-on sessions on topics such as grief, happiness, trauma versus challenges, stages of development, coping styles, ranges of emotion, injury and re-integration. They will acquire basic knowledge of the effects of military and combat-related illness and injury or death of a parent on children; learn to identify methods of building resilience and courage; identify existing community resources that provide sustained support to children experiencing trauma and loss; and create a customized training module for various community sectors using lessons learned.

Participants will have an opportunity to earn educational credits or graduate credit. The institutes are funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense/Department of the Army.

MCEC is a non-profit organization addressing the educational needs of military-connected families. Concerns about military children dealing with the impact of profound challenges prompted the MCEC to develop these national institutes that are designed for counselors, school nurses and psychologists, educators, daycare and social service providers, clergy, students seeking careers working with children or who interface with children of military families.

 For more information, visit www.umass.edu/education.