Military Family Points of Contact

Military families with children attending schools that have received a Purple Star Award have an assigned military family point of contact. To access a list of Purple Star Schools and contact information for the military family point of contact, please click here. If your school does not have a military family point of contact and you require assistance, feel free to contact WVDE Coordinator, Mr. Robert Mellace at rmellace@k12.wv.us.

American Academy of Pediatrics website includes sections focused on educating the public and providing strategies for addressing the effects of deployments on military-connected children and their families.

The American Red Cross offers a variety of resources within the military family section of their website, including free and confidential Reconnection Workshops for adults and children. The workshops include focuses on effective communication, stress solutions, trauma talk, emotional grit, connecting with kids, diffusing anger, caregiving for ill and/or injured service members, building confidence and coping skills.

Boots to Bus Drivers

Boots to Bus Drivers is an initiative of the West Virginia Department of Education, in partnership with Operation Welcome Home and the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance, that connects retired and transitioning active-duty military service members with the training they need for a career as a school bus operator. The program is designed to not only provide full funding for training and CDL fees, but also help with the successful transition back into civilian life. To access further information, review this program flyer or contact the Office of School Facilities and Transportation at 304-558-2711.

Department of Veterans Affairs

The Department of Veterans Affairs Homepage provides official information on a variety of benefits and healthcare available to qualifying veterans.

Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health

This Mental Health website provides support for a variety of mental health conditions and other challenges. If you are a veteran in crisis or are concerned about one, a toll-free number provides assistance anytime day or night.

Fry Scholarship

Information at www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/Fry_scholarship.asp may provide Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the children and surviving spouses of Servicemembers who died in the line of duty while on active duty after September 10, 2001.

This site is the home for all education benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Helmets to Hardhats

Helmets to Hardhats offers information on the fastest way for military, reservists, and guardsmen to transition from active duty to a career in the construction industry.

Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)

The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) works to ensure inclusive, quality educational opportunities for all military-connected children affected by mobility, transition, deployments and family separation.

Military Families Learning Network

Military Families Learning Network provides a wealth of information to assist those who work with military families. Within this resource, a webinar series called, “Kids Serve Too!” includes information about Sesame Street for Military Families. This website focuses on strategies for helping children focus on self-care, building resilience and optimism, dealing with relocation transitions, meeting special needs, coping with anxiety, grief, and/or loss.

Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3)

The Compact deals with the challenges of military children and their frequent relocations. It allows for uniform treatment as military children transfer between school districts in member states. At this time, all 50 states and the District of Columbia are members. Note: The Compact only applies to public schools.

To review WV MIC3 contact information: https://mic3.net/interactive-map/

To review the WV MIC3 state overview: http://www.mic3.net/assets/west-virginia-state-profile.pdf

Military Kids Connect

Military Kids Connect provides information to all who care for military youth including sections for educators, parents, and providers. The site includes strategies which help school staff identify needs of military-connected students and create a supportive environment for them. Parents can access age specific guidance documents (ages 6-12 or ages 13-17) for before, during, and after deployments. These guides help care givers identify concerning behavior changes and provide ideas for addressing the needs of military children. Military Kids Connect is an initiative of the Connected Health branch of the Defense Health Agency (DHA).

Military OneSource

Military OneSource is a free service provided by the Department of Defense to service members and their families to help with a broad range of concerns including money management, spouse employment and education, parenting and child care, relocation, deployment, reunion, and the particular concerns of families with special-needs members.

Military Transcripts for College Credit

Members of the Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy may request a Joint Services Transcript as an academically accepted document approved by the ACE used to validate military occupational experience and training along with corresponding ACE college credit recommendations.

Members of the Air Force or Space Force may request transcripts from the Community College of the Air Force.

Minuteman Scholarship

A program provided in coordination with West Virginia’s U.S. Army Ambassador, Mr. Johnnie Ross. Eligibility requirements include, but are not limited to, being in the Army National Guard or in the U.S. Army Reserve or eligible to enlist.  The deadline for nominations is August 4, 2023. For complete details, please contact West Virginia’s U.S. Army Ambassador, Mr. Johnnie Ross at jdross@aep.com.

Learn More about the Minuteman Scholarship ❯

Boys and Girls Clubs of America are partnering with joint military services with a goal to improve the lives of military families on military installations and within civilian communities.

My Air Force Benefits Website

To access the official military benefits website of the U.S Air Force, please visit https://www.myairforcebenefits.us.af.mil.

My Army Benefits Website

To access the official military benefits website of the U.S Army, please visit https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil.

MySECO

MySECO (Spouse Education and Career Opportunities) – A website (provided by Military One Source) providing military spouses with 24/7 access to online education and career information, resources, scholarships, tools and assessments. Using the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities career assessments, spouses may begin to explore their interests, skills, passions and personality type to analyze education and career opportunities. Available tools provide spouses the opportunity to develop an individual career plan, or MyICP, and build their resume. In MySECO military spouses may also take advantage of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership job search, which connects spouses with hundreds of partners who have committed to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs offers information and videos designed to help patients and providers learn about PTSD and effective treatments.

National Guard – West Virginia Military Family Assistance

West Virginia Military Family Assistance offers counseling and referral services for families of military service members. Family assistance counselors maintain contact with families of deployed service members on a monthly basis.

1703 Coonskin Drive
Charleston, WV 25311
866-986-4326

They have offices in Charleston, Parkersburg, Camp Dawson, Martinsburg, Lewisburg and Glen Jean.

The Operation Recognition Program

The West Virginia Board of Education and the West Virginia Veterans’ Council jointly administer a program described in WVBE Policy 4355, which provides qualifying veterans who honorably served in WWII, Korea or Vietnam and did not graduate from high school with a high school diploma. The diploma awarded to veterans through this program is the awarding county’s standard diploma. The diploma may be granted either by the veteran’s current county of residence or by the county in which the school he/she attended is located. Click here to access the program’s application, as found on the WVDVA website.

Sesame Street for Military Families

Sesame Street for Military Families provides videos, activities, and handouts which you may use in your work with families as they experience new situations and challenges arising from deployment, multiple deployments, when a parent returns home and is changed due to an injury or does not return. The website’s content was developed in cooperation with the Military Health System, lists resources by topic, is very user friendly, and is primarily geared towards supporting the social and emotional needs of young children.

StopBullying.gov

StopBullying.gov provides information, training and resources about how to prevent, react and respond to bullying. There is a section specific to providing for the needs of educators and parents of military-connected youth. It addresses deployments, creating a military-friendly school, and lists additional online resources.

A series of developmentally-comprehensive, evidence-informed, universal and targeted parenting programs for military and civilian families. The Thrive Initiative is developed through a collaboration between the Department of Defense’s Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy and the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State.

Tutor.com

At military.tutor.com/home, Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, is a program that provides on-demand, online tutoring and homework help at no cost to eligible service members and their dependents. With live, expert tutors available 24/7, military-connected students can receive academic help at their moment of need—anywhere they have an internet connection.

United States Department of Education (USDE)

United States Department of Education (USDE) website provides a section specific to veterans and military families, with information about education benefits, job training programs and other services.

Veterans Upward Bound for WV

Veterans Upward Bound is a United States Department of Education TRiO Program dedicated to helping Veterans of the U.S. Military take full advantage of the educational opportunities available to them. VUB provides services and materials (at no cost to program participants) for the purpose of facilitating enrollment into and successful completion of studies at institutions of higher learning.

Veterans throughout West Virginia have received services from our Veterans Upward Bound program since 1990. Former VUB participants have earned degrees from colleges and universities in West Virginia and other states.

The Workforce West Virginia website provides a section specific to assisting veterans in their efforts to find jobs in the civilian workforce.

West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance (WVDVA)

This WVDVA provides services and benefits assistance to veterans across the state. The department operates 16 field and claims offices throughout the state, with staff members conducting more than 250 benefits consultations daily. A comprehensive guide to benefits and resources information is included on their website. Visit https://veterans.wv.gov/ for complete details.

Disclaimer: While this website is designed to provide online resources and information to students, educators, and military families about a wide variety of programs and services provided by an assortment of entities, the WVDE and Common Ground Partnership are in no way officially or implicitly endorsing any activities of these organizations and are not responsible for the content of their websites.