DoDEA

ARLINGTON, VA — April 1, 2010 — The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) joins the Department of Defense and military communities around the world in honoring military children during April — The Month of the Military Child.
For nearly a quarter of a century, the Department of Defense has been designating April as the month to recognize the special qualities of our military children. The sacrifices they make to help keep our nation’s defenses strong are sometimes overlooked or underestimated. But the parents of these children recognize the strength and courage their children display as they support their families. Frequent moves and deployments are two of the biggest challenges these children face.
“Our children make many sacrifices growing up in a military family. From frequent moves to knowing their parent is serving in a dangerous place, military children must develop resiliency at a young age. This strength is something they carry with them throughout life and I believe it is a testament to the strength and resolve of our nation’s military members who serve as role models every day for their children,” said Dr. Shirley Miles, Director of DoDEA.
Throughout the month, DoDEA will encourage schools to plan special events to honor military children and have administrators and principals incorporate the themes of this month into their every day duties and responsibilities. These efforts and special events will stress the importance of providing children with quality services and support to help them succeed in the mobile military lifestyle.
“As a military child myself, I know that there are many additional challenges for our children. But there are also many opportunities. As DoDEA educators, we constantly strive to ensure highest student achievement for all of our students,” Miles said. “Our schools welcome students, teach them and work hard to prepare them for the future. The children of our service members have much to contribute to their schools, their communities and the nation.”
DoDEA plans, directs, coordinates, and manages pre-kindergarten — 12th grade education programs for Department of Defense (DoD) dependents who would otherwise not have access to a high-quality public education. DoDEA schools are located in Europe, the Pacific, the United States, Cuba, Guam and Puerto Rico. DoDEA also provides support and resources to Local Education Activities throughout the U.S. that serve children of military families.