Posts Tagged USO
Sesame Street, USO Launch Tour for Military Families
Posted by in Family Matters on March 15, 2012
By Elaine Sanchez
March 14, 2012
Elmo and friends sing with Katie, a new character on Sesame Street, during the kickoff of the fifth installment of the Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families in Columbus, Ohio, April 14, 2011. Katie is a military child dealing with a military move. DOD photo by Elaine Sanchez
Several years ago, I was invited to New York to preview some Sesame Street products for military families. Although busy, I couldn’t resist sneaking away for a quick stroll down the Sesame Street set.
As I walked past Mr. Hooper’s store and peered into Oscar the Grouch’s trash-can home, the years drifted away until I once again was a child glued to my family’s antenna-laden 1970s TV set.
In a few weeks, military families around the nation will have a chance to take their own walk down memory lane — and create some new memories for their children — when Sesame Street comes to town.
The Sesame Street and USO Experience for Military Families, a free traveling show, is about to embark on its 2012 tour. The show, exclusively for military families, premieres April 7 at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Families at more than 70 military installations across the nation will have the chance to see the show over the next eight months.
The 30-minute musical show features Sesame Street favorites Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster and Rosita, as well as a new addition, Elmo’s friend, Katie. Katie is a character from a military family dealing with a military move.
During the show, Katie opens up to her Muppet friends about her fears and excitement about the move. With the help of a few songs, Elmo and other pals reassure her that she’ll make new friends while still remaining close with old ones.
Officials Seek Troop, Family Feedback
Posted by in Family Matters on September 22, 2011
By Elaine Sanchez
Elaine.sanchez@dma.mil
Sept. 21, 2011
Officials hope to hear from troops and their families on a variety of issues — from the quality of education within Defense Department schools to USO support programs and services.
First, DOD officials are inviting military and community members to share their thoughts on the quality and continuity of education in the department’s schools and their suggestions for improvements.
This feedback will be used in the development of a new Department of Defense Education Activity Community Strategic Plan, a document that will help to shape the activity’s way ahead — including mission, vision, guiding principles, goals and initiatives — through 2016. The current plan expires at the end of this year.
Officials would like to hear from parents, students, principals, staff members, teachers, military leaders, students and any community member who interacts with the school system, such as child care or health care providers. Topics of interest include consistency of communication from schools, strategies to improve support for students and families through transitions, and feedback on curriculum, instruction and assessment in DOD schools.
People can provide feedback online at http://cspfeedback.dodea.edu/.
Meanwhile, USO officials are seeking feedback from service members and their families to help them determine which areas of USO support are most valuable to them.
They’re asking troops and their families to take part in the annual Tell USO survey, which is available online at http://www.TellUSO.org through Oct. 5, a USO news release said. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, and participants who complete the survey will be entered in a drawing to receive a $500 Visa gift card.
Survey results will offer valuable data on how the USO can continue to meet the needs of military families, the release said. Information from previous surveys has helped the USO improve connectivity in Southwest Asia, develop a Deployment Care Package and establish a Mobile United Through Reading kit for troops in areas away from a USO center.
Blogger Highlights Program for Military Kids
Posted by in Family Matters on July 15, 2010
Lisa Daniel is a writer and editor for the Defense Department’s American Forces Press Service. I invited her to write a guest blog for Family Matters to highlight the “Me and a Friend” program that’s benefiting military children.
Izeyah Escobar, 8, left, and Giselle "Gi Gi" Martinez, 7, root on the Washington Nationals against the San Francisco Giants in Washington, D.C., July 11, 2010. The two are at the game as part of the "Me and a Friend" program, a partnership between the Defense Department and USO. The program sponsors tickets to sporting events and other activities for military children to make new friends in spite of frequent relocations and moves. DoD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
Me and a Friend
by Lisa Daniel
July 15, 2010
I had the pleasure on the Fourth of July to attend a Washington Nationals baseball game in the nation’s capital that provided the launching pad for a new USO program honoring children of servicemembers.
The kids may not have picked up on the symbolism, but the Independence Day setting while watching the national pastime was the perfect venue to kick off the “Me and a Friend” program.
Like most military kids I’ve met, those at the Nationals game were humble about the attention on them, and seemed unaware of their role in the nation’s military success.
Kelsie Vick was one such example. Kelsie, who turned 18 last week, has moved 10 times for her father, Army Master Sgt. John Vick, to fulfill his soldier duties. Kelsie, a volunteer photographer with the USO, takes the military lifestyle in stride. “I liked it,” she said.
Kelsie’s reaction, to not offer even a hint of complaint about the demands the military lifestyle places on children, is common among military kids.
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