U.S. Ag Secretary Recognizes WSU Extension for Operation: Military Kids Work

PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University Extension is among those recognized by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns for its role in developing a nationwide 4-H program specifically for children whose parents are deployed as soldiers in Iraq.

Federal employees involved with the Army 4-H Youth Development Project received Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service Honor Awards Oct. 20 for “exemplary service and achievements.” The awards are the most prestigious presented by U.S. Department of Agriculture. WSU was a key partner in the project and is listed as a primary collaborator.

When the U.S. military needed a way to help the children of deployed soldiers, they turned to 4-H to help accomplish Operation: Military Kids.

“Certainly, 4-H is the premier youth development in the country,” said Pat BoyEs, state 4-H program director in Washington, “and I say that with no small amount of pride and a great deal of accuracy. We were a natural choice for the military because we have an incredibly strong base of well trained youth development professionals and volunteers who are committed to making things better for young people and because of the broad diversity of the programming we offer. We don’t do just sports. We don’t do just arts or homework enhancement. We do it all.”

Because Washington has one of the highest deployment rates in the country, it was chosen as one of five pilot OMK programs. The other pilot programs began in Iowa, Alabama, Arkansas and North Carolina, and today there are more than 30 states involved.

Washington 4-H led the way in helping guide the Operation: Military Kids project nationally. After attending preliminary meetings in Kansas, the Washington team – led by WSU Extension 4-H Program Manager Kevin Wright – decided to develop its own training. They wrote a manual and conducted training sessions in Washington state.

When that made it back to Washington D.C., they said ‘That’s what we need nationally,’ and asked us to produce it,” said Wright. “It is what people on the front lines need to make the program work and to train others, a ‘train the trainer’ model.”

In Washington, Operation: Military Kids is a partnership that began in April 2004 among WSU Extension 4-H, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Washington State National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve. Using grant funds provided through the USDA/Army Youth Development Project, the mission is to create support networks for children in schools and communities, before, during and after the deployment of a parent or loved one.