Space Camp Scholarships for Military Munchkins

The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) created a space camp scholarship to remember Bernard Curtis Brown II, son of a Navy chief petty officer, who died in the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. Fifteen U.S. military children throughout the world, from 6th to 9th grade, are chosen each year to attend NASA's space camp, free of charge.

Keep Your Munchkins Safe Online

Do you want to keep your kids safe online? 

Do you want a code for a BIG discount? Read on...

As a BzzAgent, I've been given the opportunity to try Trend Micro Online Guardian to monitor my son's  Internet activity. I've really liked that it doesn't slow our computer down with a bulky program. Living out in the country, I also have to worry about programs constantly running and pulling on the bandwidth which affects our streaming videos, Internet speed, etc. We had no problem with that at all since downloading it.

Financial Aid for Munchkin Care Expenses

The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) offers financial assistance for child care to military service members. NACCRRA works with the U.S. Military services to help those who serve in the military find and afford child care that suits their unique needs. The financial aid that is offered does not depend on the rank of the servicemember.

Seeking Parents of K-6th Grade Military Children

As many of you know, I’m conducting my doctoral study on parental involvement in a military child’s education. I have permission to seek participants online, through organizations, etc. If you are a parent of a military child in K-6th grade, I’d love your input. It is all anonymous & all multiple choice. SURVEY The maximum burden is 15 minutes (though some respondents did it in 5 minutes). Please feel free to share the link, too! If this is not applicable to you, please feel free to share with those whom may be interested. I need at least 600 participants to maintain my confidence level with such an unknown sized population.

Camp C.O.P.E. (Courage, Optimism, Patience, & Encouragement)

On September 17th, Camp C.O.P.E. will be coming back to Fort Sam Houston and Brooke Army Medical Center, specifically to Robert G. Cole High School on Fort Sam Houston, an Army installation. This is a remarkable organization benefiting military munchkins. "Camp C.O.P.E. was designed to help our young heroes cope with the effects of war, deployments, and the sacrifices they are asked to make everyday."

2011 Guide to Federal Benefits

Veterans Affairs has released a 2011 guide to Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors which can be found here. This is a comprehensive guide which includes benefits for dependent children for health care, education, and more. This is a valuable resource!

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Don't forget to check out our Scholarships page which is constantly updated as more scholarships are located.

Scholarship for Surviving National Guard Children

The National Guard Educational Foundation (NGEF) created a college scholarship fund for the children of more than 650 National Guardsmen killed in the war on terrorism. The DRS Guardian Scholarship Fund, which will be administered by the NGEF and underwritten by DRS Technologies, Inc. of Parsippany, N.J., will provide up to $6,250 per year to selected students attending a four-year institution or a two-year program at a community college or technical school.

DoD Summer Reading Program for Your Munchkins

Defense Department (DoD) libraries will launch a summer reading program in the hopes of inspiring children -- and adults -- of all ages to read throughout the summer. Visitors to libraries on 270 military installations around the world are invited to join "A Midsummer Knight's Read," an activity-packed reading program with a medieval twist.

DoDEA Schools Seek Parent Input

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) wants people who use the schools to provide their ideas on how to modernize education for the military schools of the future including the design and furnishing of them. Parents and community members are invited to share ideas at the DoDEA website.

Free SAT/ACT Software for Military Munchkins

With the approach of Memorial Day, eKnowledge is reminding all that they are continuing to offer their free SAT/ACT prep software for servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

Military Brats Online - Social Networking for Military Munchkins

Did you know there is a social networking site just for military munchkins? The site is Military Brats Online. There's almost 5,000 members (at the time of this post) and is a great way to connect and relate with others just like your munchkins!

Education Services for Military Dependent Children w/ Autism

The Department of Defense (DoD) is working with Ohio State University (OSU) to review the access and availability of evidence-based educational practices for military dependents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the states of California, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. According to the DoD (2010), "Nationally, the number of children identified with ASD continues to increase. The number of children with ASD served by special education programs in public schools almost tripled between the 2001-02 and 2007-08 school years. The number of military dependents with ASD increased more than 35% between FY 2006 and FY 2008." They have published an Executive Summary about this review.

2011 MilBlog Conference Live Stream

The 2011 MilBlog Conference is quickly approaching! Tune in Saturday, April 30th for live coverage on another great blog, YouServed! They have posted the agenda below the chat and have said that select questions from chat will be asked during question and answer sessions as well. Why does the MilBlog Conference matter to Military Munchkin readers looking for tips, resources, and insight for their military munchkins?

Military Brat Life - a military munchkin magazine

Social networking can expose you, too much, at times when you really just want to share with others who can relate. Military Brat Life is a military munchkin magazine written entirely by military munchkins! There are essays, articles, poetry, and more. If you'd like to contribute, check out

Register for Operation Purple Camp TODAY

Remember my post last month telling you about Operation Purple? Well, today is the day to register! They are offering 40 weeks of camp in over 25 states AND overseas in Japan. Want more information,

NMFA 2011 Operation Purple® Camp

The National Military Family Association (NMFA) has just issued a press release for their upcoming Operation Purple Camps. It is a free camp to support our military munchkins who have dealt with the stress of war.