Offutt AFB Youth program joins local schools in training event

  • Published
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs

Offutt AFB Youth Programs, LeMay Elementary, Peter Sarpy Elementary and Patriot Elementary were the recipients of Military Child Education Coalition training last week, entitled elementary Student 2 Student, or eS2S, at the Beardmore Event Center in Bellevue, Nebraska.

eS2S is designed to increase awareness of and address school transitions affecting mobile elementary school students through a faculty-led and student engaged model. There are currently 151 trained teams in 14 states that have the elementary Student2Student program in place. With the four new teams from the area surrounding Offutt there are 155.

The two day training was led by MCEC instructors Barbara Britt and Julie Mittelstaedt to the teams from Offutt, Bellevue Public Schools and Papillion LaVista Community School District. Each team was comprised of educators, counselors, administrators and parents who will now begin the work of putting their student transition skills to the test at their schools.

The attendees learned methods on how to help new students feel welcome in their school and ease transition issues. Each school will also utilize current students in the new program, as student representatives or ambassadors, who will help new students as they relocate.

“MCEC taught our teams the core values of the eS2S program”, said Michelle Pridell, offutt school liaison officer. “Each core value impacts not only incoming students, but current students who gain a wealth of knowledge. Leadership, academics, community service, relationships and learning about your campus, culture and community – all vital components to the eS2S program. Having an eS2S program in each of these schools is going to make a huge difference.”

Each team is developing ideas to integrate the program in their respective schools or at Offutt in the youth programs. A new student will be matched up with an eS2S student, who will welcome them to their community and help them adjust.

The schools are currently discussing how they can utilize multimedia to welcome new students in advance, and how the connection with the school liaison office can connect both inbound and outbound military students.

For more information about the eS2S program, please contact the school liaison office at 402-232-4231, or visit the Military Child Education Coalition website at www.militarychild.org.