Armed Services YMCA El Paso
Armed Services YMCA El Paso
Military children can bear a tremendous amount of stress related to frequent moves, parental deployment, and trauma should a parent be wounded or killed. Oftentimes, military spouses are dealing with similar emotions and may not know how to address their child’s attitudes and behaviors that may be hindering progress at school and at home.
Operation Hero is a free after-school program tailored to the unique struggles of military children. The program addresses topics specifically relevant to the military child and their experience, and provides tools and opportunities for military children to adjust positively to the hardships of a military lifestyle.
The program is designed to help military kids (grades 2-8) get back on track in school and at home. Children are referred to the program by school personnel.
When children enroll in Operation Hero, they work within a team to navigate through the 10-week course.
A trained professional specializing in military youth oversees each Operation Hero session. The facilitator leads children in group discussions about who they are and how they fit in at home and school. They discuss how to manage feelings, friendships, and conflict. The sessions also include a period of homework assistance in areas identified by their classroom teacher, snack time, and an activity supporting the theme of the week.
Operation Hero is unique in that it addresses topics specifically relevant to the military child and their experience. The program provides tools and opportunities for military children to adjust positively to the hardships of a military lifestyle.
Our program’s three-component system breaks up the learning process so that students easily digest information through homework assistance, outdoor activities, and classroom lesson plans.
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