Eighteen Alabama Schools Participated in Military Child Education Coalition’s 360 Summit in Huntsville

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — On March 6-7, 2023, 58 education professionals representing 18 schools within Madison County, Madison City, and Huntsville City school districts participated in a two-day summit supporting the needs of military-connected students and families. Partnering with Alabama A&M University, the summit was hosted by the nonprofit Military Child Education Coalition® (MCEC®), which serves as the national advocate for Purple Star Schools.

The MCEC 360 Summit participants included school professionals such as teachers, administrators, counselors, and school or district staff, as well as parents and students.

Welcoming remarks were delivered by COL Brian Cozine, Garrison Commander of Redstone Arsenal, followed by greetings from Erica Lewis, School Liaison Officer for Child & Youth Services at Redstone Arsenal, and Jennifer Holliday, Alabama Military Family Liaison.

The event included discussions on the Military Interstate Compact (MIC3), Impact Aid, and the Military Student Identifier; presentations from School Liaison Officers from Maxwell Air Force Base, AL and Fort Benning, GA; professional development training on Supporting Veterans’ Children Through Transition; and interaction with state-level MCEC Coordinators.

Day one ended with MCEC and Hot Wheels® Speedometry™. Twenty-four parents and 30 elementary/middle school-aged children gained experience evaluating and interpreting data using the concepts of physics, all while having fun racing Hot Wheels cars.

On day two of the summit, 29 educators and 45 students participated in training related to MCEC’s Student 2 Student® (S2S) program. The program trains civilian and military-connected students to establish and sustain peer-based programs in their schools to support mobile children as they transition to and from new schools.

This 360 Summit was generously funded through The Alabama State Department of Education State Fund.