Operation Hero helps Pendleton children cope with deployment

Experiencing repeated moves and having to cope with a service member on deployment can be challenging issues for many families, especially the children.

Operation Hero, conducted by Camp Pendleton’s Armed Services YMCA, offers after-school tutoring and mentoring sessions for six to 12 year old military children.

The program addresses issues unique to military children such as, challenges in school, new duty stations, deployment of a parent and other concerns connected with the demands of a military lifestyle in an effort for children to find the “hero” within themselves.

“Children tend to lose focus during a parent’s deployment by spending most of their school day thinking of the individual who is gone,” said Samantha Holt, family program director, Camp Pendleton Armed Services YMCA. “Every child has a unique way of handling situations like this and it’s our job to help them find it.”

During each of the biweekly after school sessions that last two and a half hours each, children are given the opportunity to discuss concerns in a group session and practice healthy communication and conflict resolution skills. Other activities include, self-esteem-building and homework help. Students also keep journal entries about positive influences in their life that help to keep them focused.

“The staff here is dedicated to identifying and resolving each student’s particular social or academic situation,” said Holt. “Dealing with a deployment is something that no family or person should handle alone.”

The after-school tutoring program was created at Camp Pendleton in 1995 and is offered at all five of the base’s elementary schools. Due to the programs success, four San Diego County elementary schools now take part in the program.

For more information about the ASYMCA’s Operation Hero program call (760) 385-4921 or log onto http://www.camppendletonasymca.org/ophero_registration.html to enroll.

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