A n n u a l R e p o r t

A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 1 6 Photos from left to right: Adam Ward participated in his first camp with the TetraBrazil Soccer Camp at the Joint Force Readiness Center. He rocked it and was the shining star among the campers. Our Junior Campers during the British Challenger Sports Soccer Camp at the Joint Force Readiness Center. Teens participated in a High Adventure Challenge Day at Butter Eggs Adventures in Troy, AL. These teens were preparing for the first zip line. Note: Photos in this annual report have been released by said participants to be used by Alabama CYSS and is currently on file with the Child Youth Program Coordinator

A L A B A M A N A T I O N A L G U A R D C H I L D, YO U T H & SC H O O L S E R V I C E S A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 6 M i s s i o n "To promote and sustain the quality of life and resiliency of National Guard families by providing secure, timely, flexible, high-quality support services and enrichment programs to National Guard children and youth." G o a l s Create community support networks for all National Guard children and youth. Deliver recreational, social, and educational programs for national guard youth living in civilian communities. Collaborate and educate schools systems within Alabama to ensure that teachers and staff are equipped with resources for the unique needs of their military students. Educate the public on the impact of deployment cycles on service members Volunteers 8 volunteers assisted with the planning and execution of 10 events with a cumulative of 328 hours served in camps, Yellow Ribbon Events, and CYSS events. Youth and Teens Served in FY16 409 ARNG Youth ages 6-12 202 ARNG Youth ages 13-18 6 ANG Youth ages 6-12 1 ANG Youth ages 13-18 5 Navy Reserve ages 13-18 8 Army Active Duty ages 13-18 5 Air Force Active Duty ages 13-18 4 Air Force Reserve ages 13-18 Youth at a Yellow Ribbon received letters from the Teen Council

2016 HIGHLIGHTS Supported 8 Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program Events that served 61 ARNG 6-12 year olds, and 9 ARNG 13-17 year olds. Hosted Challenger Sports Soccer Camp for Army National Guard youth ages 6-9 at the Joint Force Readiness Center in Montgomery, AL that included two soccer coaches from Great Britain. Youth served included 20 Army National Guard youth. Hosted TetraBrazil Soccer Camp for Army National Guard youth ages 10-17 at the Joint Force Readiness Center in Montgomery, AL that included two soccer coaches from Brazil. Youth served included 22 Army National Guard youth. In coordination with the USDA, 4H Military Partnership, and Maxwell Air Force Base, hosted a Fall High Adventure Camp at True Adventure Sports in Fort Payne, AL for 27 Military youth ages 12-18. Those served included 4 Army National Guard, 8 Army Active Duty, 5 Active Air Force, 1 Air National Guard, 4 Air Force Reserves, and 3 Navy Reserves. Child, Youth, & School Services with the support of the Family Assistance Centers, and the Family Readiness Support Assistants distributed Christmas Toys to 179 Alabama Army National Guard children ages 0-12 and 24 teens ages 13-18. We also served 6 Air Guard youth during the holiday season. Hosted a Teen High Adventure Summit for 12 Army National Guard teens and 6 Parents. Teens were able to engage with their parents and adult leaders in high adventure activities. They had to work together as teams in order to complete a series of challenging tasks. Hosted Youth Symposium that included the CSF2 Resilience Training to 17 Army National Guard Teens. In coordination with the Family Readiness Support Assistants, distributed 250 backpacks from Operation Homefront filled with school supplies to school age youth at the unit level. M a s t e r T e e n R e s i l i e n c e T r a i n i n g P r o g r a m Throughout the course of 1 Oct 2015-30 Sept 2016, youth across Alabama were selected to participate in the Master Resilience Training for teens program. This program is targeted for adolescents, and is based upon a state of the art adult program delivered to U.S. Army Soldiers and their spouses. When faced with stress and/or adversity, resilience is the key factor in mental, emotional, and behavioral ability to cope with and recover from the experience, achieve positive outcomes, adapt to change, stay healthy, and grow from the experience. Highlights from the outcomes of these trainings include parents who expressed that their teens were more clearly able to communicate their thoughts and feelings to parents and educators. Teens were also able to express visual representations of their goals and life plans. Teens were highly receptive to the overall program. We conducted 3 two hour trainings to include 9 teens who participated in the full trainings and one weekend event for 17 teens that completed the full training. 2 0 1 6 A l a b a m a Y o u t h C o u n c i l Alabama had 4 Army National Guard teens that served on the 2016 Child, Youth & School Services Youth Council. Youth were selected based on an application process that included an essay, letters of recommendation, and GPA of 3.0 or higher. They participated in four required quarterly meetings. They discussed issues they face being geographically dispersed, ways to involve their communities and schools for support, and planning for upcoming events. Three of the teens were able to attend the first Region 4 Youth Symposium in Nashville, TN. Upon return from the symposium the teens have developed plans to set up a meeting with members of the Alabama State Legislature to present their concerns and ideas in which Alabama can better serve Military children and teens.

T e e n A d v e n t u r e S u m m i t 12Teens, ages 12-17, from across south central Alabama came together for a day of high adventure challenges at Butter & Egg Adventures in Troy, AL. Parents had an option of attending with their teen and we had five parents and one grandparent that participated and completed all challenges. The teens and family members learned how to communicate in challenging and tough situations. Activities such as a high ropes obstacle course with tight ropes and cargo net climbing taught them that they have to work together as team if they want to be successful. They also completed a high level zip line and a paint ball challenge. This was a great day putting resilience into action. U S D A F a l l A d v e n t u r e C a m p T e s t i m o n i a l S t a t e m e n t s Having someone who could truly understand what they were going through, seeing other children s point-of-view, and learning what they do to help during deployments, changed their entire outlook on dealing with a parent being deployed. They were treated like they had value because they were serving also. - Mandi Stark, AL Army National Guard Spouse I really appreciate the work that you have dedicated to the Child & Youth Program. My son still talks to this day about Soccer camp. I like it because it keeps the kids active and gives them a fun and safe environment. They learn a valuable effort on socializing and teamwork. - SFC McGriff Throughout my many years in the Alabama National Guard I have witnessed firsthand the quality of service and care provided to the soldiers and family members of not only the 158th SMC but to all members of the ALARNG. Soldiers depend on these programs to minimize the stress associated with deployment and redeployment. - 1SGT Michael Owings The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in partnership with the Alabama 4H Military Partnership, Maxwell Air Force Base, and the Alabama National Guard Child, Youth, & School Services hosted a Fall Adventure Camp. Youth, ages 13-18, from across the states flew into Chattanooga, TN and were then transported by bus to True Adventure Sports in Fort Payne, AL for a three day adventure camp that included activities such as mountain climbing, wilderness survival school, zip lines, and land navigation. Teens also participated in a cattle show with the county 4H Cooperative Extension. The extension taught teens about grooming and showing the steer in competition. Each teen was then able to participate in the showmanship class of judging during the cattle show. They also participated in discussions on ways to connect with their families through their local communities and service projects. The goal of the project was to offer experiences to military youth that they may have never had the opportunity to experience, and to help them cope with the stresses of deployment and reintegration.

A l a b a m a N a t i o n a l & S t a t e The Alabama National Guard Child, Youth, & School Services together with youth, adults, schools, civic groups, military and private organizations have created a statewide support network. This collaboration has provided much needed support for our amazing military kids and families. Building Community Capacity Through the 4-H Military Partnerships, the resources of the Land Grant University youth development professionals, research based curricula, and high quality training and technical assistance are brought to military youth programs. University and County Extension 4-H staff serve as project directors and/or Extension 4-H Military Liaisons. The MCEC Supporting Children of the National Guard and Reserve Institute (GRI) focuses on information needed to raise community awareness about the issues faced by children when a parent is deployed. Through a combination of direct instruction, group work and interactive activities, participants develop strategies and the framework of an Action Plan to support these children of the suddenly military. The Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have successfully engaged in collaborations that support military children and youth experiencing the deployment of a parent or loved one. The goal of the project is to create environments and offer experiences to military children and youth to promote their growth and development, and help them cope with the stresses of deployment and reintegration. Big Brothers Big Sisters of South and East Central Alabama are providing mentors specifically for military youth in those regions free of charge.

A l a b a m a C h i l d, Y o u t h & S c h o o l S e r v i c e s A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 1 6 Like us on Facebook! Go to: facebook.com/alngyouth Follow us at twitter.com/alngyouth For more information please contact: K e l l i H i l l - L e a d Y o u t h C o o r d i n a t o r 3 3 4-2 7 1-8 1 9 4 ( o f f i c e ) 3 3 4-4 0 0-2 2 3 4 ( c e l l ) k e l l i. r. h i l l. c t r @ m a i l. m i l C h r i s s y V o s s - Y o u t h C o o r d i n a t o r 3 3 4-2 1 3-7 6 6 3 ( o f f i c e ) 3 3 4-5 3 8-7 9 1 3 ( c e l l ) c h r i s t i n a. j. v o s s. c t r @ m a i l. m i l Part of the 2016 Youth Council participated in a team building activity during Breakout Birmingham.