“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Dr. Suess
We all know military kids grow up in a unique world compared to many of their peers. Every year, we help bring military kids into the spotlight and recognize them for their service as a member of a military family.
Operation Homefront is happy to announce that nominations are now open for the 2019 Military Child of the Year® awards.
Now in its 11th year, our prestigious award will recognize 7 outstanding young people ages 13 to 18. Anyone can nominate…parents, teachers, extended family, clergy, friends or distant admirers.
Here are the details:
Six military children will be awarded the Military Child of the Year Award, one for each branch of the armed forces — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard — for their achievements while facing the challenges of military family life. The seventh award is the Military Child of the Year® Award for Innovation presented by our friends at Booz Allen Hamilton.
To give you an idea of some of those challenges, the average Military Child of the Year® Award: Recipients of the 2018 Military Child of the Year® Award:
- experienced a change of station a combined 29 times;
- lived through 225 months of deployments; and
- have logged almost 3,000 volunteer hours in the 12 months before their nominations.
Some of our past Military Child of the Year® award recipients have dealt with serious and life threatening health issues, suffered loss, become caregivers to wounded parents, or stepped up in major ways to support their families through deployments and multiple relocations. All the while, achieving excellence in school, sports, theatre and/or music, holding leadership positions in school and community groups, and volunteering tremendous hours to causes that impact their community and beyond.
The Military Child of the Year® Award for Innovation goes to a military child who has designed a bold and creative solution to address a local, regional or global challenge. Last year’s recipient developed an idea to help severe allergy sufferers, especially young children, administer medication more easily. Another recipient built, planted, maintained and harvested 22 raised vegetable gardens at low-income daycare centers and shelters in their local community, and another provided accessibility ramps and other home modifications to children’s homes, which are not covered by Tricare, the military health insurance .
All MCOY award recipients will receive $10,000 and a trip to DC for our special awards gala (see pics from last year). In addition, the Innovation Award will get to meet and work directly with members from Booz Allen Hamilton to help advance their project.
Nominate today your favorite military kid today! Help us promote it on Facebook and Twitter so we can reach as many families as possible. Use #MCOY2019 to join the conversation. Deadline to apply is Dec. 5, 2018.
And stay tuned for more news! We’ll announce the first round of semi-finalists in January!
