Monterey military, local schools partnership receives award

By Presidio of Monterey Public AffairsJuly 13, 2012

Monterey military, local schools partnership receives award
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. -- The Monterey Military Community was recently recognized for its education partnership with Monterey area schools June 28.

During the recent Military Child Education Coalition National Training Seminar in Texas, recipients of the Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award program were formally recognized. As part of that recognition, the Monterey partnership was awarded $2,000 to sustain, improve or expand the partnership.

This annual award encourages and applauds the outstanding partnerships formed between military installations and school districts that serve military children. Award winners are selected from schools and military installations around the world by MCEC, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the transition and educational issues affecting the highly mobile military child.

Military community representatives on hand to accept the award included Presidio of Monterey Garrison Commander Col. Joel J. Clark; Child, Youth and School Services Chief Lela Casillo; and Naval Support Activity Monterey School Liaison Officer Tina Wekell.

Since Fort Ord was founded in 1917 and the Defense Language Institute was opened in 1946, the military and school representatives have worked together to build a committed and mutually beneficial relationship that supports academic and interpersonal growth and success, promotes cultural awareness and respect, fosters public service and builds character.

The partners in The Monterey School and Military Partnership in Education include organizational elements from all four U.S. military branches, Naval Postgraduate School students that include service members from military organizations worldwide, Defense Language Institute and Foreign Language Center's approximately 2,000 native-speaking faculty from 50 countries, and students from the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District who represent more than 54 world languages.

The close proximity and mutual interests of the school and military partners has intensified and diversified their collaboration.

Partnership activities focus on ensuring quality educational opportunities for all military children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition and being better prepared to support them throughout their academic careers.

More than 420 Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force DLIFLC language students have volunteered more than 9,400 hours in support of more than 1,450 students at three MPUSD elementary schools.

Activities range from tutoring individual and small groups of students, facilitating instruction during physical education classes, supervising students during lunchtimes, sitting with students in the office to calm them and build their self-esteem, and providing an outstanding role model for students both within and outside the classrooms.

NPS hosts Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, commonly known as STEM, programs such as hands-on summer internship opportunities for local high school juniors and seniors to expose them to STEM professional areas.

The Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award was created in 2004 to recognize the work of former MCEC Chairman retired Lt. Gen. Pete Taylor in assisting the highly mobile military child. The award is designed to foster the sharing of lessons learned and to recognize the long-held belief of Taylor that "goodness starts at the local level."

"MCEC proudly salutes the remarkable difference that these schools and military installations are making in the lives of military children," said Dr. Mary Keller, executive director of MCEC. "By partnering in unique and innovative ways, these military and education leaders follow the example set by General Taylor and remind us once again of the impact that we as a community can have on each military child."

(Article is based on a Military Child Education Coalition release.)

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