Ava Govan (8) places stickers on a flowerpot as she prepares to learn a little botany – plant science – during the Aberdeen Proving Ground Tell Me A Story® (TMAS) event at the APG Youth Center, here, March 30, 2023. Govan is one of a dozen children who turned out for the event to learn about reading, STEM, and more. Govan is the daughter of APG Soldier Staff Sgt. Naphese Govan, 20th CBRNE. (U.S. Army Photo by Quentin Johnson/Released)

Julianna Anderson (4) solves a puzzle using chromatography – a laboratory technique for the separation of a mixture into its components – during the Aberdeen Proving Ground Tell Me A Story® (TMAS) event at the APG Youth Center, here, March 30, 2023. Anderson is one of a dozen children who turned out for the event to learn about reading, STEM, and more. Anderson is the daughter of APG employee Jacquelyn Amato, CECOM ILSC - Security Assistance Management (SAMD). (U.S. Army Photo by Quentin Johnson/Released)

Lorenzo Martinez (2) smiles after receiving a free book from the Aberdeen Proving Ground Religious Support Office’s booth during the APG Tell Me A Story® (TMAS) event at the APG Youth Center, here, March 30, 2023. Martinez is one of a dozen children who turned out for the event to learn about reading, STEM, and more. Martinez is the son of APG Soldier Sgt. Antonio Martinez, Defense Centers for Public Health-Aberdeen. (U.S. Army Photo by Quentin Johnson/Released)

Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Conaty, CECOM command sergeant major, delivers opening remarks during the Aberdeen Proving Ground Tell Me A Story® (TMAS) event at the APG Youth Center, here, March 30, 2023. Conaty remarked on how military families, connectedness and resiliency bring us together as a community and helps our children thrive. The Military Child Education Coalition® launched the TMAS program to empower Military Children by using literature and their own stories in a way that fosters skills for resilience, strong peer and parent connections, a sense of pride and accomplishment, and a caring community, according to their site. (U.S. Army Photo by Quentin Johnson/Released)

Colonel Johnny Casiano, Aberdeen Proving Ground garrison commander, reads “The Word Collector” by Peter H. Reynolds to military children during the APG Tell Me A Story® (TMAS) event at the APG Youth Center, here, March 30, 2023. APG families were invited to share in a time of reading and fun activities including STEM, reading, spiritual and education resources, military family life and more. (U.S. Army Photo by Quentin Johnson/Released)

A team from the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command smiles for the camera before the kickoff of the Aberdeen Proving Ground Tell Me A Story® (TMAS) event at the APG Youth Center, here, March 30, 2023. ATEC was just one of more than a dozen organizations that took part in the event sharing everything from STEM-related activities to reading to military families. (U.S. Army Photo by Quentin Johnson/Released)

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Maryland -- Aberdeen Proving Ground children and families enjoyed an evening of literature and fun with lessons in STEM, word collecting and socializing during a Tell Me A Story (TMAS) ® event at the APG Youth Center March 30.

The Military Child Education Coalition® launched TMAS on September 11, 2005, with the mission of empowering Military Children by using literature and their own stories in a way that fosters skills for resilience, strong peer and parent connections, a sense of pride and accomplishment, and a caring community, according to their site.

The APG Family Morale, Welfare and Recreation directorate hosted the event featuring APG Garrison Commander, Col. Johnny Casiano, reading this year’s book “The Word Collector” by author Peter H. Reynolds to APG children.

“The Word Collector” is about celebrating words and their power to change the world, according to Reynolds.

Reynolds also sent a prerecorded message of thanks to the military families for their service and encouragement for the children to learn new words and share them with others.

“May (the book) inspire you to find your own words,” said Reynolds in the message.

Various APG organizations were also on hand for the event providing children’s activities, including words, science and technology, spiritual and educational resources, engineering, military family life and more.

Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Conaty, CECOM CSM, provide opening remarks sharing the significance of the event, families, military children, and the community.

“It’s the community at large that can be supportive, have a shared mission, shared purpose and common values that help our military children thrive,” said Conaty.

Just as words help build commonality and build communities, Conaty said when children thrive, our communities thrive and events like TMAS make connections stronger.

For many, waiting each year for the event is worth it.

“This is our favorite APG event,” said Thereasa Alvarez, an Army Test and Evaluation Command employee, speaking about her and her son. “The booths and reading each year are great.”

Parents and children of all ages enjoyed the event.

“Even though he is only two years old, he is very interested in what’s going on. We even read to him every night before bed,” said Nicole Martinez, about her son, Lorenzo.

Reading is very important in their family and events like help reinforce that to their children, said Nicole, spouse of Sgt. Antonio Martinez with the Defense Centers for Public Health – Aberdeen (DCPH-A).

The Martinez family said they would love to see similar events in the future.

TMAS is scheduled to take place next year.