Fort Lee, Va. (Feb. 5, 2009) -- Three members of Fort Lee's Child, Youth and School Services team were recently chosen to represent the CYSS North East Regional Office at the Department of the Army-level Tiger Teams.
Tina Collins, school liaison officer, Dennis Posey, Sports and Fitness director, and Geraldine Ragin, Youth Center director, were chosen from Fort Lee to help guide CYSS program revitalization and improvements.
The CYSS Tiger Teams bring representatives from Army installations worldwide, who use their specialty experience, to review current policies and make recommendations on existing or new policies and procedures. These team members serve a yearlong commitment to help guide the programs at CYSS.
Collins joined the Fort Lee CYSS team two years ago. She took the position as the SLO because she was motivated to make a difference in the lives of military children. She was chosen to serve on the Tiger Team because of her vast experience and knowledge in special education.
The focus of her team is to create a school strategy to level the playing field for military students.
"Since 98 percent of military students attend public schools, our focus was mostly there," Collins said. "We looked at how the Army can help supplement the needs of students where quality standards were not being met. We looked at what the Family needed, what the complaints were and what the schools resources were, because they are limited by budget and resource boundaries."
For Posey, who has been organizing and directing youth sports at Fort Lee since 1999, it is an opportunity to bring uniformity to all Army installations regarding children's sports and fitness programs.
His Tiger Team participates in a two-hour teleconference monthly and evaluates issues presented by DA. They are addressing issues such as uniforms and individual playing time for each child, and creating sports programs similar to those available in civilian communities. Posey said it is his job to take care of the sports and fitness needs of Fort Lee youth.
"I guess it is an honor to be chosen to serve on this team," Posey said. "I am just doing something I love. Youth sports is my passion."
Ragin came to Fort Lee in 2007 and brought her experiences with child development, as well as her experiences as a mother and a military spouse. She knows firsthand the struggles military Families face and she looks for ways to make a difference in their lives. As representative for Youth Services, she hopes to be an advocate for the children.
She said that military Families will have unique experiences based on their environment, but they should experience a consistent commitment to quality programming no matter where in they go. Ragin's team has been tasked with updating and expanding youth programming. Their team wants to ensure they utilize innovative tools to motivate and interest the children. The team helped shape the standard facility design.
"We wanted to reinforce predictability and quality of Army Youth Programs by establishing a standard facility design that was reflective of army youth's culture and values," she said.
Ragin believes that individual participation in forums like this provides opportunities for programs and initiatives to installations Army-wide.
Donna Nelson, Fort Lee CYSS chief, isn't surprised that her team members were picked for this duty; program managers have been chosen from Fort Lee before. However, it is unusual for one installation to have multiple individuals serving at once.
"Each being selected attests to their work ethic, knowledge, skills and experiences," Nelson said. "They are all good at what they do."
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