The Purple Star School program is designed to help schools respond to the educational and social-emotional challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school. Listen as Pete LuPiba, “Founder of Purple Star Schools” discusses how the Purple Star Program is supporting military-connected students and families thrive.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Mountain Home Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https://www.mountainhomeosc.org/

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

Ohio Department of Education

https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other-Resources/Military-Resources/Schools/Purple-Star-Award

Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3)-Ohio

https://mic3.net/state/ohio/

National Advocate for Purple Star Schools

Pete LuPiba is Ohio’s (MIC3) Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commissioner. Initially appointed in 2012 and duly reappointed by the Honorable Mike DeWine, Governor of Ohio in 2019. LuPiba serves as Deputy Director for the Office of Budget and Management in the State of Ohio. LuPiba formerly served as Public Affairs Officer at the Department of Education, 2007-2019.

LuPiba founded the Purple Star School Award for Military family-friendly schools in 2015-2017. Purple Star is in 40+ States (*with 4,100+ Schools), including Virginia, Alaska, South Carolina, Florida, California, Texas, Idaho, Washington State, and New Hampshire – with 600 Purple Star Schools across Ohio. LuPiba was honored to serve as a key advisor and the Master of Ceremonies as Ohio formally launched the Collegiate Purple Star initiative as led by Governor Mike DeWine, and Chancellor Randy Gardner, and the Department of Higher Education.

In November of 2022, fellow Ohioans, state MIC3 leaders around the country, and Governor Mike DeWine nominated LuPiba to be honored in the 30th Anniversary Class of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. This Hall of Fame includes Ulysses S. Grant, Neil A. Armstrong, and John H. Glenn. In February of 2023, Adjutant General of the Ohio Army and Air National Guard; Major General John C. Harris, Jr. commissioned LuPiba as an Honorary Buckeye Colonel.

LuPiba coordinated the effort to eliminate the professional educator licensure fee for teachers and coaches and administrators who have served or are serving in the Armed Forces’ Uniform – including the spouses of active-duty personnel. As of 2023, Military families in Ohio have saved more than $365,000.

In 2017-2018, LuPiba developed a state-wide Military Signing Day ceremony for those young men and women choosing to join the Armed Forces to begin their career, including through the Branch Service Academies and ROTC Scholarships at Universities and Colleges. At the 2023 Ceremony, Ohio hosted more than 300 attendees in the State’s capital of Columbus at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.

LuPiba served active-duty, enlisted United States Navy – deploying with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 to Iraq in 2006. LuPiba completed his duty in the Armed Forces while attached to the Reserves – serving with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 26.

LuPiba is an Alumnus of The Ohio State University and the University of Southern California. LuPiba is married to technology evangelist and cybersecurity expert, Jennifer. The LuPibas reside in greater Columbus with their five children; Sally, Corazon, Lincoln, Grant, and Washington.

Partners in PROMISE is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to Protect the Rights of Military Children In Special Education and disability communities to ensure they receive equal access to an education. Listen as Dr. Jenna Kremkow and Carla Wyrsch discuss how the PROMISE advocates for military children with special and exceptional needs.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Luke Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https://www.lukespousesclub.org/.

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

Partners in PROMISE

https://thepromiseact.org/

Partners in PROMISE Special Education & EFMP Binder

https://thepromiseact.org/binder/

Educator Report

https://thepromiseact.org/educators-report-partners-in-promise-2022-research-findings/

Jenna Kremkow is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Elmhurst University. She completed her MS and PhD at The Pennsylvania State University with an emphasis in autism, augmentative and alternative communication, child language disorders, and stakeholder training and perspectives. Clinically, Jenna has worked as a speech-language pathologist in elementary schools, outpatient clinics, and early intervention settings.

Jenna teaches courses in augmentative and alternative communication, autism, language disorders in children, and research methods. One of her research areas focuses on the experiences of military families with children with autism and the use of technology to improve communication outcomes and quality of life for children with autism and their families. Her goal is to use research to support data-driven recommendations and policy changes to improve special education services for military families.

Carla Wyrsch is the spouse of a retired United States Marine and mother of two. She has devoted her career to educating and advocating for children with disABILITIES. Her experience spans a variety of settings, including residential treatment facilities, military bases, public schools, and the Lerner School for Autism at the Cleveland Clinic. Currently, she is a School Operations Director with MIYO Health. In addition to her work with MIYO Health, Carla enjoys volunteering with Best Buddies of Greater Memphis, the Organization for Autism Research, and Partners in PROMISE as a content creator and advisory board member.

Dr. Daniel Perkins and Dr. Jennifer Karre discuss the importance of policy in supporting military-connected students and families. Listen as they examine the implementation of four policy initiatives: Advance Enrollment (AE), the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3), the Military Student Identifier (MSI), and the Purple Star School program.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the West Point Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https://westpointspousesclub.org/.

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness

https://militaryfamilies.psu.edu/

Evaluation of State Implementation of Supportive Policies to Improve Educational Experiences and Achievement for K-12 Military Children

https://militaryfamilies.psu.edu/projects/view/speak-military-children/

Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission

https://mic3.net

Military Student Identifier

https://militarychild.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-104-MSI-Position-Statement_20250103-1.pdf

Military Child Education Coalition

https://www.militarychild.org

Daniel F. Perkins, Ph.D., is a Professor of Family and Youth Resiliency and Policy at Penn State University and also the Director and Principal Scientist of the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State, a university-wide applied research center. Dr. Perkins has been designing and evaluating strengths-based family and youth development programs in 4-H and Cooperative Extension and leading complex projects for over 25 years. His work involves teaching, research, and outreach through the Penn State Cooperative Extension Service. One of his primary areas of focus is in fostering the well-being of military service members, veterans, and their families through the Clearinghouse. In his role as Principal Scientist, he is able to facilitate the translation of science into action by providing comprehensive, science-based programs and technical assistance to professionals working with military service members, veterans and their families.

Jennifer Karre, Ph.D. is a Research & Evaluation Scientist at the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State. Her Ph.D. is in Developmental Psychology. For over a decade, her role at the Clearinghouse has centered around program and policy evaluation. She has worked on evaluations of programs and policies for Service Members and their families related to fathering, parenting, child and youth development, child and youth educational support, couple relationships, reintegration after deployment, financial readiness, and emergency preparedness.

Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are foundational to a child’s healthy development and well-being. Listen as Dr. Elizabeth Hisle-Gorman and Dr. Binny Chokshi discuss promoting PCEs and how the Healthy Outcomes From Positive Experiences (HOPE) model supports strengthening families.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Team Seymour Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https://www.teamseymourspouses.com/.

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

Healthy Outcomes From Positive Experiences (HOPE)

https://positiveexperience.org/

Hidden Heroes- Elizabeth Dole Foundation

https://hiddenheroes.org/

Operation Purple Camp- National Military Family Association

https://www.militaryfamily.org/programs/operation-purple/operation-purple-camp/

The Military Child Well-being Toolkit

https://www.militarychild.org/resource/wellbeing-toolkit/

Military OneSource

https://www.militaryonesource.mil/non-medical-counseling/

Dr. Hisle-Gorman is Director of the Military Family Research Division and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics. She began her career as a social worker working in neighborhood development efforts in Washington, DC to support and strengthen families to prevent family violence and overcome hardship. However, a move to a military town with her active-duty military spouse, re-focused her on work with military families. She served as a Child Protective Services officer in Onslow County, North Carolina and worked extensively with military families. After completing her Ph.D. in Social Work at the University of Maryland, Dr. Hisle-Gorman taught and worked in community development and was the senior author on one of the first articles to document the clinical effects of military deployment on children. She subsequently moved to USUHS to expand its research portfolio exploring the effects of military life on children. Her research interests are focused the impact of past military deployment on military children, effects of parental injury and family violence on pediatric health and mental health, and healthcare usage trends in military pediatrics. However, she has also worked on projects examining autism in children, indicators of immunization completion, neonatal health, care for transgender individuals, healthcare disparities, and the effects of medications on children. Dr. Hisle-Gorman has significant experience working with the Military Health System Data Repository and conducting retrospective research studies about military-connected children using the MDR. Dr. Hisle-Gorman most enjoys mentoring medical students, residents, and junior faculty on research projects, and teaching them the research process on an individual basis.

Dr. Binny Chokshi is a general pediatrician, with a focus on adolescents and young adults. Dr. Chokshi's research and education interests are focused on understanding the impact of early life stressors on health across the life course. To mitigate the effects of trauma and stress on children, Dr. Chokshi advocates for a trauma-informed approach to healthcare. She has developed web-based e-modules to train outpatient pediatricians in responding to childhood adversity with a trauma-informed care approach and has also trained medical students and residents at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. In a prior role at Children's National Hospital, she also worked with hospital leadership to develop hospital wide trauma-informed practices. In her current role at USUHS, Dr. Chokshi examines how military specific factors may impact child and and family health, with a current focus on how social determinants of health such as food security impact military child health. Dr. Chokshi is also passionate on promoting positive childhood experiences, to foster healthy development in children and counter the impacts of stressful experiences. Dr. Chokshi has a vested interest in medical education and completed Masters in Education at the George Washington University School of Education and Human Development. On a national level, Dr. Chokshi serves on the Expert Leadership Team for the American Academy of Pediatrics project “Building Capacity for Trauma-Informed Pediatric Care”.

“Are the kids okay?” Mental health in children and teens has been at the forefront of topics for concern, especially since the pandemic. Ross Szabo discusses the importance of mental health education in schools, and how we can normalize talking about it in our everyday conversations.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from Academy Spouses' Club https://www.usafaasc.org/ and Randolph Spouses’ Club https://randolphspousesclub.membershiptoolkit.com/home.

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

Resources:

https://humanpowerproject.com/

Bio:

Ross Szabo Talking about emotions can be a challenge, but Ross’s brutally honest, relatable and humorous approach puts audiences at ease as they confront a difficult topic.

When Ross was a freshman in college, everything on the surface seemed to be fine. He was making friends, getting good grades and had a fun social life. However, no one could have imagined how many emotions he was suppressing. Ross was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 16, was hospitalized for attempting to take his own life during his senior year of high school, and like so many other freshman, just wanted to fit in. He tried to hide what he was feeling to convince everyone that everything was ok, but that can only last for so long. Ross’s story resonates with the millions of college students who are putting on a happy face to hide their true emotions.

Ross uses tasteful humor and insights to help participants understand common mental health conditions and individual differences. He also covers warning signs that students can look for in their friends and peers, as well as resources that can provide guidance in these sensitive situations.

Ross is NOW the CEO of the Human Power Project. He is an award-winning mental health speaker, writer, trainer and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Ross has spoken to more than 1 million students about the importance of mental health and provided a positive example to empower them to seek help. He received the 2010 Didi Hirsch Removing the Stigma Leadership Award, 2012 Changing Minds Award and had his advocacy work entered into the Congressional Record. He is the co-author of Behind Happy Faces; Taking Charge of Your Mental Health and a blogger for The Huffington Post.

Dr. Kimberly Dickman discusses the impact of loneliness and why it is an epidemic across the United States. She also shares the importance of having meaningful connections and how those connections influence our overall well-being.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Vance Spouses' Club https://www.vancespousesclub.com/ and Peterson, Schriever, Cheyenne Mountain Spouses’ Club https://www.pscspousesclub.org/.

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

Show Notes:

Resources:

Dickman, K. (2024, July). Loneliness: The New Global Pandemic. On the Move. Summer 2024

https://militarychild.org/news-and-publications/

Bio:

Dr. Kimberly S. Dickman serves as an assistant professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD), where she leads the Healthy Relationship Education and Emotional Intelligence branch of the Development Division in the Center. CCLD’s mission is to advance the understanding, scholarship, practice, and integration of character and leadership development, resulting in cadets and permanent party prepared for service to the nation.

Dr. Dickman is a licensed clinical professional counselor and certified educator. She began her work in education for the Department of Defense in 1991. During her 20+ years of civilian service she has performed at the Wing and Headquarters Air Force level before coming to USAFA. Of note is her work in the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program where she focused on education, analysis, and prevention science. Her extensive experience allows her to serve at USAFA as faculty and lead in topics such as healthy relationships, emotional intelligence, positive psychology, prevention science, human sexuality, and leadership development. She teaches Human Sex, Reproduction, and Sexuality in the Biology Department and Applied Positive Psychology in the Behavioral Science and Leadership Department. 

Dr. Dickman is widely recognized and is frequently requested to present across the DoD and on a national scale.

"Connections are at the heart of growth". Listen as Dr. Brent Wolf, school principal and lifelong educator discusses the importance of meaningful connections in building relationships. Connecting with students, parents, and educators creates a true foundation for growth.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Wiesbaden Community Spouses’ Club, Inc., and Ramstein Officers’ Spouses' Club. To learn more, visit https://wiesbadencommunityspousesclub.wildapricot.org/ and https://www.ramsteinosc.org/.

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

2025 MCEC Global Training Summit

https://militarychild.org/event/gts/

Brent Wolf has taught students in elementary and middle school for sixteen years before stepping into his role as the Principal at Derby Hills Elementary School in Derby, Kansas. For over a decade, he has taught as an adjunct professor at Baker University, Southwestern College, Wichita State University, and Cowley College. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Leadership Studies from Southwestern College, as well as a Master’s degree in Education from Baker University, Doctoral Coursework from Kansas State University, a Building-level Administrator Certificate from Pittsburg State University, and a Doctorate in Educational Administration from Southwestern College.

South Central Kansas has always been near and dear to Brent’s heart. He taught 3rd through 8th grade in Winfield, KS. Following those years, Brent moved into an Instructional Technology Specialist position for two years. After eight years teaching middle school English in Derby, KS (suburb of Wichita), Brent moved into the role as Building Principal at Derby Hills Elementary. This is his 5th year in that role.

Brent’s honors include making the first-ever website for Winfield Public Schools with his students through the GenY program. In 2015, Brent was named the KAKE News Golden Apple Award Recipient. In 2017, Brent was Derby Public School’s Secondary Teacher of the Year. That year, he also was named Region IV Teacher of the Year. He was a finalist for Kansas Teacher of the Year. Brent also was named a Spotlight Faculty Member at Baker University’s School of Professional and Graduate Studies. Brent serves on several committees through the Kansas State Department of Education. Brent currently is a member of the Higher Education Review Committee which accredits Kansas colleges’ education programs. He also serves as District 9-10 member of the Commissioner of Education’s Advisory Council. Brent is a newer member of the Kansas Teacher Recruitment and Retention Committee Member. Brent was the chair of the committee that wrote the ELA standards for PreK-12 in 2017. Brent was recently inducted into the Southwestern College Educators’ Hall of Fame.

Brent’s longest service period has been as a member and Vice President of the Winfield’s Board of Education. Brent served nine years and worked with hiring three superintendents, managing two bond issues, and tackling one global pandemic.

Human Performance Resources by CHAMP (HPRC) is a team of scientists and specialists who utilize research to develop evidence-based resources to help service members and their families to achieve total fitness. Listen as Dr. Lauren Messina discusses the #GotMySix campaign and its focus on social connections and relationship building to help support military families maintain overall fitness.

This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the USAA Foundation.

Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.

#GotMySix

https://www.hprc-online.org/total-force-fitness/gotmysix

Human Performance Resources by CHAMP

https://www.hprc-online.org/

Lauren A. Messina, PhD, LCMFT, DipACLM is a Senior Scientist supporting the Human Performance Resources by CHAMP (HPRC-online.org) team at the Uniformed Services University. With her clinical and research experiences, Lauren is a subject-matter expert in relational health, family well-being, social connections, behavior change, and holistic approaches to well-being. She is a Diplomate with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and a certified Health and Well-being Coach by Wellcoaches ©.

Dr. Messina is an Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine and the College of Allied Health Sciences at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Messina has a master’s degree and clinical license in Couple and Family Therapy and a doctoral degree in Family Science from the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland, College Park.