Blue Star Families

Join us for a #live discussion with the Pat Tillman Foundation. We will discuss their work, impact leadership programs, and upcoming 2025 Scholar cohort applications. Dr. Colleen F. Reaney, Ph.D., Director of Programs and Leadership, and Dr. Rob Faulk, Associate Director of Programs and Leadership, will join us live, and we will lead the discussion. Wednesday, September 4th, 2024 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET To connect with the Blue Star Careers community, please meet us in the BSFCareers Group in the Neighborhood. Go here: https://lnkd.in/gx6dKFZC

Spotlight on Jaron Brown, DEPLOY Outdoors Fellow! Jaron focused on professional development through courses, mentoring sessions, and personalized development during his time at #BSF. Participating in VSO/MSO training, the Fundraising Academy, Intercompass Coaching, and the Executive Leadership course at Georgetown helped him build confidence, develop professional skills, and enhance his leadership capabilities. Jaron's capstone project was inspired by his love for outdoor activities and the desire to break stereotypes. Jaron created the Outdoor Empowerment Course, an eight-week program designed to guide military families from taking a neighborhood stroll to hiking and ultimately building their confidence to camp. We are grateful for the impact Jaron has made on military families through Blue Star Families and look forward to continuing this journey of growth and empowerment together! Learn more about the DEPLOY Fellows program: https://bit.ly/3AB2r3W

DEPLOY Fellow Spotlight: USAA DEPLOY Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Fellow Tim Jones, MBA, CDP 👏 During Tim’s time at Blue Star Families, he was involved in so many impactful initiatives including presenting at the USAA Modern Military Family Workshop, leading sessions on microaggressions, and building relationships with Cohort 3! Tim said, “I am so thankful that I had an opportunity to connect with the amazing individuals who I am now connected to for life. I am looking forward to the great work we all will do in the future.” Tim recently accepted a role at BayCare Health System and will be teaching this upcoming fall semester as a business professor! Congratulations! Learn more about the DEPLOY Fellows program: https://bit.ly/3AB2r3W We’re so excited for all our 2023-2024 DEPLOY Fellows — stay tuned for more updates!

#Calling all Military Spouses, Transitioning Service Members, Veterans, you are invited to apply today! In partnership with the SANS Institute, WiCyS proudly offers the Security Training Scholarship, an exclusive opportunity made possible by WiCyS Tier 1 Partners and Premier Supporters. To secure this EXCLUSIVE scholarship, you must apply by August 30th and have an active WiCyS membership. Annual membership is $20 for Military Spouses, Active Duty, or Veterans. However, BSF has a unique code to support 20 (Twenty) members accessing this EXCLUSIVE opportunity to cover the annual membership cost, giving you access to apply for the scholarship!  ▶ To request your code to cover #WiCyS membership cost go here: https://lnkd.in/gEEf4Mpb All instructions to cover payment will be emailed. You must finalize your scholarship application before 8/30/24 after you activate #WiCyS membership. Good Luck! ▶ To apply directly for the Securities Training Scholarship - closing on August 30th, once you cover the cost of the annual #WiCyS membership go here: https://lnkd.in/dgcA9HR Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) Offers 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐓𝐨 𝐀𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥-𝐒𝐞𝐭, LEARN MORE: https://lnkd.in/gth4GQvR For general questions please send a direct message from the #BSFNeighborhood to our community manager - no emails please!

Military kids from the Blue Star Families of Tampa Chapter are headed back to school well equipped with supplies thanks to the MacBack to School event! Students were able to participate in fun activities and get new school supplies to prepare for the school year. This fun-filled day is a powerful example of how the surrounding community can come together to support military families! All of these volunteers, sponsors, and supporters came together in a big way to help military families feel connected, which is what the Do Your Part initiative is all about. Whether it's donating school supplies through a community drive, or hosting a welcoming event, everyone can do their part. Thank you to our incredible sponsors and supporters, including CSX, Quality Carriers, Tampa Bay Chamber, Joint Communications Support Element, United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM), MARCENT, and the 50 volunteers who made this incredible event possible. A huge thank you to all who donated at Walgreens to the Metropolitan Ministries back to school drive! #DoYourPart is made possibly by the generous support of Craig Newmark and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. Kathy Roth-Douquet Brian Whiting Lindsay Knight, PhD Sabrina Huda Meredith Terrian Suzy Malloy Sheila Stevens

Lots of exciting additions are coming to our Chapter teams! Blue Star Families is growing to better serve military families. Please welcome our newest members of the BSF family! Mickia Freeman joins Blue Star Families as the Program Manager for the Tampa Chapter. She has more than 22 years of experience in providing support, psycho-education, and case management services to families. She previously served as the Tampa DEPLOY Chapter Fellow. As the spouse of a retired United States Marine, Mickia has a profound understanding of the unique challenges faced by military families. Rachael Duncan joins BSF as the Program Manager for the Puget Sound Chapter. Rachael brings more than six years of event planning and program management experience and is a military spouse turned Veteran spouse. Rachael believes in the power of connection and is committed to creating impactful programs to uplift military families. Kathy Roth-Douquet Lindsay Knight, PhD Brian Whiting Vin Duncan Meredith Terrian Sabrina Huda Tosombra "Tai" Kimes Suzy Malloy Sheila Stevens

Join us as we continue to celebrate our 2023-2024 DEPLOY Fellow graduates! Shout-out Sally Velez, the Booz Allen Hamilton DEPLOY Retention Fellow, for all of her hard work this past year! Sally is making an impact through research and community engagement! From a compelling capstone on military family relocations to moderating panels and attending White House events, Sally's dedication to service and advocacy shines through. Sally is currently preparing to present at the Star Behavioral Health Conference and cross-training in grant creation — keep an eye on this rising star! Sally said, “I had not worked for 12 years before this fellowship, mainly due to the challenges of being in the military and its impact on families. The high costs of child care led me to choose to stay at home. Frequent relocations along with an overseas move made it difficult to find employment. As time passed, I found myself out of the workforce for nearly a decade and then over a decade. Thanks to Blue Star Families and Booz Allen Hamilton, I was given the opportunity to reenter the workforce through this fellowship, for which I am incredibly grateful.” Thank you, Sally! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish next. Learn more about the DEPLOY Fellows program here: https://bit.ly/3AB2r3W #MilitaryFamilies #CommunityImpact #Advocacy

Don't miss this impactful webinar, presented in partnership with StoryCorps. This unique opportunity explores the power of storytelling to foster community connections while learning StoryCorps' best practices for active listening. #JoinUs as we engage in meaningful discussions, practice listening techniques, and master the art of asking great questions. StoryCorps’ #MilitaryVoices Initiative provides a platform for #Veterans, service members, and military families to share their stories. You can join here at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT: https://lnkd.in/gNKTswBt

Celebrating the final chapter! 🎉 As we turn the page on an incredible journey, we are excited to share the final edition of the Cohort 3 Deploy Fellows Newsletter! This special edition is packed with reflections, success stories, and heartfelt messages from our amazing fellows who have made an indelible impact on our community. Their dedication, innovation, and resilience have truly set a new standard for what it means to serve. Your contributions have been invaluable, and we look forward to seeing the continued positive changes you will bring to the world. #DeployFellows #CommunityImpact #FinalEdition 

Sign up for our Military Voices Initiative webinar! ⭐→ https://lnkd.in/ed65Yhq6 StoryCorps is teaming up with Blue Star Families to bring you a transformative webinar series: Connecting to Community Through Stories. Join us for our first event on August 27 at 1 PM EST/ 10 AM PST. Please share with your network and join us if you’d like to learn more about the work we do at StoryCorps or if you believe in the power of storytelling to connect and inspire!