Sponsored by the Department of Defense Military Community and Family Policy, the Month of the Military Child is a time to applaud military families and their children for the daily sacrifices they make and the challenges they overcome. As we celebrate this month, we want to stress the importance of providing military children the support to help them thrive in a military lifestyle.

I began my work in the OST (out-of-school time) field as a transition leader at the Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan, KS. Transition leaders were in charge of maintaining smooth shifts between activities and monitoring behaviors within grade groups. From that position, I was promoted to a program leader and eventually became a director of a first-year 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) program.

Bullying is a problem for many children, but those who have a disability, like cerebral palsy, or are perceived by their peers as being different, are at a greater risk. That risk is as much as 63% greater than for other children. Teachers have a responsibility to create a safe environment for all children. One way to prevent bullying and to support all kids is to make classrooms more inclusive.