Did you know April is nationally recognized as Month of the Military Child? This month, communities around the world celebrate and honor military children for the sacrifices they make and the challenges they overcome.
At Fort Sam Houston Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, all of the attending students are military dependents. To honor Month of the Military Child, students created personal narratives describing what it’s like to be a military child. Using video as a deeply personal way to tell their stories, students were able to reflect on their unique experiences. For some, this means traveling the world and getting the opportunity to live in different countries. Others explored the wide range of emotions they experience when their parents leave and return from deployment.
“Military children are just, they’re incredible,” said Dr. Roland Rios, Director of Technology at Fort Sam Houston ISD. “So in order to share what it's like to be a military child, I thought, what better avenue than video [to share] their personal stories, their personal voice, their personal images and videos? Some chose to focus on some of the tougher parts of being a military child, while others highlighted how wonderful it is to be a military child. I think our military population, our parents and relatives, are really going to appreciate that. And maybe those who aren't aware of how much these kids sacrifice will learn a little bit about how wonderful these children are.”
Using WeVideo on Chromebooks, students created videos sharing personal photos and video clips of their families as well as the different the places they’ve lived around the world. Many students used voiceover to narrate their stories and add a personal touch to their projects. After finishing their videos, students shared their personal narratives with their parents and relatives, many of whom were deployed internationally. See how one student shared his story in real time with his mom, an Air Force nurse deployed in Germany.
“We have several parents who are deployed that are connected to our classrooms through Google Classroom,” said Amanda Hawthorne, educator at Fort Sam Houston Elementary. “They're able to see those assignments and those videos and give them an instant response, no matter where they are in the world. And there's nothing cooler than seeing a kid have that connection with their parent, that they don't necessarily get to talk to or see every day.”
WeVideo honors Month of the Military Child and all of the sacrifices made by military families and their children worldwide.