This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

Separated by War, Connected by Computer

A program created by a mom and a teacher keeps students in touch with military parents who are far away from home.

Growing up is tough. Keeping up with your studies and getting along with your peers are challenges all students face. But when your mom or dad is thousands of miles away on military , these challenges can seem insurmountable.

As Navy moms, Amy Steward and Joette Seniff know firsthand how hard it can be, and they decided to do something about it. Using social media, Steward developed a program to keep children involved with their deployed parents through blogging, e-mailing and Skype, an online video chat site.

Each child in her fifth-grade class at has a MacBook to blog on, thanks to a $10,000 donation from the Navy SEAL Warrior Fund—a donation coordinated by Seniff.

Find out what's happening in Coronadowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"It's amazing the power that the smallest communication has on a child's willingness to learn," Seniff said. "It decreases stress, increases focus and encourages a willingness to succeed in school."

Jake Ehret's dad was one of the first deployed parents to Skype in to Steward's class. He took the students on a tour of his house—his home away from home. "It was a great experience," said Jeanine Ehret, Jake's mom. "It made him feel so special."

Find out what's happening in Coronadowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Jake's dad's visit not only lifted Jake's spirits, it benefited other military kids in the class as well. "It was just like seeing my own dad," said Blanchard Seniff, another of Steward's fifth-graders whose father is currently on deployment.

Ehret has been deployed at least 10 times—many were back-to-back. This time he was away for 11 months, returning just in time to celebrate Veterans Day with his family. Jeanine said Jake's only complaint was that his class wouldn't be able to see his dad on Skype during the school's Veterans Day assembly.

In November, Village Elementary hosted a large event called , where dozens of veterans were honored. One of the highlights was when a deployed parent talked to the students on a big screen via Skype. 

"Skype has been a savior. It keeps you grounded," Jeanine added. "Because of it, this deployment has been more bearable."

Skype not only keeps students in touch with their parents, it gives them a better sense of the countries where their parents are deployed. "They see a different perspective from people on the ground than what they see in the media," Steward said.

Because many of her students have parents serving in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Steward had her class read the children's version of Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. The book chronicles Mortenson's efforts to raise funds to build 55 schools in the Taliban regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The book was the class' first assigned reading project. Using Skype technology, Blanchard's dad read the first chapter to them. Afterward he explained to the students the important role they played in the success of the mission, by working hard in school and achieving academic success.

Reading the book also inspired the students to build a school in Pakistan through Mortenson's "Pennies for Peace Program." It is a service program that began in River Fall, WI, in 1994, when a group of students through their own initiative collected 62,345 pennies to help Mortenson build his first school in Pakistan.

The program requires children to raise $15,000 from their community. So that everyone can afford to participate, donations of all amounts are accepted—including pennies.

Steward's students are currently making their pitch to local organizations. They made an appearance at the Dec. 16 school boarding meeting and said they have raised more than $1,000 so far.

"We have a program called 'Character Counts,' and he [Mortenson] was the perfect model," Steward said. "So much of the book is about character—sticking to your commitments, keeping your word and helping others."

Steward recently had her students write about a person of character they admired, and more than 50 percent wrote about Mortenson.

She wants to share her program with other teachers and to educate parents about its benefits. She is also more than willing to share Skype with any teacher who is interested.

"This war has gone on for 10 years. Some have had back-to-back deployments," Steward said. "It takes its toll. Many teachers don't know the stress the kids are under."

To help teachers better identify at-risk students, she recently composed a form that was sent out to all military parents at Village Elementary, asking about deployment.

"The response has been phenomenal," Steward said. "Parents are appreciative that the school is working to support families during long deployments and keeping families connected to the school." 

All the information will be collected and placed in a database. The goal is to make it easier for teachers to help the students who might need special attention.

Steward said: "We know that when parents are involved in a child's education, that child benefits. But how do you do that when you're thousands of miles away in a combat zone?"

She and Seniff may not have solved the problem, but they have taken giant steps to address it.

 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?