Send us Fan Mail When military kids move, their whole world shifts—schools, friends, routines, and support systems. In this episode of Practicing Connection, school liaison Karen Watkins-Diouf and 4-H educator Jeremiah Johnson share how they work together across military and civilian systems to make sure those kids don’t fall through the cracks. Military-connected kids move more often than most of their peers, and every move disrupts their relationships, routines, and sense of belonging at school and in the community. In this episode of Practicing Connection, we talk with Karen Watkins-Diouf, Army School Liaison at Fort Campbell’s Army Child & Youth Services, and Jeremiah Johnson, Christian County Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development at the University of Kentucky. Karen and Jeremiah describe what school liaisons and county Extension educators actually do, how their roles intersect, and how their partnership creates a wider network of support for military families—on and off the installation. They share practical stories about bridging military and civilian systems, navigating “two languages,” and keeping families at the center when youth are dealing with repeated transitions. You’ll hear concrete ideas for connecting with school liaisons and 4-H in your own area, and a simple first step any school, organization, or community leader can take to start building similar collaborations to support military-connected youth. Links and resources from this episode: Look up the 4-H military liaison in your state: https://www.4-hmilitarypartnership.org/find-your-liaison.htmlFind a Military School Liaison near you: https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/search?program-service=12/view-by=ALL Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletterJoin our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/ Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org LinkedIn Practice: In our latest Practicing Connection episode, we talk with Karen Watkins-Diouf, Army School Liaison at Fort Campbell, and Jeremiah Johnson, Christian County 4-H Extension Agent, about how they work together to support military-connected youth. We explore: What school liaisons and county Extension/4-H educators actually doHow a simple relationship between their roles became a strong partnershipWays schools, youth programs, and community organizations can collaborate with them to better serve military familiesIf you’re a family service provider, community leader, educator, or nonprofit professional, this conversation offers concrete ideas for strengthening your local network around military-connected kids.
