Speak Out for Military Kids(SOMK)

Speak Out for Military Kids(SOMK) is a program designed to utilize the skills of civilian and military teens to educate Nebraska residents related to the stresses faced by military youth when a parent or sibling is deployed. In 2008, a goal of Nebraska OMK is to better involve Nebraska 4-H youth in our efforts. We are encouraging 4-H youth in grades 8-11 to consider a public speaking topic relating to the military. The OMK program allows their topic to still relate to 4-H. Each county will be asked to select the top militarily themed speech at their County Public Speaking event. As their county’s representative, that youth will receive an invitation to participate in Nebraska’s SOMK retreat tentatively planned for the weekend of 27-29 June. During the event, youth will meet military and 4-H teens from across Nebraska. The group will learn more about the military culture and what it is like to have a loved one deployed for nearly two years. They will work with the Mobile Technology Lab to develop videos, PSA’s and a number of other programs to further the message in our state. Interested youth are encouraged to visit www.operationmilitarykids.org and www.nebraskaomk.org, our national and state websites, to learn more about the program. Please spread this message among your 4-H families and encourage youth to consider a military theme for their speech. Thousands of Nebraska kids have been impacted by deployments, through SOMK Nebraska 4-H can play a crucial role in educating their communities and forming support networks for those youth.