“Stop, Collaborate and Listen to Activate Our 2015 Vision: Military Children – Ready & Resilient” was the theme of the San Diego Military Family Collaborative Annual Conference convened through a project of recognized Live Well San Diego partner, SAY San Diego.

Mary Keller, Ed.D., President and CEO of the Military Child Education Coalition, provided the keynote address and framed the day’s agenda by discussing the state of military child education on a national level and best practices at the local level. Congresswoman Susan Davis then thanked military service providers for their dedication to military families and encouraged guests to stay active in the political arena, especially around issues of education that impact military children.

Before heading to lunch, the 185 attendees heard about strengths and challenges facing military children in San Diego from a panel of local principals, a school counselor, parent, and the regional school liaisons for the Navy and Marine Corps. The panel was facilitated by students from Serra High School’s Student to Student Group.

During interactive breakout sessions, participant ideas were collected on leaves displayed visually on three trees representing the topics of Education, Health & Wellness, and Financial Health & Employment. Common themes were displayed visually on a larger tree (pictured below). The goal was to demonstrate how collective impact can be applied not only to the San Diego Military Family Collaborative targeted community, but military communities across the country.   

“It’s an honor to work alongside so many dedicated and amazing people,” said Joe Buehrle, Collaborative Coordinator with SAY San Diego. “The conference gathered collaborative partners and members together for a meaningful and action-focused day, where we could deeply think about ways to further our collective goal of making San Diego as one of the best regions for military families.”