MAPS 2021

Three years ago MAPS21 published Military Adolescent Pandemic Study 2021: MAPS21

The MAPS21 study uncovers the lived experiences of military‐connected students who have experienced a transition during the pandemic and gives rise to the need for interdisciplinary care within the public‐school setting to promote mental health and academic support during and post pandemic transitions.

Military Adolescent Pandemic Study 2021: MAPS21 BACKGROUND Military-connected students move between 6 to 9 times throughout their K-12 experience, creating unique challenges relating to integration, adaptation, identity development, and acceptanc...

Thank you Military Child Education Coalition for giving us the opportunity to present at Military Child Education Coalition National Training Seminar 2021. We were thrilled to give a sneak peak at the preliminary findings. There is so much inside this study, so much families and schools can understand about the lived experiences of military-connected students who moved during the pandemic. It was a challenging year. We are looking at ways ahead to support all students as they return to the classroom in just a few weeks.

Dr Jennifer Sztybel Thomas, PhD, Dr Amanda Trimillos, EdD and journalist Stacy Allsbrook Huisman have been working on this study - Military Adolescents/Pandemic Study 2021 (MAPS21) for nearly a year. They expect finding this fall. Take a look at their presentation, what questions do you have?

Make sure you follow us on FB or if you have other questions, we can be reached at [email protected]

MCEC 2021 NTS: Military Adolescent Pandemic Study Military Child Education Coalition 2021 National Training Seminar: Military Adolescent Pandemic Study

Today was fantastic! Jennifer Sztybel Thomas, Amanda NB CT and myself presented on the initial findings of the MAPS21 project at MCEC NTS this afternoon. Thanks to Andrea Davis Janoe for being our amazing Moderator.

Stay tuned for published results soon! There is so much to unpack from this study and if you have an military adolescent, this study is a must read. Thanks for having us Military Child Education Coalition for having us!

Ready to discuss findings from MAPS 2021 ?

Join us at the Military Child Education Coalition National Training Seminar on July 21!
Register today!!

Thank you very much for your participation in our MAPS 2021 Eligibility Survey. Due to the number of responses we received, we will be randomly selecting participants to take part in the interviews we will be conducting. Based on the responses, we will select families who are eligible to participate.

The next step in the selection process is to complete the demographic survey for those who have been selected to participate.

On Friday, March 19th, we will be contacting the participants who were randomly selected to take part in our research study. Look for an email us at MAPS21. After selected families have completed the interview process, adolescents will receive a $15 e-gift card.

We are looking forward to interviewing military families and continue our work for military-connected students.

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]

MAPS 2021 Research Team

Meet Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman.
Stacy is a journalist and nationally published writer living in the Washington, DC area with her active duty Air force husband and two military teens. She’s covered topics relating to military-connected students in public education for more than a decade. She’s offered Congressional testimony on issues relating to military families experiencing school transition.and conducted professional development for schools. As a former Parent-to-Parent trainer for the Military Child Education Coalition, she led workshops and seminars on many topics related to the education of military-connected students. She is coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers (June 2018) Before she married into Air Force life, she spent 14 years at the city of Las Vegas as a Public Information Officer and Executive Director of the Las Vegas Centennial Celebration managing Las Vegas's 100th birthday commencement, events and programs.

A new study backed by the Pacific Lutheran University examining the effects of school transition during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic on military-connected children has been given the greenlight. The study, led by Dr. Jennifer Sztybel Thomas, a faculty member at the Pacific Lutheran University School of Nursing and active duty military spouse, aims to explore the experiences of highly mobile military adolescents and their parents when moving during a pandemic. Dr. Thomas has teamed up with two long time advocates of military-connected students in public education and published authors - Dr. Amanda Trimillos and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman.

Military-connected students are a major consumer of state-to-state education. According to the Department of Defense, the average military student moves between six to nine times throughout their K-12 experience. Tens of thousands of military-connected students moved during the pandemic and even more will move again in summer 2021.

“It’s important for our families to know what to expect when they are back to school this fall. Are our kids ready emotionally, socially, academically? If not, how can we help them thrive again.” says Allsbrook-Huisman. “These challenges are personal We moved last summer during the pandemic. It’s been a tough year in a new school, new community. They are resilient because we are an active duty military family - they had to be, but is it enough?”

The study is expected to be completed summer 2021. For more information, contact [email protected]

Meet Amanda Trimillos EdD
Dr. Amanda Trimillos is a National Board-Certified Teacher with extensive experience teaching military students in the United States and overseas. Amanda's doctorate is in Education Leadership with a research focus on the professional development of teachers working with military-connected students. She is coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers (June 2018). Amanda hosts professional development training and speaks nationally about strategies to support military-connected students.

The study, led by Dr. Jennifer Sztybel Thomas, a faculty member at the Pacific Lutheran University School of Nursing and active duty military spouse, aims to explore the experiences of highly mobile military adolescents and their parents when moving during a pandemic. Dr. Thomas has teamed up with two long time advocates of military-connected students in public education and published authors of Seasons of My Military Student - Dr. Amanda Trimillos and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman.

Dr. Trimillos believes there is an urgency to the study, “For practical reasons I see in the classroom, schools need to know what affects - both emotional and academic - the pandemic has had on this subgroup population. It will help school districts support military-connected students across the states and overseas.”

Meet Jennifer Sztybel Thomas, PhD.
Dr. Jennifer Sztybel Thomas earned her PhD in Nursing from Washington State University. Her experience in nursing spans over 19 years and she currently serves as nursing faculty at the Pacific Lutheran University School of Nursing in Tacoma, Washington. As a military spouse and mother to highly mobile military children and adolescents, she is passionate about supporting and advocating for military families within her community. Her research on the military adolescents population has been accepted for publication in academic journals and she has presented her work at national and international conferences.

Military Adolescents/Pandemic Study 2021.

Announcement: A new study backed by the Pacific Lutheran University examines the effects of school transition during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic on military-connected children. The study, led by Dr. Jennifer Sztybel Thomas, a faculty member at the Pacific Lutheran University School of Nursing and active duty military spouse, aims to explore the experiences of highly mobile military adolescents and their parents when moving during a pandemic. Dr. Thomas has teamed up with two long time advocates of military-connected students in public education and published authors - Dr. Amanda Trimillos and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman.