Stories Of Impact

As the Month of the Military Child came to a close, the Iowa Army National Guard Child & Youth Program brought families together for an evening that went far beyond a traditional event. The Military Family Ball created space for connection, understanding, and shared experience, something military families often do not get enough of.

From the moment families arrived, the atmosphere carried a sense of ease and belonging. Conversations flowed naturally, youth connected quickly, and parents found themselves among others who understand the unique rhythm of military life. For many families, that connection is what matters most.

These moments of connection are more than meaningful, they are essential. They help build resilience in youth, strengthen family relationships, and create a network of support that extends well beyond a single evening.

“Provides children with a sense of connection and reassurance that they are not alone, especially during deployment periods.”

“They provide valuable opportunities for our family to connect with and build relationships among other military families, fostering a sense of community, shared understanding, and mutual support.”

This year’s event welcomed 86 attendees out of 108 registered, with 45% attending for the first time. Twenty-two dedicated volunteers helped ensure the evening ran smoothly, and the event received a 10/10 satisfaction rating.

Iowa officially launched its Purple Star School Program on April 23, 2026, marking a major milestone in how the state supports military-connected students and their families.

This effort did not appear overnight. It was built through collaboration, persistence, and a shared belief that military kids deserve consistent support no matter where life takes them. Leaders across education and military communities worked together to bring the vision to life, including Chris Cox, a member of the Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission, who helped advocate for the legislation that made the program possible.

In 2025, Senate File 275 was signed into law with unanimous bipartisan support, laying the foundation for Iowa's Purple Star designation. With implementation underway, Iowa became the 44th state to adopt the nationally recognized program.

The official inauguration took place at the Iowa State Capitol during the Month of the Military Child. Seven school districts, representing 17 schools, were recognized as Iowa's first Purple Star Schools. Each demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting military-connected students through practical systems, visible resources, and ongoing staff readiness.

At the ceremony, state and military leaders came together to recognize the impact of the initiative and the schools leading the way. The message was clear: when schools understand and support military families, students are better positioned to thrive.

Military-connected students often face frequent moves, disrupted learning, and time away from a parent during deployment. The Purple Star designation helps ensure schools are not only aware of those challenges, but actively equipped to respond to them.

As more schools pursue the designation, Iowa continues building a stronger, more connected support system for military families across the state.

Military-connected youth and families gathered at the Iowa Capitol as Governor Reynolds officially proclaimed April the Month of the Military Child across the state. The moment honored the resilience, service, and sacrifice of Iowa's military children while giving families a public reminder that their experiences matter.

The proclamation helped launch a month of statewide visibility efforts, classroom kit outreach, and community celebrations coordinated through Iowa CYP and partner organizations. It also gave youth the chance to stand visibly beside state leadership as their stories were recognized.

For Guard families, the value of the day was not only symbolic. It signaled that their children are seen not just within military circles, but across schools, communities, and state government.

Moments like this help turn awareness into support by connecting families, educators, and community leaders around the real experiences of military youth.

Across Iowa, classrooms marked Purple Up! Day with educational kits designed to help students understand military life and celebrate the resilience of military children. The project reached schools across the state and connected new families to Iowa CYP for the first time.

The classroom kits helped educators bring the Month of the Military Child into schools in a way that felt practical, visible, and positive. Students learned why military youth are recognized each April, while military-connected kids experienced a moment of pride rather than invisibility.

What made the outreach meaningful was its scale and simplicity. By delivering ready-to-use materials, the effort lowered the barrier for schools to participate and created shared language around military family life.

Projects like Purple Up! Day extend Iowa CYP beyond event spaces and into classrooms, where day-to-day belonging matters most.

State Teen Panel members spent the day at Eastern Star Masonic Home in Boone, Iowa, listening to veterans share stories of service, sacrifice, and life after uniform. The conversations became more than a volunteer activity. They turned into a bridge between generations.

For the teens, the visit created a rare chance to hear directly from those who had served before them. The stories gave context to service, family separation, resilience, and the long view of what military life can ask of a person.

By the end of the visit, the room was filled with smiles, thoughtful questions, and moments that made history feel personal instead of distant. What began as a service project became a reminder that listening is itself a form of leadership.

For Iowa CYP, this kind of experience matters because it strengthens empathy and service-minded leadership among Guard-connected youth while honoring the people who came before them.

Life as a military child comes with challenges that are often unseen. For Klaryssa Klair Dunwoody, those challenges became an invitation to lead. The Altoona teen and daughter of Iowa Army National Guard Capt. Josh Dunwoody was awarded the 2023 Iowa Army National Guard Youth Volunteer Award for her dedication to Guard Soldiers and families.

Klair found her place through the State Teen Panel, where youth leaders help plan and support family events across the state. Her service grew into a reliable presence for younger kids and parents navigating the Guard lifestyle.

Recognition like this matters because it shows military-connected youth that their leadership is not secondary to the mission. It is part of it. When teens like Klair step forward, they strengthen the Guard community from the inside out.

The Iowa National Guard Child and Youth Program continues to create opportunities like the State Teen Panel so military youth can connect, lead, and serve.

For many military teens, leadership begins quietly by showing up, listening, and choosing to serve. For Charlee Cromwell, that steady commitment led to a statewide role supporting Guard youth across Iowa and Region 7.

As Iowa's Guard Teen Panel representative, Charlee helps carry youth perspective into planning, outreach, and leadership conversations that shape programs for military-connected teens. That role matters because it gives Guard youth an actual voice in the work, not just a seat in the audience.

Charlee's path also reflects the strength of the State Teen Panel pipeline. Leadership within Iowa CYP is not abstract. It starts with service, responsibility, and trust earned over time.

When military-connected teens see peers step into visible leadership roles, it changes what feels possible for them too.

It was Monday at camp when one of our youth sat off to the side, fighting back tears. He wanted to go home. Homesickness is common that first day, when kids feel unsure, overwhelmed, and uncertain about where they belong.

A small challenge, some patient encouragement, and one hard-earned win changed the week. By Wednesday, the same camper who wanted to leave was standing tall, smiling, and connected to the people around him.

Stories like this matter because they show what camp actually does. It gives kids room to struggle, support to keep going, and the kind of confidence that carries home with them after the week ends.

Sometimes all a child needs is one small success and one adult who believes they can do it. That is the work.

At first glance, it is just two smiling girls and a painted rock. What you do not see is the story behind the smiles.

Rylee and Isla met at summer camp as strangers and quickly became inseparable friends. Their legacy rock turned that week into something visible and lasting, a reminder that connection can happen fast when kids feel safe and understood.

Even with a move ahead, they left camp already planning how to stay in touch. That is what this program does at its best. It helps military-connected youth build friendships that outlast the event itself.

Military families came together at Camp Dodge for the annual Fall Family Festival, a day built around connection, resilience, and readiness. From the first welcome to the final goodbye, the installation felt like a reunion space for Guard-connected kids, parents, and caregivers.

State Teen Panel members helped set the tone the moment families arrived. Community partners, therapy-animal volunteers, and activity leaders created a schedule full of shared experiences that helped families relax and reconnect.

Events like this matter because they do more than entertain. They reduce isolation, strengthen peer connection, and reinforce the message that Guard families are part of something larger than a single event day.