Renee Kotch and Lauren O’Donnell are pictured with Eddy Mentzer, Associate Director for the Family Readiness and Well-Being at Office or Military Family Readiness Policy
Two members of the Clearinghouse team traveled to Arlington, Virginia to present an overview of the Military Spouse Transition Program, or MySTeP, to a forum of spouses of senior military leaders and members of the Spouse Ambassador Network (SAN).
The SAN is a Department of Defense Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) initiative made up of organizations who support the goal of increasing education and employment opportunities for military spouses. MySTeP, when launched, will contribute to efforts by the SAN and other Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) organizations and SECO initiatives to help military spouses find employment, build on their education and experience, and achieve their career and personal goals. MySTeP expands on the SECO mission by including other topics, such as social connectedness and financial preparedness, to assist military spouses in navigating the challenges and opportunities of military life, while also encouraging them to make decisions and plans to set themselves and their families up for success after transition from the military.
The MySTeP presentation to the SAN included an advanced look at the modes of delivery, including face-to-face seminars and an easy-to-access website with videos, links to resources, and downloadable fact sheets.Plans for future evaluation were also discussed.
The MySTeP presentation was well-received by the audience, with constructive discussion about ways the MySTeP program can eventually be integrated into current efforts by the military services and by SAN organizations to maximize awareness and reach of this and other military spouse-focused programs.
Clearinghouse MySTeP team members are Renee Kotch, Holly Nusom, and Lauren O’Donnell.