FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — A Fort Cavazos school, its 1st Cavalry Division Adopt-a-School partner and an Alabama middle school were recently recognized for their collaborative efforts that benefit military-connected students.
A group of students from Killeen Independent School District’s Meadows Elementary School at Fort Cavazos, Texas, and Liberty Middle School, located in Madison, Alabama, along with their adult sponsors, presented III Armored Corps and Fort Cavazos Commanding General Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral the Military Child Education Coalition’s highest honor Monday during a ceremony at III Armored Corps Headquarters.
In the summer of 2023, Meadows Elementary School was recognized with the MCEC Gen. Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence award as the 2023 Outstanding Community Partnership winner.
“This prestigious recognition celebrates the successful partnerships in projects that benefit military-connected children, a testament to the dedication and hard work of our educators and students as we continue to uphold the legacy of General Pete Taylor, a respected leader known for his strength and perseverance,” Dr. Jo Ann Fey, KISD superintendent, said. “We are proud of the strides our community has made in supporting the education and well-being of military-connected children.”
Admiral, who grew up in a military family, spoke on the importance of Soldier involvement in the lives of military-connected children.
“I went to 10 schools between kindergarten and high school — three high schools,” he said, adding his wife had a similar upbringing. “It’s OK to be a military kid.
“This partnership is fantastic,” Admiral continued, noting the collaborative efforts between students and Soldiers in the local schools allow Soldiers the ability to “give back and invest in our schools.”
Fey said she looks forward to continuing to celebrate successes and fostering stronger partnerships in the future.
“Together, these schools have demonstrated the true essence of collaboration and community spirit,” Fey said.
Stephanie Young, campus technology support specialist at Meadows Elementary School, provided some background about the partnerships between Meadows Elementary students and Fort Cavazos Soldiers, as well as the collaborative efforts between Meadows and Liberty Middle School.
This collaboration began in 2008 when students at Meadows Elementary School partnered with the then-2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Fires Brigade, and now-2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, under the installation’s Adopt-a-School program.
During the 2008-2009 school year, the elementary school hosted a video teleconferencing event that united more than 100 family members with 80 Soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, Young said. That same academic year, the Meadows students also collaborated with Iraqi students for a video pen pal partnership and with a European Department of Defense Education Activity School for a remote choir concert and joint art projects online.
In 2009, the Adopt-a-School partnership between the Meadows students and the Fort Cavazos Soldiers was nominated for and received the MCEC Gen. Pete Taylor Partnership Individual Partnership Award for their overseas remote and video successes, Young said.
The student-Soldier partnership won the award again in 2015 for their Adopt-a-Soldier initiative.
While in Washington accepting the award in 2015, Young met Betty Tunstill, sponsor of the Student2Student program at Liberty Middle School in Madison, Alabama.
“That fall, Liberty Middle School joined our partnership,” Young said, “and the rest is history.”
This visit marks the sixth trip to Fort Cavazos for Liberty Middle School students and staff.
The three-team collaboration of students from Meadows Elementary and Liberty Middle Schools and Soldiers of the 2nd Bn., 82nd FA Regt., earned the MCEC Gen. Pete Taylor Individual Partnership Award in 2016 for their project, “Mission Prevail,” which involved Soldiers coaching in person with Meadows students and remotely with Liberty students.
In 2023, the unit and schools’ collaboration was awarded MCEC’s highest honor, the Gen. Pete Taylor Outstanding Community Award.
The reward of the continued partnership is much more than the awards.
“I am proud of our partnership’s recognitions, but the biggest reward comes from within,” Young said. “The best feeling in the world is to make someone smile, to make a difference in someone’s life.”
She said collaboration, communication and caring are the key elements to the success of the partnership.
During his remarks, Admiral thanked the schools’ staff and officials for affording Soldiers the continued opportunity to go into the schools and work with the students.
Thanks for opening up the schools to our Soldiers,” he said. “I hope that we continue to strengthen that partnership that we have between our two schools.”
Established in 1996, the Military Child Education Coalition grew from support efforts at KISD and a school district in Groton, Connecticut, home of Navy Submarine Base — New London, to better serve and support military-connected students, especially by fostering strengthening relationships between the military installations and the schools.
The partnership awards’ namesake, Gen. Pete Taylor, served as III Armored Corps commanding general from 1991-1993. He was a cofounder of MCEC
and was passionate about youth education.
For more information about MCEC, visit militarychild.org.
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