November marks Veterans and Military Family Appreciation Month. We at CAP are grateful to our servicemembers past and present for their service, and thank them for the heavy sacrifices they make as well as those made by their families.
Children of military families often face disruptions to their learning and social development due to frequent moves and parental deployments. CAP makes efforts to address these unique challenges by providing these families with consistent, high-quality arts education that nurtures emotional well-being, builds communication skills and supports academic growth.
Brandon’s story: Art counseling helps a servicemember’s son find his voice
Brandon is a 5th grader at a Duval County school. He has lived with his father, who’s in the Navy, since his parents divorced. He, his father and older sister moved to Jacksonville when his father was assigned a new duty station, leaving behind the town where they lived for 4 years.
When he first started school in Jacksonville, Brandon was quiet and didn’t make friends quickly. He tries to do his best, but sometimes can’t concentrate—especially during tests, which he says make him nervous.
Brandon often acted out and received several behavioral referrals. His dad chalked it up to adjusting to a new routine and place. Then, his teacher suggested he take a CAP-led art counseling class offered at his school.
At first, Brandon didn’t want to participate. By the third week, though, he began to open up about his struggles—missing his mom and his friends where he used to live, and his lack of new friends here. He’s now started showing more focus on the art he makes in the sessions and is quite proud of the results. A collaborative project helped him make some new friends, and he seems to be coming out of his shell. His teacher notes that his behavior is much improved and that he raises his hand in class more.
At home, Brandon talks about how much he enjoys making art, and how much he loves his teachers. He’s even taught his sister the emotional coping mechanisms he learned in art therapy. He says he’s proud of what he accomplishes and looks forward to school more than he used to.
Names and details have been changed to protect the privacy of our students.
How CAP directly engages children of military families in Northeast Florida
Brave HeARTs Program
In the 2024-2025 schoolyear, for the first time, CAP brought afterschool music education directly to military children, whose learning and social development are often impacted by frequent moves and parental deployments, through MWR Mayport.
This year, three on-base programs are in development, planned to begin in January. These include school-day arts integration at Purple Star and charter schools, afterschool programs as well as homeschool-accessible options:
- Afterschool music for 3rd-5th graders, building on the success of last year’s program;
- A public speaking workshop for teens, combining theatrical techniques with military presentation standards to help students develop confident, compelling communication skills; and
- An arts-integrated theatre curriculum for pre-K students, which supplements and enriches the existing curriculum with interactive activities to boost learning, imagination, collaboration and confidence.
CAP Military Family Day at the Zoo
On April 27, 2025, more than 300 local military families enjoyed a beautiful day with CAP at the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens to celebrate the Month of the Military Child. The families were treated to face painting, lunch, dancing, train rides, giraffe feeding and lots of fun!
To organize this experience, we partnered with Blue Star Families Jacksonville, an organization focused on strengthening military families by connecting them with their neighbors to create vibrant communities of mutual support. By working with others on events such as this one, CAP expands its reach beyond local public schools to meet and engage youth wherever they are.
Keep an eye on our social media platforms for announcements about the next military family engagement events!
