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.
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!
This post was updated in June 2026.
