Operation Homefront’s Back-To-School Supplies Brigade invaded the Minot AFB Youth Center to celebrate the new school year and to ensure that the new school year marches in on the right foot. Twenty-nine different organizations, which included schools and colleges, on and off base, arrived to show their support for the Minot Air Force Base Airmen and their families. Back-To-School Supplies Brigade is a base wide event to support students before school begins by supplying the students with a new backpack and school supplies and allowing the parents to discover all the educational resources the base offers for the public-school children. . . and now for the homeschoolers too.

Ms. Joy-Nicole Smith, School Liaison Program Manager, presided over the Back-To-School Supplies Brigade and provided a welcome and friendly atmosphere. Her office provides information on the programs they manage, but also connects families to resources, such as the Family Child Care (FCC), the Youth Center (YC), the Military & Family Readiness Center (M&FRC), the Resident Advocate, and many more resources. The Back-To-School Supplies Brigade event showcased all the resources available to Minot AFB children and families. Each organization’s station offered free materials for the families to enjoy and filled the air with laughter and excitement as students and their parents gathered in the Youth Center. Some booths contained a wheel for students to spin for goodies and prizes.

The back-to-school event was open to all families on the base, including homeschoolers and the perfect opportunity to encourage all types of learning. A homeschooled child’s education takes a tremendous amount of work, care, and attention from the parents.

Ms. Jessica Walker, a military spouse, local homeschool mom, and founder of the MAFB chapter of the Brilliant Minds Homeschool Group, also attended the event. She previously managed a very successful homeschool group at Keesler AFB in Mississippi and wanted to bring the same energy and sense of community here to Minot. According to Ms. Walker, homeschooling has skyrocketed, especially among military families, and it is estimated that 13% of military families homeschool.

Ms. Walker said, “Our group has a one room schoolhouse type feel. It is amazing to see kids of all ages working together.” She called the group Brilliant Minds because she loves to see the children’s “brilliant minds” at work because of their creativity or innovative thinking.

This is the first year that the Brilliant Minds Homeschool Group partnered with Operation Homefront’s Back-To-School Supplies Brigade, and it was heartwarming to see the friendliness and support. The Brilliant Minds group also offered the Statement of Intent Forms and the ND Homeschool Law Brochures that explain the legal aspects of homeschooling in North Dakota for anyone interested in homeschooling their child(ren). Ms. Walker also answered any homeschool questions from the people who visited her booth. To contact the Brilliant Minds, the group’s email is brilliantmindshomeschoolgroup@gmail.com.

Although homeschool families don’t receive a Chromebook(s) from the Minot Public School System (MPS) like the public school students do, MPS does offer certain extracurricular activities, clubs, and classes to homeschool students. More tremendous resources for homeschool students are the libraries, on and off base, where parents may utilize books, audiobooks, music, games, tech toys, databases, websites, low-cost or free worksheets for students to use, and activities in which students can participate, such as the winter reading program. Also, for this school year, the Brilliant Minds Homeschool Group plans to take the students on several field trips to the Bismarck Heritage Center, the skating rink, a Minot news station, the Pumpkin Patch, a camping trip, and many more.

Ms. Walker stated, “My goal with our group here at Minot is to create a close-knit community of homeschoolers and to create an environment where all of our children feel safe to be themselves, make friends, learn, and grow. The Minot base leadership does an amazing job including the homeschool community in all base events and is very supportive.” Operation Home Front’s Back-To-School Supplies Brigade helped all students receive a wonderful start to the new school year soon to be in session.

The event was not only fun, but informative! Darcy, a friendly, fun-loving dragon, the 5th FSS mascot, joined the event to make the kids and the adults smile as the summer ends. Have a great school year parents and kids at MAFB and learn well!