School Liaisons and Extension: A Network of Support for Military Youth

When military kids move, their whole world shifts—schools, friends, routines, and support systems.

In this episode of Practicing Connection, school liaison Karen Watkins-Diouf and 4-H educator Jeremiah Johnson share how they work together across military and civilian systems to make sure those kids don’t fall through the cracks.

Military-connected kids move more often than most of their peers, and every move disrupts their relationships, routines, and sense of belonging at school and in the community. In this episode of Practicing Connection, we talk with Karen Watkins-Diouf, Army School Liaison at Fort Campbell’s Army Child & Youth Services, and Jeremiah Johnson, Christian County Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development at the University of Kentucky.

Karen and Jeremiah describe what school liaisons and county Extension educators actually do, how their roles intersect, and how their partnership creates a wider network of support for military families—on and off the installation. They share practical stories about bridging military and civilian systems, navigating “two languages,” and keeping families at the center when youth are dealing with repeated transitions.

You’ll hear concrete ideas for connecting with school liaisons and 4-H in your own area, and a simple first step any school, organization, or community leader can take to start building similar collaborations to support military-connected youth.

*Links and resources from this episode:*

* Look up the 4-H military liaison in your state: https://www.4-hmilitarypartnership.org/find-your-liaison.html
* Find a Military School Liaison near you: https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/search?program-service=12/view-by=ALL
* Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://oneop.aweb.page/practicing-connection-newsletter
* Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
* Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org

*LinkedIn Practice:*

In our latest Practicing Connection episode, we talk with Karen Watkins-Diouf, Army School Liaison at Fort Campbell, and Jeremiah Johnson, Christian County 4-H Extension Agent, about how they work together to support military-connected youth.

We explore:

* What school liaisons and county Extension/4-H educators actually do
* How a simple relationship between their roles became a strong partnership
* The ways schools, youth programs, and community organizations can collaborate with them to better serve military families

If you’re a family service provider, community leader, educator, or nonprofit professional, this conversation offers concrete ideas for strengthening your local network around military-connected kids.

Видео School Liaisons and Extension: A Network of Support for Military Youth канала OneOp