OneOp

Finding Gratitude in Tough Moments
2025-11-28 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xODIzMzAyNiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTgyMzMwMjYtMy1zaW1wbGUtd2F5cy10by1maW5kLWdyYXRpdHVkZS1pbi10b3VnaC1tb21lbnRzLmpzJTNGY29udGFpbmVyX2lkJTNEYnV6enNwcm91dC1wbGF5ZXItMTgyMzMwMjYlMjZwbGF5ZXIlM0RzbWFsbCUyMiUyMHR5cGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0JTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdCUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ== (Season 6, Episode 48)
Ever find yourself juggling tough projects or caring for others while your own energy dips?
In this episode, discover three practical gratitude habits you can use to find steadiness and clarity – no matter what your day brings.
This week on Practicing Connection, Jessica and Coral move past “feel-good” gratitude to share three real-world practices for professionals dealing with high stress, teamwork struggles, or just a long task list.
Whether you lead teams, support families, or show up for your community, these simple daily habits help you spot what’s sustaining you, even when appreciation feels out of reach.
With flexible options for busy days and tough moods, you’ll learn how these gentle gratitudes can boost resilience, spark hope, and steady you through the hardest times at work and beyond.
Links

Practicing Connection episode: “Fuel your Day with Savoring: The ‘Catching Joy’ Practice”
Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org

JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hi, and thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection podcast. I’m Jessica.
CORAL OWEN: And I’m Coral.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: And today we’re talking about gratitude, not as a buzzword or a holiday theme, but as a real practice. One that can be complicated when life is stressful or uncertain.
CORAL OWEN: That’s a really good point, Jessica. Gratitude. I feel like it’s often talked about like it should come so easily, in those hard moments though. And I just think it’s important to acknowledge that a lot of people are navigating some really difficult spaces right now. Gratitude can feel really far away and when we’re struggling, like just being told, “Oh, just, just be grateful.” It can sound very –
JESSICA BECKENDORF: – A daily gratitude practice.
CORAL OWEN: Oh yeah. Just start, start in your journal. Although I’m sure it always comes from a well-intentioned space, it can feel really dismissive.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, yeah. Exactly. So before we go any further, let’s ground this in a simple definition: [00:01:00] gratitude is the practice of recognizing and appreciating what helps us. What sustains us even when things aren’t easy.
CORAL OWEN: Precisely, and again, this is not about pretending everything is sunshine, rainbows, and roses all the time. It’s making room to notice what’s still good, what’s steady, and what’s life giving alongside what is also so difficult. It’s kind of like both gratitude and struggle can coexist.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: So I noticed that you brought three different gratitude practices today in our notes, instead of just one. Why three?
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, so this is the party pack of practices, today. But, you know, in all seriousness, there is no one size fits all way to practice gratitude. Some days we just have the bandwidth for reflection. Other days we’re just trying to make it through. So instead of offering just one structured approach, we figured sharing three practices that meet y’all, our listeners, wherever you are.
Whether it’s a quick [00:02:00] pause, a simple reflection, or a way to study yourself when things feel a little bit overwhelming, you can just pick and choose what is serving you in the moment that you’re at.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, that is such a great way to frame it, like giving people options instead of an expectation, and that I think that you and I have talked about this, I have trouble with gratitude practice. And I think that’s been hard ’cause it feels like sometimes it feels like a task.
Sometimes it feels like, when you’re given the advice to start a daily gratitude practice, I don’t know, it just feels like an expectation, somehow.
CORAL OWEN: Or like another thing on your to-do list. And I think really, you know, what the hope is here with the practices that we’re sharing today, Jess, is not that this – it should not feel contrived or forced. Just finding something, just something in whatever practice you may opt to try, that feels a little bit more fluid and a little bit more aligned with where you’re at.
And so our three practices, we’ve got the noticing practice, the one line journal and the [00:03:00] grounding gratitude check-in for you. And I’m excited to unpack all three of these. They build from small moments of awareness into a deeper sense of presence. And you can use them individually, or you can rotate through them depending on what you need that day.
We’re just all about giving y’all tools that you can leverage, and pick from your toolkit if you will. Whatever meets you in the moment.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, let’s get started with these practices. Coral, can you share the first one with us?
CORAL OWEN: The noticing practice: so this one is, I think, the most simplistic and it’s usually where I start, and recommend starting when gratitude feels just a little out of reach. And so at some point in your day, all you need to do is pause for a moment and look for one, it can be even a neutral thing or a pleasant thing happening right now.
Maybe your coffee tastes good. That was mine this morning. Maybe the sun feels warm or, you know, just kind of nice and sunshiny through the window. Maybe the song on the radio is hitting just right and has a good vibe. You don’t have to force a feeling. It definitely does not need [00:04:00] to be profound.
Just the act of noticing what’s around you is enough.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. And you know, this is really similar to an episode we did recently on savoring. And so if you wanna go deeper with this one, I recommend finding that episode on savoring. We’ll put the link in our show notes. I think that this is a really refreshing take also on gratitude, right? It’s not about chasing a sense of gratitude, but it’s about being open to what’s already there.
CORAL OWEN: Exactly, and the hope is over time, noticing will help shift your focus from what’s missing to rather include what’s present around you and the things that are quietly supporting you. Even if they’re small and seemingly very minute.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Awesome. I love this practice. Let’s move on to the next one, the one line journal. So tell us a little bit about this one.
CORAL OWEN: So the second practice is called the One Line Journal, as you already noted. And again, it’s very short and approachable, we [00:05:00] hope, and it’s just one sentence a day. You can start with the phrase, “Today I noticed,” or, “Today I appreciated.”
A couple examples: “I noticed how calm it felt driving home without traffic,” or, “I appreciate that my neighbor waved when I walked by.” And again, these don’t need to be big, monumental things. They can be just these small moments that are happening throughout your day. And the one sentence helps make that act of noticing more tangible. And over time you may start to see patterns, small moments that help you feel grounded or connected without even realizing it at the time.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I love that this builds awareness slowly. It’s not about big gratitude lists or journaling every detail. It’s just one little honest line.
CORAL OWEN: Exactly, and it doesn’t have to come from inside you, right? It can be things that are happening external to you as well. And I think sometimes if we’re having a tough time finding just that [00:06:00] kind of neutral or, you know, somewhat positive connection point in the small day-to-day around us, it can help bring that vibrance back.
And it’s really about consistency more than volume. Here, the goal is not to collect all the happy moments, right? But to recognize the ordinary ones that get us through the day-to-day, that make life feel a little bit more manageable.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Oh, I love that. Okay, now let’s dig into the third one, the grounding gratitude check-in.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, this is one of my favorites, truly. And this third practice is for those days when gratitude just feels impossible. And it’s also a little bit of a sensory, grounding technique. And so, you know, if you have spaces where you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or just not in that head space, this is one that I would encourage you to turn to.
All you need to do is take a slow, steady breath anytime that you feel like you need to leverage this. And we’ve got three checkpoints: One thing you can see. You’re naming one thing you can see. Secondly, [00:07:00] one thing you can touch. And thirdly, one person, place or thing that helps you feel supported.
And this brings you back to your body instead of your thoughts, and it can help your nervous system to calm down a bit. So you can reconnect with that sense of presence.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I love this one. This is an incredibly grounding activity. I remember, a long time ago, my friend in a workshop that she and I both taught together, she would have people kind of rub their thumb and their forefinger together, or one of the fingers on their hand, and have them feel like the ridges of their fingerprint, and just really ground them there.
And I ended up buying her, and I got myself one too, I ended up buying her this stone that is intentionally meant for you to like – has like a thumbprint in it. And yeah, it’s intentionally meant for you to kind of rub your thumb on and get connected to a sensory, you know, I guess a sensory moment. So I really appreciate this practice [00:08:00] because it’s not about thinking your way into gratitude, it’s about finding it through grounding and awareness.
I think I’ve also seen this in like a one thing. You can see two things. You can touch three things. I’ve seen something similar to this, but I love how simple this one is.
CORAL OWEN: Totally. And sometimes the most real form of gratitude, especially when times are challenging, is simply noticing that you’re here and you’re breathing and you are not alone. And sometimes that is simply enough.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well that is a beautiful practice. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m really glad you shared three. I think I gave you some crap at the beginning of this, but I’m really glad you shared three.
CORAL OWEN: Thanks so much. I really did enjoy pulling these together for today’s episode, Jessica. So thanks so much for walking through these with me.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, as we wrap up today, maybe take a moment wherever you are to pause and notice one thing that brings a bit of steadiness or relief. [00:09:00] You don’t have to call it gratitude, but you might find that’s what it is.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah. And just to reiterate, gratitude – it doesn’t erase what is hard, right? But it can soften the edges of when things do feel challenging. And it’s one way to remind ourselves that even in difficult seasons, there is something that is still holding us.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, thanks so much for this conversation on finding gratitude in tough moments, Coral.
If this resonated with you, our listeners, share it with someone who might need that reminder today.
CORAL OWEN: And we will be back soon with another episode. Until then, keep practicing. [00:10:00]
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of One-Op and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

Fuel Your Day with Savoring: The "Catching Joy" Practice
2025-11-20 08:00 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xODE2MzAwMyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTgxNjMwMDMtZnVlbC15b3VyLWRheS13aXRoLXNhdm9yaW5nLXRoZS1jYXRjaGluZy1qb3ktcHJhY3RpY2UuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xODE2MzAwMyUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF (Season 6, Episode 47)
Is there a way to make positive moments count more? Yes! This episode focuses on savoring, the active, intentional effort to prolong and intensify positive feelings. We discuss the science showing how this simple skill directly counteracts compassion fatigue by building your emotional ‘reservoir’ for well-being. You’ll learn:

The difference between savoring, mindfulness, and gratitude.
The step-by-step Catching Joy practice for maximizing present enjoyment.
How to use reminiscing (savoring the past) as a powerful tool to draw strength and confidence.

Learn how to actively amplify the positive connections and small victories that fuel your vital work in the Military Family Readiness System.

Links:

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org
Yale’s Science of Well-Being Class on Coursera

CORAL OWEN: [00:00:00] Hey there. Thanks so much for tuning into the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Coral, and today’s episode is all about a simple, yet profound strategy for wellbeing. Savoring. My co-host Jessica is here to guide us. Hey Jess. How are you feeling today?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hey, Coral. I’m actually feeling really focused and present today, which is a perfect mindset for this topic. I was kind of just enjoying my second cup of coffee and paying attention to the warmth of the mug. Especially since it’s been getting colder out now, and also enjoying the rich smell.
And so sort of like a little moment of savoring before we started. And of course once I start digging into something, I start practicing it like crazy. And so that was a little mini savoring practice that I did.
CORAL OWEN: I love that. I feel like that’s really a common experience for coffee lovers and tea lovers of course, too. And it really does highlight how these moments are all around us, even in the most seemingly [00:01:00] mundane day-to-day experiences.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, exactly. And we’d also love to hear from you, how have you added moments of savory into your life? You can share your thoughts with us at practicingconnection@oneop.org.
– break –
CORAL OWEN: All righty. So before we dive into today’s practice, Jessica, can you tell us a little bit more about what inspired you to focus on savoring and how it relates to our work supporting families?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Absolutely. My inspiration for this came from an unexpected place, taking Yale’s Free Science of Wellbeing class. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of that, but I took it on Coursera a few years ago after reading about it, and savoring was actually one of the core modules. And I found it so powerful for grounding myself and for amplifying joy.
I often practiced it with small things, like really tasting a meal, and I think [00:02:00] foods are probably very natural, right? We think of savoring and we think of food a lot of times. That’s a very natural way to practice it, but also just watching a gentle snowfall outside my window, or enjoying the pleasure my dog gets from a good scratch.
Like really paying attention in that moment, and just really amplifying that, and understanding that this is a good moment, right?
And so the link to our work, within the Military Family Readiness System, is all about stress and burnout prevention. The work of supporting others can be tireless, often managing complex needs and systems. And the evidence shows that savoring is a powerful tool to interrupt the stress cycle.
Studies consistently demonstrate that intentionally focusing on positive feelings and experiences or savoring them can increase our overall happiness, can boost positive emotions and even reduce the symptoms of depression.
So it shifts our focus from what’s [00:03:00] overwhelming to what is enriching, even for just a few seconds.
CORAL OWEN: That is so interesting. It actually kind of sounds like a cousin to the concepts like mindfulness and gratitude, which I know many of our listeners may already be practicing. Can you clarify or kind of distinguish how savoring is different from these other concepts and practices?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, I think that’s an important distinction. And frankly, any one of these, doing any one of these things you mentioned like mindfulness, gratitude, I think are going to have the effect of boosting your positive emotions. These things can all also work together, but they are not necessarily the same.
So mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Whether the experience is neutral, positive or negative, it’s about awareness. And then gratitude is the focus on the gifts, contributions, or good things that have been done for or given to us. Often looking at the source of a positive outcome.
It’s kind [00:04:00] of, past or present focused usually. Awe, which we just talked about in an episode, is a specific emotion that recognizes vastness and the connections to the outside world. Like we will realize how small we are, but how connected we are to whatever it is that we’re recognizing as vast.
And then savoring, on the other hand, is specifically about amplifying and prolonging positive emotional experiences. It’s the intentional effort to keep the positive feeling going and to feel it more deeply. So if mindfulness is noticing the positive flavor of a piece of chocolate, savoring is making the flavor last and really feeling the enjoyment that comes with it.
It’s about maximizing the good of the experience.
CORAL OWEN: I love that. That’s also so helpful to have it broken down like that. Thank you. And it’s so nice to have that concept and have it become [00:05:00] actionable. We’d spend so much time noticing problems that need fixing. I feel like savoring is sort of this deliberate practice of saying like, “Hold on, wait. This is good, and I’m gonna soak it up.” And it’s like a simple tool for making these positive moments, no matter how small they are, really count.
Alrighty, so here comes the practical bit. Jessica, can you walk us through step by step how someone can try this in their own life or even in their workday?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, definitely. We’re gonna try an activity that I’m currently calling “Catching Joy.” I’ve tried like three or four different names for this. I’m calling it catching joy right now. So this is a quick and easy practice you can do with almost anything. A sip of tea, a phone call that went really well, or even a moment of quiet between tasks.
So the first thing you’re going to do: choose your moment. Just stop what you’re doing for a moment and consciously pick something positive that’s [00:06:00] happening right now. It can be tiny, like a ray of sun coming through the window, the successful completion of an email or the smell of your lunch. The key is to stop the autopilot and decide I’m going to pay attention to this moment of goodness.
CORAL OWEN: That pauses everything, isn’t it? Just creating that space for the moment to simply exist.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. Yeah, it really is. And so what that does then is in step two, because you’ve taken that pause and decided to pay attention to the moment, then you can engage all your senses. This is where the depth comes in. Don’t just think about the moment. Experience it fully. If it’s your cup of tea, then notice the smell, the temperature on your lips, the taste as it washes over your tongue.
If it’s a positive interaction with a client or with a partner, notice the sound of their voice, the feeling of relief or [00:07:00] connection in your chest, and the sight of their thankfulness. Ask yourself, “What does my body notice right now?”
Whatever it is that you’ve chosen to pay attention to, just ask, what does my body notice right now?
And then step three: internalize and label the feeling. So as you experience this with your senses, give the positive emotion a name. Are you feeling joy? Are you feeling contentment? How about satisfaction? Just silently say it to yourself: “I’m feeling a wave of deep satisfaction.” I know that contentment for me comes up a lot when I’m practicing this.
Naming the feeling helps your brain register it more powerfully as a positive memory and part of your experience. I mentioned earlier that one of the ways I’ve used this is just really savoring a gentle snowfall now. After I’ve done that a few times and really spent the time savoring it, I actually notice the gentle snowfall [00:08:00] more quickly now, and I’ll stop for a moment and make sure that I savor those moments.
Alright, the last step: extend the experience. This is also called basking. Don’t rush away. Hold the feeling for an extra five to 10 seconds before moving on. We’re not talking about an inordinate amount of time here. Take a deep breath and deliberately allow the positive feeling to spread through your body.
Kind of like soaking up the sun, you know how the sun feels in the spring. The first time it starts getting a little warm and you go outside and you just put your face up to the sun. So soak up the feeling. By extending it, you help cement the positive memory and emotional response, making it easier to recall later.
CORAL OWEN: That four step catching joy practice, by the way, Jess, I love that name. It’s just so simple and practical for the present moment. I was wondering, do you have an example of how the principle of savoring can also be used to draw strength from the past?[00:09:00]
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. That’s a really good question. I really actually struggled when I was looking for a practice I wanted to choose for savoring, because there’s a lot of different ways you can practice savoring. I’m going to give you an example that highlights how versatile savoring is.
We often talk about future coping strategies, but reminiscing the intentional recall of a positive memory is one of the most powerful ways to savor, and it’s a form of emotional resilience. It’s like applying the catching joy practice we just went through to a memory, instead of to the moment that you’re in.
So I have a good example that connects to overcoming performance anxiety, or stage fright. Or public speaking anxiety is another way of putting that, which most people can relate to. Because we know that public speaking is the most feared activity among people. So I often get extra nervous when I’m doing public speaking [00:10:00] in front of peers, but I have a memory that I intentionally returned to.
Several years ago, I participated in a musical improv night during a conference. I cannot sing well, and I was on stage with people who had many more years of training than I did, and I was nervous about that. But I did it anyway, and I ended up absolutely loving the experience.
To help with public speaking anxiety, now I think of that night, and I remember. I’ll never forget this specifically: taking a moment to look around while I was on stage, noticing who was there with me, what the stage looked like, because I was feeling such a powerful sense of belonging and creativity with the group. That was a moment of present moment savoring, right?
So I took a moment during that performance too. Engage in sort of a, you know, four step catching joy activity that we just went through. Now though, when I’m stressed, I [00:11:00] reminisce about this. I replay the specific words I sang, which I’ll never forget either, right? I can almost feel the stage lights and I can recall the rush of positive feeling.
If I can sing terribly in front of a room full of peers and strangers and love every second, then I can definitely present my work to colleagues. That’s how it helps me.
CORAL OWEN: I love that so much. That’s such a powerful example, it’s almost like a savoring memory bake.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, exactly.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, and it just perfectly demonstrates that energy boost that we can get from the catching joy practice. It doesn’t disappear, right? It gets banked and filed away for later, and you’re consciously capturing that feeling of connection and confidence in the moment, and then you can intentionally pull it out whenever you need that boost in the future.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, exactly. I mean, savoring is about amplifying the signal of the good. Whether it’s the smell of your coffee right [00:12:00] now, or the sense of accomplishment from a year ago. It all builds your emotional resilience. So here’s a challenge for all of you, all of our listeners: try the Catching Joy practice just once a day this week or one day this week.
Don’t wait for a huge event. Just find a positive moment in the mundane: your lunch break, the first sip of water, or a successful phone call. And if you’re facing a stressful moment, try my technique, savor a positive memory by reliving the sensory details and letting the good feelings wash over you.
CORAL OWEN: I love that so much. Thanks so much for sharing this practice, Jessica.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Oh, I loved it.
CORAL OWEN: Alrighty, well that is a wrap for today’s episode. Thank you all so much for joining our conversation today on the power of savoring the moment both in the present, but also in the past.
If you found value in our talk today, you can share this episode with a friend or a colleague. We will be back next week with something new and until then, keep practicing. [00:13:00]
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

Creating Safe Pathways: Employment Advocacy for Military Spouses in Crisis
2025-11-18 11:00 - 12:30
This webinar delves into the role of employment as a protective factor for military families impacted by domestic abuse. This session is designed to equip service providers with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively support military families.
Attendees understand why military spouse employment education is relevant to domestic abuse victim advocates. This session serves as a reminder of factors to consider when working with military families impacted by domestic abuse. Join us for a discussion focused on enhancing the ability of service providers to support families impacted by domestic abuse and ensuring they are equipped to respond effectively in critical moments.
Learning Objectives:

Increase awareness of how employment status and conditions may intersect with domestic abuse and family violence
Identify key factors related to military spouse employment that may influence vulnerability and resilience in households impacted by domestic abuse
Analyze barriers to employment that are specific to the military lifestyle, and their implications for client support and advocacy
Examine education and career resources for facilitating conversations with military spouses experiencing domestic abuse

Kristyn is a dedicated advocate with more than 19 years of experience supporting U.S. military members and their families worldwide. In her current role as a Victim Advocate and Crisis Counselor, she provides compassionate, trauma-informed support to individuals experiencing domestic abuse, sexual trauma, suicide risk, neglect, grief and loss, disordered eating, and interpersonal violence. Her work centers on offering both immediate assistance and long-term pathways to recovery. Quelonda is a certified workforce development professional with over 20 years of experience in career coaching, education, and program management. As a career coach with the Department of Defense Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program, she provides personalized career guidance to military spouses across the globe. A proud military spouse and former U.S. Navy Command Family Ombudsman, she brings deep insight and empathy to her work, shaped by years of advocacy, support and crisis response within the military community. She is passionate about inspiring others to achieve career success, work-life balance, and long-term professional growth. Charde is a Career Coach with the Department of Defense’s Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program, bringing over a decade of experience in prevention education and career services. Her past roles include supporting military families as a Family Employment Readiness Specialist and serving as a Prevention Educator with both the Navy and Army. As a Navy veteran spouse and former active-duty spouse of 10 years, she deeply values the resilience and dedication of military families. She is passionate about giving back to the military community and is dedicated to supporting spouses in achieving their education and career goals while empowering them to reach their full potential.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close November 18, 2027.
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close November 18, 2027.
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close November 18, 2026.
Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARC) and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Victim Advocates (VA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from D-SAACP Credentialing. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close November 18, 2028.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close November 18, 2028.
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close November 18, 2027.
Domestic Abuse Victim Advocates: This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the National Advocate Credentialing Program (NACP). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close November 18, 2028.
Human Resource Professionals: This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close July 31, 2026.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close November 18, 2027.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

If the button above does not work, please access the survey here: https://auburn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2bpiNids59bI0d0. Webinar Slides Handout
Additional Resources Photo Credit: Adobe Stock by AntonioDiaz

Reconnecting with Wonder to Spark Creativity
2025-11-13 08:00 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xODE0NjM4MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTgxNDYzODAtcmVjb25uZWN0aW5nLXdpdGgtd29uZGVyLXRvLXNwYXJrLWNyZWF0aXZpdHkuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xODE0NjM4MCUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF (Season 6, Episode 46)
When the complexity of your work leads to burnout and tunnel vision, where do you find the energy to create solutions?
Today, we’re exploring the science of awe – that powerful feeling we experience in the presence of something vast. We’ll share simple, evidence-based practices for weaving micro-moments of wonder into your busiest days, helping you downshift your nervous system and instantly restore your perspective.
In high-stress roles, we often get stuck in rumination and burnout. This episode explores the restorative power of awe, the feeling of wonder and humility in the presence of something vast (as defined by Dr. Dacher Keltner).
We discuss the science showing how awe reduces cortisol and inflammation, while significantly boosting creativity and perspective. You’ll learn the three-part practice:

Micro Awe: The daily “Awe Walk” to reset your stress response.
The Weekly Deep Dive: Spending extended time in nature to boost creativity by nearly 50%.
Awe in Community: Using Dr. Keith Tidball’s concept of urgent biophilia to foster shared purpose and resilience.

Awe doesn’t demand more of your time – it asks for your attention. Tune in to learn how to find those moments of wonder and bring new energy to your work supporting military families.
Further links and resources from this episode:

Finding Awe in the Ordinary | Greater Good Magazine
Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org

JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hi, thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica.
CORAL OWEN: And I’m Coral.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Today we’re exploring something that might sound a little bit magical –
CORAL OWEN: Aww.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, awww! That’s what I was just saying beforehand. I can’t not do it. So specifically we’re gonna be talking about how cultivating moments of awe in nature can help prevent burnout and reignite creativity.
CORAL OWEN: This topic is actually one of my favorites, Jess. I know that we were talking about that a little bit in our pre-show recording. But yeah, seriously, we’ve all, I’m sure we’ve all had those experiences like standing under trees after a rainstorm, catching the glow of a sunset, seeing a flock of birds move in unison.
It’s those moments where time feels like it just slows down a bit. And these moments of awe are more than beautiful. They’re actually deeply restorative.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: And [00:01:00] before we go further, let’s actually get into what we mean by awe.
So psychologist Dr. Dacher Keltner describes it as, “The feeling we experience in the presence of something vast, that transcends our current understanding of the world.”
It’s that mix of wonder, humility and curiosity that pulls us out of ourselves and reminds us that there’s more to life than what’s right in front of us.
CORAL OWEN: Exactly, and just because you’re reading that definition, it does kind of give the sense that, “Oh man, we really need to, you know, like be in front of the Grand Canyon or something.”
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
CORAL OWEN: It can also be a lot more micro than that. But we’ll talk about that in a second. But truly, awe does have this incredible ability, whether micro or more on the grand scale, to shift our perspective from me to we, and remind us that we are part of something bigger.
And that shift in perspective can really [00:02:00] spark creativity, restore motivation, and bring us back into alignment with what really matters.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: And what’s really interesting to me is that science backs that up, right? So researchers studying emotions like all people like Dr. Keltner and Florence Williams have found that these experiences help downshift our nervous system. They reduce hormones like cortisol. They lower inflammation. They even ease rumination, that repetitive like mental loop that we get stuck in when we’re burned out. And that is definitely one area that I need to reduce.
CORAL OWEN: I think we can all find relativity in that. And truly the best part is, like we already mentioned, you don’t have to go to great lengths to find these massive vantage points like the Grand Canyon or the Atlantic Ocean.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Great Lakes too! So, oh, you said “great [00:03:00] lengths,” but I was like, “Oh, well I could go to the Great Lakes. That’s only like 45 minutes from where I live.”
CORAL OWEN: A little more than around the block than us. But yeah, I mean, you don’t have to go to the Great Lakes to experience this phenomenon. And according to, I know a lot of people perhaps have read The Nature Fix, which is by Florence Williams. Then there’s other research of course from psychologists like Paul Piff, that even these small daily moments of nature can produce measurable benefits.
And even as small as a dose of just a few minutes, like noticing a tree outside your window, or watching the clouds move, can begin that restorative process.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. And when we extend that, when we spend a little more intentional time outdoors or share those experiences with others, we not only boost creativity, but we also deepen community connection, which is awesome.
That’s where the work of Dr. Keith Tidball comes in. [00:04:00] His concept of urgent biophilia highlights how people naturally turn to nature and greening projects during or after stressful times. So planting, rebuilding, restoring as a way to heal together.
CORAL OWEN: Yes. And so today we’re talking about awe as a simple, accessible tool for resilience and renewal, and I’ve put together a couple of practices that can bring this to life.
So starting with more small personal moments of awe and then deepening it to more of a weekly rhythm, and finally, expanding outward to include community.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: So let’s get into it then.
CORAL OWEN: Sounds good, shall we? So, let’s start small, okay? Because awe does not have to take a lot of time. It does not have to be grandiose. These micro practices can be woven into your daily routine, even on your busiest days, which I would actually argue, it matters even more.
So one of my favorites is what researchers call an “awe walk.” And this can be a short walk, five to ten [00:05:00] minutes around your neighborhood, a local park, even in your office courtyard. And the goal – yes, of course exercise is great, and movement is wonderful, but that actually is not the primary focus here. It’s your attention.
And as you walk, look around with curiosity, what’s one detail you might normally miss? Like the pattern of the leaves against the sky, the way the light hits the building, sounds of the birds, wind. You know, anything truly, you just have this act of noticing, and maybe you might even whisper, “Wow.”
And when you finish, just take a slow breath. There is a lot of presence in breath as well. And ask yourself, “What surprised me just now? Does my body feel different than before?”
These small moments of awe help reset our stress response to loose and rigid thinking. And also surprisingly, perhaps open creative pathways, which is something that we all need when we’re running on empty.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I really love how simple that is. It doesn’t require scheduling or special equipment, just a [00:06:00] few intentional minutes to notice what’s already around you.
CORAL OWEN: Precisely. Awe is everywhere. Just a lot of times we get a little busy and perhaps forget to look for it.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hmm.
CORAL OWEN: So part two, and this is something that is maybe not as quickly accessible. We would invite you to maybe do this next practice once a week, once a month, whatever suits your schedule. Still with regularity, but perhaps less, a little bit less frequency than daily.
Do take a little bit more time to immerse yourself in a setting that evokes wonder. This might be walking along the beach, going to the Great Lakes, hiking a favorite trail, perhaps even star gazing. And again, the goal here isn’t to do anything in particular, necessarily. It’s to be with the experience.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I think that that’s a really important distinction here because we’re talking about awe, but awe isn’t an action. Awe is a [00:07:00] feeling, right?
So you’re, feeling the awesomeness or the, you’re feeling the awe right, and the act and the practice is putting yourself into the mindset or the position to be able to notice what might make you feel that sense of awe.
CORAL OWEN: A hundred percent. It really is experiencing wonder, but it’s creating the space. Jessica, you’re so right. That’s a great distinction.
So kind of with that sense of, “How are we creating the setting to allow awe and wonder to come in.” Some things that may help: leaving your phone behind or putting it on airplane mode. You also give yourself twenty or thirty minutes to explore, slowly and silently, and then when something catches your attention. Maybe it’s a sound, a color, a scent. Something that fills the senses.
Just pause. Let it fill your awareness for a few breaths. [00:08:00] And this simple act of attention, it can expand your sense of space and time.
It creates mental spaciousness. Studies do show that extended time in nature boosts creativity by nearly 50%, which I thought was incredible. Simply by allowing the brain’s default mode network to rest and reset.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: That’s really fascinating, and it really makes sense too. Some of my most creative ideas come after a time outdoors when I’ve really stopped trying to solve a problem. And look, I live in a city, and I still consider, you know, as I’m taking a walk, I’m still noticing the nature around me. There’s still nature around. I intentionally walk through, it’s this tiny little pocket park, but I intentionally walk through that park. I notice all of the nature around me, and even after my city walks or whatever, I still have some of my most creative ideas.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, it’s not uncommon, Jess at all. [00:09:00] It is really something that when we’re trying to force something, or just, you know, staring at the screen, you know, or even pen to paper, just waiting for something to come along. Sometimes we just need to kind of break out of that groove and just go do something different.
And these moments of awe can really kind of allow that creativity to come back in. And it really does soften the edges of, “I have to figure this out,” and lets those insights kind of emerge more naturally.
All right, so something that we alluded to earlier is that having a community element can really just lift this to a whole new level. And Dr. Keith Tidball, whose research we talked about earlier, his research on urgent biophilia, it does show that communities often do turn to nature after disruption or stress.
In his work in particular, after natural disasters such as hurricanes, et cetera, and initiatives such as planting trees, starting gardens, [00:10:00] cleaning rivers, awe is a way to restore both the land and the spirit. And when we share awe, we don’t just restore ourselves, we also help restore one another.
So to move forward with this incredible realization, as a practice, here are just a few suggestions that you might try to invite community into your awe practice. You could invite a friend for a sunrise walk or an evening sky watch. I think there are some astronomy clubs, Jess, that you –
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I just joined one right before we recorded. I was telling Coral how I just joined an astronomy club and, it’s pretty nice to not be alone in, you know, as alone as I love to be in the quiet of the night sky, it’s nice to not be alone.
CORAL OWEN: That sounds really fun actually. A couple other ideas you might share: A “wow” photo or a wonder photo from your week in a group chat or a team [00:11:00] space.
For teams that I’ve worked on previously, we’ve used Slack and, you know, I just might be like, “Hey, this was for my coffee walk this morning,” and everybody kind of chimes in with theirs. Kind of fun.
Other ideas for consideration? Perhaps volunteering at a local park cleanup, beach cleanup, community garden or environmental project. And the thought here is that these shared moments build connection, purpose, and resilience, and it really is just such a powerful antidote to burnout’s isolation.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, it’s beautiful how something as simple as noticing nature can ripple outward from calming one person’s nervous system to strengthening a whole community.
CORAL OWEN: That really is the heart of it. Awe helps us connect with ourself, but it also connects us to creativity and to one another as well.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Thanks so much for sharing that, Coral. As we wrap up today, maybe you’ll find a moment, even just a few seconds, to look up at the sky, feel the [00:12:00] air on your skin, or notice the color of the leaves where you are. Those small pauses have the power to shift your whole day.
CORAL OWEN: Exactly. In awe, it doesn’t demand more of our time, like Jess already said. All it’s doing is asking for our attention, and then in that attention we can often discover a little wonder, a little spaciousness, and perhaps even a spark of inspiration we maybe even didn’t know that we’d lost.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, thanks so much for spending part of your day with us here on Practicing Connection. If this conversation resonated with you, we’d love for you to share it with someone who might need that gentle reminder to step outside and breathe.
We will be back next week with another episode. Until then, keep practicing. [00:13:00]
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of One-Off and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

How Your Zip Codes Shape Your Health: Mapping Determinants and Outcomes
2025-11-12 11:00 - 12:00
Where you are born, live, work, and play can predict your current and future health outcomes. This webinar will explore how environmental factors, and social connections can impact health. Participants will explore and define the social determinants of health, learn practical strategies for interpreting community data, identify priority needs, and apply evidence-based approaches to improve health outcomes. Dr. Morgan Foster will share case study examples and tools that community partners can use to map the determinants of health and translate data into action.
Learning Objectives:

Define the concept of social determinants of health (SDOH) and explain how they influence health outcomes.
Interpret community-level data to identify priority health needs.
Access and utilize practical resources and tools for addressing SDOH in community and professional settings.
Use case study examples and tools to map determinants of health and translate findings into actionable steps.

Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist – Disability and Health
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities
Morgan Foster, DrPH, is an Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, specializing in disability and health. In her current role, she serves as Program Manager/Co-PI of a statewide Disability Community Coordinators Initiative in partnership with the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. With over eight years of experience in Extension, Dr. Foster leads efforts to expand and strengthen Extension programming that supports individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Additionally, Dr. Foster’s public health efforts span across chronic disease prevention, health education, and disability health, with an emphasis on advancing health outcomes for various populations.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/12/27.
Certified Nutrition and Wellness Educator (CNWE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/12/27.
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/12/27.
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/12/26.
Board Certified Disability Management Specialists: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) clock hour from The Commission for Case Manager Certification. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/12/26.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR): This webinar awards 1.0 CPEUs in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Prior Approval Program. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 11/12/27.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/12/27.
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/12/27.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/12/27.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Presentation Slides (PDF)

Photo Credit: iStock photo 1318267273; fumiko Inoue

Ending the Day Strong: A 5-minute Daily Reset
2025-11-06 08:00 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xODExNjcyOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTgxMTY3MjgtZW5kaW5nLXRoZS1kYXktc3Ryb25nLWEtNS1taW51dGUtZGFpbHktcmVzZXQuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xODExNjcyOCUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF (Season 6, Episode 45)
Feeling stretched thin?
Try this simple 5-minute daily practice to get yourself untangled and take small steps to move out of overwhelm, help you notice what fuels you, and set you up for a calmer tomorrow.
In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast, Coral and Jessica discuss how to combat overwhelm through a quick, consistent reflection habit. Jessica introduces a five-minute daily practice built around three guiding questions:

What was energy-generating today?
What was energy draining?
And what can I do differently tomorrow?

This small act of awareness – done daily – can help you see patterns, make gentle adjustments, and bring focus to what matters most.
Whether you’re juggling deadlines, family, or transitions, you’ll learn how everyday reflection can restore clarity and control.
And check out this episode from our archives for more perspective on great tracking practices:
“Energy and engagement tracking, Nov. 30, 2023”
Further links and resources from this episode:

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org

Hi there. Thanks so much for listening to the Practicing Connection podcast. I’m Coral. My co-host Jessica is here today as well. And we are going to be talking about fighting overwhelm with daily reflections. And Jess is going to be sharing a practice with us. Jessica, how are you?
JESSICA BECKENDORF I’m pretty good today. You know what? I can’t complain. It’s still warm-ish outside. The sky is blue against all the beautiful fall colors. The fall rush of activity has calmed down. It seems like September is always such a busy month. This actually kind of feels a little bit like the calm before the storm though, with the end of the year holidays around the corner. So I’ll share a little bit more about this in a minute.
But I just went over my calendar between now, which is earlier in October as we’re recording this, and the end of the year. And I started to claim, like pre-claim, time on my calendar to block it off way ahead so that I can be prepared when my schedule gets full. And I’m going to stick to it!
CORAL OWEN Love that for you. No, I will say the calendar bit, very relatable. Here in Tampa Bay is, we’ll call it “Florida Fall.” Like the mercury dipped below 70 the other day.
JESSICA BECKENDORF Like Wisconsin summer?
CORAL OWEN (01:20.856)
Probably. And literally the entire neighborhood busted out their like hoodies and beanies and it’s only 69 degrees. So, but no, I totally feel you on the calendar bit. I actually began a similar practice about a month ago by grouping similar work into like particular time windows each day. And it really has, I’ve tried to stick with it, you know, like Monday we’re doing this and you know, Tuesday we’re doing that, and trying to primarily just keep like for instance calls to the afternoon.
So I’ve got a bigger chunk of time in the morning to just move through things and think a little bit more deeply. But it really has helped me stay focused. I’m getting more done, doing better quality work and thinking. I really just don’t feel so scattered with my energy.
JESSICA BECKENDORF Yeah, it’s really hard. Context switching is really hard, like going from one project to a different project where, you know, there might be some connective tissue between the two, but it’s maybe it’s weak connective tissue and it’s a lot of work to kind of do that switching constantly. So that sounds like a really smart strategy.
CORAL OWEN Absolutely. I know that a lot of people probably can relate to this. Even if you have one role, oftentimes people will wear many different hats within the same role. So yeah, maybe we should do another episode about that, at some point.
JESSICA BECKENDORF We probably should, yeah!
CORAL OWEN (02:42.497)
Well, for today, at least, we are going to be digging in more about daily reflections. Jess, can you tell us a little bit more about the practice you chose today and why did you decide to dig into this?
JESSICA BECKENDORF Well, I mean, and daily reflections is not new to this podcast, right? There are so many different ways that you can do daily reflections. And that’s why we cover it so many different ways as well.
And so I’ve been planning out my time, like I mentioned a little bit ago, for the rest of the year. And I was struck by just how busy the last two months of the year can get.
At work, you know, there are project deadlines, of course. There’s reporting to finish before the end of the year, many of us have. And it’s often in months that are also packed with travel and important personal commitments.
Meanwhile, if you’re in the Northern hemisphere, like we are, the days are getting shorter, which is really annoying, but that’s another story. All of that can actually combine into making like November and December really, really hectic, stressful, and completely overwhelming.
Hence my going through and pre blocking my time to make sure that I had some. And it’s really hard to know what will help me navigate through all of that. So that’s why.
CORAL OWEN Yeah, for sure. There is just so much happening in these periods of time and seasons. What particularly makes a reflection practice helpful in spaces such as these?
JESSICA BECKENDORF (04:12.482)
This is the reason why I often suggest reflection practices, because I know that everyone needs something that’s low commitment and really simple. If you’re overwhelmed, adding a huge task isn’t going to help. Because I practice daily reflection almost daily, I’m not perfect, I know that it doesn’t take long and it’s not a huge task.
And when it comes to this time of year, toward the end of the calendar year, it’s not the time to make huge changes or to do deep inventories. To navigate overwhelm when you need something that is incredibly surprisingly achievable. That’s why reflection, daily reflection helps.
So this particular daily reflection is just that. It’s really simple, takes about five minutes and it invites you to find one small thing that you can change.
CORAL OWEN That does seem pretty approachable. There is a part of me saying immediately like, “Well, if it’s that simple, how is it actually helpful?” So what would you say in response to that?
JESSICA BECKENDORF Yeah, I do think that sometimes practices like this can feel overly simple, and, “It’s only a few minutes so I can skip it today.”
Hence, even my own admission that I practice daily reflection almost daily. So it does seem overly simple for such a big issue and for something that can create such a big change.
I understand why someone might think it wouldn’t be helpful. The power really in this practice is doing it daily. By making it simple, we make it easier to do every day. So consistency, because consistency is the key for this practice to have big impacts, if you do it once, but never again, you won’t get the same impact as doing it daily or even weekly.
And by doing it regularly, then you can start to see patterns. You can test possible next steps. You know, we can test different things, and maybe immediately start to see impacts of some of those small changes that you implement.
It’s kind of like that, how a bunch of tiny steps can build up into a big momentum over time. Baby steps, think, used to be the term that we would all use, ‘baby steps.’
CORAL OWEN Mm-hmm. Well, while you were unpacking all of that, I immediately just thought of brushing your teeth.
JESSICA BECKENDORF Yes, right! A small daily practice that has big impact on your health.
CORAL OWEN 100%. So this is yeah, mental. Mental and energetic and calendar health, even. So, and I totally agree that if you’re reflecting over time, it’ll be easier to notice how your choices are impacting your experience. But having just like a very narrow aperture on say a day, you probably won’t see much, but if you expand it outwards a bit more, a couple of months, six months, year, it probably is a huge shift.
JESSICA BECKENDORF Yeah. And the particular questions that’ll be sharing in a little bit, I think, are especially helpful for taking that larger look over time. And I think you’ll see, you’ll see why in a little bit.
But yeah, exactly. Long-term doing regular reflection kind of gives you those opportunities to have agency and ownership over your own growth. And you know, when you notice what is going on during your days and you have the opportunity to decide what changes you want to make.
I think it’s especially helpful in situations where a lot of what you do is dictated by others. Or I would say a lot of what you do sometimes feels like it might be dictated by others, right? I talked about trying to claim time ahead of time before my schedule gets crazy.
Well, guess who allows my schedule to get crazy? It’s really me. I mean, that’s not always the case, I know that, but sometimes it is a very real situation where your schedule is dictated by others. And sometimes it’s a little more of a self-created situation or a perceived situation.
Anyway, regardless of what it is, if you feel stuck or trapped, it can feel impossible to figure out next steps. And so this reflection can help highlight what changes you’re able to make. And while it isn’t going to magically get rid of the hard things in your life, it can help you proactively decide how you want to navigate them. And making these deliberate choices can be really empowering.
CORAL OWEN I love that and it really does sound great. How does one go about implementing this and how does it work?
JESSICA BECKENDORF All right, so this reflection is designed for the end of the day. I recommend scheduling just five minutes every day for at least a week.
Maybe that looks like the end of your workday on your commute home, or while you brush and floss your teeth. Although if you’re doing it while you brush and floss your teeth, it’ll be harder for you to write down your thoughts, but that’s okay. Whatever space you have for pausing to think is absolutely the correct space.
Once you reach your reflection, time and space, ask yourself these three questions. And I’ll go into a little more detail in a second here. But the three questions are, what was energy generating today? What was energy draining today? And, is there anything I want to do differently tomorrow?
You might help find it really helpful to jot down a few notes each day to help keep track of what you’re seeing over time. But I would avoid writing more than a short list or one to two sentences per question. It is absolutely imperative that we keep it simple or we’re not going to keep doing this.
You can, if you like, especially if you’ve chosen brushing your teeth as the time that you’re going to, that you’re going to reflect, you can just reflect on these questions and not write them down. The reason we recommend writing them down is because our memories are, at best, inconsistent. So in order to see patterns and reap those larger results we were talking about, just quickly jotting a few thoughts down will be key. And it doesn’t really take much more time than just sitting and reflecting.
CORAL OWEN Those are great questions and I’m just curious, not to put you on the spot, but what might it look like to answer them?
JESSICA BECKENDORF Yeah. Okay. Great. Put me on the spot, won’t you?
No, of course I came prepared to answer this question. So one general tip is to do your best to approach your answers with curiosity rather than judgment. The first time you do the reflection, the questions might be hard to answer, but if you keep answering them consistently, you’re going to start to look for your answers throughout the day. You’re going to start to notice things more easily. And the reflection itself is going to go more quickly.
So here’s a few tips on each of those three questions. So first, what was energy generating today? When you’re overwhelmed, it’s easy to miss the good stuff, but it’s really important to notice what is going well. And this is what will help sustain you throughout the busy seasons.
Your answers can be something small like, ‘trading a genuine smile with a stranger at a grocery store,” or something really big like, ‘finishing a month’s or year’s long project.’
Just try to be specific and honest with yourself about what actually gave you energy. And I think a caveat here is sometimes we might give an answer because we think it should be something that gives us energy. Like I’m going to just use like, spending time with our kids.
I don’t have children, and I’ve said that on here before, but I think sometimes saying something like, “spending time with our kids, or, ‘finishing that months long project,’ like we might say something like that because we think it should give us energy, but I just really want you to reflect on, was that something that gave you energy? Was that something that just was a lovely release, but maybe didn’t give you energy? Does that make sense, Coral?
CORAL OWEN Yeah, that totally does make sense.
JESSICA BECKENDORF Okay, great. I want to make sure, because I do this kind of practice a lot and I just want people to make sure that they are able to check in really on something that gave them energy versus was just a release.
And if you can’t come up with a single thing that was energy generating, that’s okay. Just make note of it and move on. So that was what was energy generating today. Now here’s some tips for what was energy draining today.
I think it’s often easier for us to recognize this one. So this is another question where I encourage you to be specific and honest with yourself. If your instinct is to say “everything,” that’s actually, well it’s not being specific for sure. And it’s possibly not being honest with yourself. I think it’s sometimes easier for us to recognize that we felt bad versus recognize why we felt bad today, right. Or why that was energy draining in this specific case.
So try coming up with a list of one to three specific things, big or small, that drained your energy, right? So doing anything with financials drains my energy. I know that. I’ve identified it over the years. If I had to do a whole bunch of travel expense reimbursements or anything to do with finances, I know that that day, I’m going to be able to list that very specifically. ‘I had to deal with finances.’
And again, if you can’t think of a single thing that was energy draining, that’s okay. Just ask yourself, what was overwhelming for me today instead? And still, if you can’t find an answer to that, that’s okay. Just note that there was nothing energy draining today.
If you find the same thing coming up from day to day, get curious about it. What about this thing is draining? How can you shift things in your favor, and who or what can support you?
In the case of my issue with dealing with financial tasks, for me, what’s draining about it is the sheer level of detail and rules involved and process. You know, you have to do this before you do that, and you have to explain this to a great level of detail. And it’s just a lot happening.
And one of the things that helped me shift things in my favor was getting to know, believe it or not, getting to know what some of those rules were so that I could do it flawlessly each time I did it. Now it still doesn’t take away the fact that I dislike doing it and that it drains my energy, but it helps me get through it faster and easier than before. So that’s an example of how that can work.
So those were some tips for what was energy draining today. Now the last question is, is there anything I want to do differently tomorrow? And this is the question where we try to hone in on converting the energy-draining activities into more neutral activities.
Like I said, with my financial tasks, I was able to turn something that was super energy draining into more of the neutral space. It still is energy draining, but it’s less energy draining than it was before. So this is about turning those activities into more neutral activities, or adding more energy generating activities into our day.
So something might immediately pop up for you when you think about this question, but sometimes the energy draining things aren’t something we can get rid of, right? I have to do those financial tasks, right? I can’t get rid of those. So if that’s the case, just try asking yourself, how can I make this easier or kinder for myself?
Those were tips for the third question, “Is there anything I want to do differently tomorrow?” You might find it helpful to jot down a few notes each day to help you track what you’re seeing over time. We’ve said that a couple of times. I do think that that is a really helpful way of getting that wider view, but we really want to keep it simple.
So don’t do any more, as a reminder, any more than one to two sentences per question. If you notice something specific keeps popping up as energizing, try to do that more. And then of course, if you notice something that keeps draining your energy, and nothing you’ve tried makes a difference, that’s a sign that you might want to ask someone you trust for help thinking through how to shake things up. Or maybe you don’t need to ask somebody for that. You can just think of other ideas for taking things up.
CORAL OWEN Delegate it!
JESSICA BECKENDORF (16:36.142)
Or if you can delegate, then by all means delegate.
CORAL OWEN I say this as I’m teaching my three year old how to load the dryer. Anyway, that was all in jest.
No, seriously, Jess, thank you so much for doing a deeper dive into those questions. Those were wonderful tips that provided a lot of clarity. My tendency would be to hear those questions or read those questions and think through it more high level, but getting so granular as to the point of ‘a genuine smile from a stranger at a grocery store,’ those micro moments sometimes really can be a lot more impactful than I think we might give them credit for, for better or for worse.
So, yeah, doing that deep dive was really helpful. So thank you so much for this reflection. And yeah, it kind of feels like maybe like a closing ceremony to your day, and just really wraps things up nicely and just with a little bit of, not formality, but just a little bit of a ritual, helping you pivot to that next activity, whatever it is you’re you’re doing from there.
JESSICA BECKENDORF Yeah and you know part of the purpose of that final question is that it can set you up with momentum already for the next day.
CORAL OWEN (17:49.654)
Oh that’s such a good point.
JESSICA BECKENDORF Right? Yeah so if decision fatigue is one of the things you struggle with while you’re feeling overwhelmed, that third question is going to help you get started with your next day.
CORAL OWEN (18:00.184)
That’s a really wonderful point and I love that so much.
All right. Well, that is all for this episode. Thank you all so much for joining us and a special thanks to our co-producer, Erin Carlson Rivera, for producing this episode.
As always, if you enjoyed this or any of our episodes, please be sure to click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend or a colleague. We will be back next week with a new episode and until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

Building Bridges: Helping Children Connect Across Differences
2025-11-05 11:00 - 12:30
This insightful webinar focuses on fostering inclusive environments for neurodiverse students and struggling learners in grades K-5. Learn practical strategies for helping neurodiverse children build meaningful friendships and ways to guide their peers in understanding and connecting with them. This session will provide valuable techniques for creating supportive group dynamics and enhancing empathy among all children.
Learning Objectives:

Identify and implement at least three practical strategies for guiding K-5 neurodiverse students in developing meaningful friendships and fostering positive peer interactions
Articulate effective methods for educating neurotypical peers on understanding and connecting with neurodiverse children, promoting empathy and inclusion in the classroom and other group settings
Design and facilitate supportive group dynamics that enhance social-emotional learning and collaboration among all children, recognizing and valuing diverse cognitive profiles within peer relationships

Lori Erbrederis Meyer is an Associate Professor who teaches Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education courses in the Special Education program at the University of Vermont. As a publicly engaged interdisciplinary researcher, Dr. Meyer’s scholarship focuses on young children’s physical development, disparities in developmental screening, and equitable early childhood policies and practices for inclusion. A key aspect of her collaborative work is developing policy and practice solutions that are co-created by and through the active involvement of diverse families and community members. Dr. Meyer aims to improve early childhood outcomes and remove structural and systemic barriers that create disparities for marginalized young children and their families.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/5/2027.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/5/2028.
Michigan Certified Teachers: This webinar is approved for 1.5 SCECH from the Michigan Education Association’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/5/2028.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 11/5/2028.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Slides
Additional Resources Photo Credit: iStock – 477988890 This series highlights the broad spectrum of neurodiversity, emphasizing a range of cognitive variations, such as ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, and more. Discover the Uniquely Wired series today.

Unlocking Global Talent: Supporting Foreign-Born & OCONUS Military Spouse Employment
2025-10-30 11:00 - 12:00
Military spouses bring global talent, diverse skill sets, and unmatched resilience to the workforce. However, for those born abroad and navigating life stateside or stationed outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS), the path to employment is often steep and isolating. In this session, Lydiah Owiti, foreign-born spouse, legal and international development professional, and founder of the Foreign-Born Military Spouse Network, will guide us through the unique challenges and opportunities faced by these two often-overlooked cohorts. Participants will explore and understand how to provide informed and tailored programs and resources that help spouses navigate challenges such as host-nation work permits, credential recognition, language barriers, and more. Attendees will walk away with actionable strategies to engage employers and strengthen community partnerships. They will also learn how to support foreign-born and OCONUS spouses in building meaningful, sustainable careers, no matter where they’re from or where they’re stationed.
Learning Objectives:

Differentiate the key employment challenges faced by OCONUS spouses versus foreign-born spouses residing in the U.S., including legal, cultural, and credentialing barriers.
Design targeted career support interventions, such as credential translation guidance, bilingual résumé clinics, or host-nation job search strategies to meet these needs.
Leverage existing community resources (e.g., Military OneSource, state licensing boards, nonprofit peer networks) to reduce employment gaps and isolation.
Engage and educate employers on the unique value of military spouse talent, including the benefits of hiring foreign-trained or internationally experienced professionals.

Lydiah is a Kenyan-born lawyer, project management and international development consultant, and the Founder & CEO of the Foreign-Born Military Spouse Network (FMSN). As a foreign-born military spouse herself, she brings a unique blend of lived experience and policy expertise to her work. Through FMSN, she leads efforts in outreach, advocacy, and empowerment—championing inclusive employment solutions and tailored resources for foreign-born military spouses.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 30, 2027.
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) clock hour from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 30, 2026.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 30, 2028.
Human Resource Professionals: This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close July 31, 2026.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 30, 2027.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Slides (PDF)
Additional Resources Photo Credit: Viktor | Adobe Stock 1348462610

Planting Seeds: 3 Minute Connections That Transform Your Relationships
2025-10-30 06:30 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xODA3Mjk3MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTgwNzI5NzMtcGxhbnRpbmctc2VlZHMtMy1taW51dGUtY29ubmVjdGlvbnMtdGhhdC10cmFuc2Zvcm0teW91ci1yZWxhdGlvbnNoaXBzLmpzJTNGY29udGFpbmVyX2lkJTNEYnV6enNwcm91dC1wbGF5ZXItMTgwNzI5NzMlMjZwbGF5ZXIlM0RzbWFsbCUyMiUyMHR5cGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0JTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdCUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ== (Season 6, Episode 44)
What if three minutes a day could transform your relationships- and your whole sense of connection?
Discover how tiny, intentional gestures can spark big ripples across your community.
In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast, Jessica and Coral spotlight the overlooked power of small, intentional outreach. Inspired by the “3-Minute Rule,” they explore how three minutes a day spent reaching out – with no agenda -can strengthen bonds, expand networks, and boost both appreciation and purpose.
Listeners get actionable steps to make this practice stick, hear about the ripple effects of genuine connections, and find out how consistency in small gestures leads to a thriving community – both personally and professionally.
Bonus: Try the “3 for 3” connection habit!

For the next five days, spend three minutes each day reaching out to three people: send a quick thank you, a simple check-in, or let someone know you’re thinking of them (no agenda, no ask).
Share your favorite message (anonymized if needed), or a reflection on how this small habit affected you, in our LinkedIn group.

Let’s plant connection seeds together and inspire others to keep the ripple going!
Links

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org

JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hi, thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica, and today Coral will share a practice with us about something that might sound small, but it can have an incredible ripple effect. The simple act of reaching out. We’ll explore how a few intentional minutes each day can strengthen our relationships, our communities, and even our sense of purpose.
Hi Coral. How are you?
CORAL OWEN: Hey Jessica. I’m doing really well, thanks. I absolutely love this topic because it reminds me that connection doesn’t always have to be a big, time-consuming effort. It can kind of feel that way sometimes, but often, it’s really the smallest gestures that can create some of the deepest impact. Simply a text, a quick check-in, or just a short note that says, “Hey, just thinking about you.” Doesn’t have to be huge or massive to make a massive impact.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, absolutely. You don’t have to like stand outside their window holding a [00:01:00] boombox above your head. I know it’s a different kind of a declaration, but anyway, and I really think that so many of us want to be better about that. We mean to reach out to people. I mean, I know I do all the time. I think about people I want to reach out to. We mean to reach out to people that we care about or to follow up after a really good conversation. I mean, hello conferences.
But it’s really easy for that intention to get lost in the day-to-day busyness.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, absolutely. I think a lot of us, I’m actually totally speaking for myself here, you know, thinking about connection. It’s like, “Oh, I need to call so and so,” and it’s just like trying to find the time and space to do that big catch up, it can feel really intimidating. And what we’re going to talk about today is really a way to build that habit into your life in a very simple, approachable, doable way.
And it only takes but a few minutes to help you stay genuinely connected.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, let’s talk about it before we get into the actual practice [00:02:00] itself. Why does this matter?
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, so when we talk about practicing connection, we’re often thinking about how to build and strengthen relationships over time with our colleagues, friends, family, community members. But the catch is the connection. It doesn’t just happen, right? It takes intention, even when that action itself is quite small.
And so I like to think of it as, aptly named: practice for today, as well as planting seeds. So you might not see anything grow straight away. But each little outreach, each little moment of care or gratitude, it really does have the potential to bloom in unexpected ways.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. And that, I mean, I know that the term ‘planting seeds’ gets used for a lot of things, but it really is such a beautiful image and in this case, it really takes the pressure off. You’re not reaching out with an agenda or expecting something back from the person. You’re just tending to your relationships in small but consistent ways.
CORAL OWEN: Exactly. And, this idea really [00:03:00] has been wonderfully captured. If you’re familiar with the entrepreneur, Jesse Itzler, he shares this practice in a very similar vein. He calls it the Three Minute Rule and, put simply, it’s the practice. That did inspire today’s episode in the large part. But the idea is simply to spend three minutes a day, and you can certainly modify this too, to suit your own daily timeline.
But as a core practice, we invite you to just spend three minutes a day reaching out to three people. And the anchor here though is that there’s no ask, no goal. It’s just a moment of connection. And whether it be a text or a quick note or a voice memo, which I’m a huge fan of, bit by bit, these really tiny, small gestures, or seeds, if you will, they build a powerful network of really genuine relationships.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, I love that. It’s really practical, but it’s also heart centered, right? And it’s something you could even say human centered.
CORAL OWEN: I love that.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: And it’s something that we can all do, you know, no matter how full our [00:04:00] schedules are.
CORAL OWEN: Exactly. Alright, so let’s just cut to the chase, and here is how to try it each day. Take three minutes. You can even literally set a timer if that is helpful, and reach out to three people. It could look like sending a quick thank you to a colleague, writing a text to a friend you haven’t talked to in a while, writing a short message or sending a quick voice memo to someone who has made an impact on your life.
And again, just to reiterate, the key here is there’s no ask, there’s no agenda. It’s just connection. And you could even say, “Hey, so and so, no need to reply. I just wanted to let you know X, Y, and Z.” It can be as simple as that, and you know, truly, it doesn’t have to be perfect or profound. It’s just this simple, straightforward note of just thinking of you sharing that small sentiment that can make someone’s day, and just help keep that relationship alive.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, and the [00:05:00] great thing about this is it’s small enough to actually do. You know, we all have three minutes somewhere in our day, even though it sometimes doesn’t feel like it. So like between meetings while the coffee’s brewing, you know, before we log off for the day. and I think you and I talked a little bit about this beforehand, that we can also make this about one person, right?
We could, you could even just reach out to one person. You don’t have to make it three. It doesn’t have to be perfect like you said.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, absolutely. I’m thinking the car line school pickup. There’s lots of places that we can, you know, while we’re in the midst of waiting, not to fill space with more things, but I think intentional things that we can slot into those waiting spaces can really add up. And really, the key here is doing it consistently.
It becomes part of your rhythm. And whether it’s three people a day or one person a day, kind of the cool math here is that if you do the three people a day, it adds up to over a thousand [00:06:00] connections and touch points for that year. And you know, not every one of those will lead to something big, but together collectively, it forms a web of trust and generosity that strengthens both your personal and your professional relationships.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. And it’s not just about the other person, right? So reaching out like this keeps you in a mindset of appreciation. I would say it reminds you that connection is everywhere, and it takes just that small little spark to keep it alive. And the more you’re reminding yourself that this is something that’s really important to do, the more you’re going to notice those moments that you can write about, or that you can reach out to a person about.
CORAL OWEN: I think that’s such a really, that’s a beautiful reflection too, and that is the beauty of it. You’re not just building your network. You’re building your capacity for gratitude, for empathy, for presence and just absolute generosity in showing up for, yeah, for the people that you are connected with.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: So that’s the practice for this episode. Planting [00:07:00] seeds, the three minute connection practice. Every day, set aside three minutes to reach out to three people. No agenda, just appreciation and connection. You can even tell them, “No need to get back to me.”
CORAL OWEN: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And just as a fun bonus, if you would like to take this a little bit of a step further and really set the habit, we’ve created a fun, bonus 30 x 3 challenge. It’s a 30 day tracker to help you get and then keep this habit going.
And it’s just a fun way to visualize the connections that you’re building, and sort of see your “Garden of Outreach” grow over the month. And we’re going to link a printable version in the show notes for your reference.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Thanks so much for joining us for this episode of Practicing Connection. If you found it helpful, share with a friend or colleague who might enjoy a simple way to nurture their relationships.
We’ll be back next week with another practice. Until then, keep practicing. [00:08:00]
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

From Clicks to Consequences: Understanding Youth Online Sexual Behavior
2025-10-23 11:00 - 12:30
Electronic and online sexual behavior has become increasingly more critical to understand and address in children and adolescents. Our society’s reliance on and 24-hour access to social networking and media means that children are regularly exposed to mature content and sexual themes. In response, clinicians working with children and adolescents, ages 8-18, need to feel equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to address these issues alongside caregivers. This means understanding not only how youth interact and engage with online media, but also how youth perceive their interactions.
This didactic presentation explores the pathways by which youth encounter sexual media online and the subsequent effects on their social and emotional health. Considerations for military-connected youth experiences will be included. The presenters also introduce various therapeutic techniques to address online problematic sexual behavior and empower clinicians to address this topic in their work with children and families.
Learning Objectives:

Increase awareness around youth-frequented, accessible pathways to online sexually explicit media
Understand how online sexual content impacts the social and emotional health of military-connected youth
Learn techniques to effectively intervene in online problematic sexual behavior

Nikki Croteau-Johnson, MA, LPA, is a psychologist with over 24 years of clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and their families in outpatient and forensic settings. She has specialty training in several evidence-based treatments and is a trainer-in-training for PSB-CBT™ through the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth. She is the Clinical Director for the Problematic Sexual Behavior Program for Children and Adolescents at the North Carolina Child Treatment Program, where, in addition to providing direct clinical services, she oversees the implementation of a statewide PSB program. Curtis Brownlee, MS, LCMHC-S, is a licensed mental health therapist with over 17 years of clinical experience. Curtis maintains a robust private practice and provides supervision to newly licensed clinicians. He is passionate about evidence-based treatments, and is trained in TF-CBT, CPT, and is a trainer-in-training for PSB-CBT™ through the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 23, 2027.
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 23, 2027.
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close: October 23, 2026.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 23, 2028.
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 23, 2027.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 23, 2028.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Slides Handout
Additional Resources Photo Credit: Adobe Stock by Halfpoint

This webinar is part of the Sexual Behavior in Children & Youth (SBCY) Series. For more information on other professional development opportunities on this topic, visit the series homepage!
SBCY Series – Homepage

Cultivating an Engaged Attitude
2025-10-23 06:00 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xODAyNDgzNCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTgwMjQ4MzQtY3VsdGl2YXRpbmctYW4tZW5nYWdlZC1hdHRpdHVkZS5qcyUzRmNvbnRhaW5lcl9pZCUzRGJ1enpzcHJvdXQtcGxheWVyLTE4MDI0ODM0JTI2cGxheWVyJTNEc21hbGwlMjIlMjB0eXBlJTNEJTIydGV4dCUyRmphdmFzY3JpcHQlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0U= (Season 6, Episode 43)
How do teams build real momentum and commitment together?
Discover how small shifts – like rotating leadership and showing authentic presence – can spark engagement and creativity in group projects.
In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast, Coral and Jessica take a real-life approach to cultivating an engaged attitude – essential for building commitment and making group projects thrive.
They explore the power of rotating ownership in meetings, why engagement ebbs and flows for everyone, and how showing up – whether as a leader or a supporter – fuels stronger teams.
Jessica shares practical strategies to move beyond autopilot, including rotating facilitation, intentional participation, and appreciation.
Together, they reveal how engagement is built day by day, with honest effort, small shifts, and shared leadership.
Links

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org

CORAL OWEN: [00:00:00] Hey there. Welcome to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Coral. Today we’ll be talking about cultivating an engaged attitude. It’s a key to building commitment and advancing group projects, and Jessica is going to be sharing a practice with us.
Jessica, how’s your week going?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hey Coral. I’m doing pretty well this week. You know, as I started to think about this topic, I realized that most of the time I stay on track and maintain good momentum. Kind of chugging along.
But like anyone, there are times when I just don’t feel as engaged, or I get distracted or I notice that I am participating mostly because it’s what’s expected in that moment.
I have a feeling that those moments happen for a lot of people, maybe everyone. And it’s just kind of part of the normal rhythm of work. But I’ve been thinking about it quite a lot this week as I’ve been preparing for this.
CORAL OWEN: I really, as always, appreciate you [00:01:00] sharing that. I think everyone cycles between, you know, various levels of focus and autopilot, and it actually really makes me appreciate those moments when something shifts, either for myself or someone else, and suddenly we’re all a little bit more invested again.
Right? So maybe this is actually kind of one of the more honest ways to begin this conversation about engaged attitudes today.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: By not claiming that we’re engaged all the time.
CORAL OWEN: All the time.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: No. Exactly. I think that part of cultivating an engaged attitude means noticing those moments and kind of getting a little curious about what helps us reconnect, or even just admitting that, “Today I’m here because I should be,” which I know we just talked about this, right.
Don’t do things just because you should. But just showing up is okay sometimes, especially if you notice that like, “You know what, today I’m just showing up.” So sometimes starting there is the most authentic choice we can make.
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. And as [00:02:00] always, we do love to extend the invite to you all our listeners to let us know what’s inspiring you. So you can always drop us a note via email at Practicing connection@oneop.org, we do see and respond to every message, and we can’t wait to hear from you this week.
– break –
All right. That honesty gives us such a great starting point for today’s conversation. Jess, let’s learn a little bit more about cultivating an engaged attitude, and can you tell us a little bit more about the practice you’re gonna be sharing today, and why you chose it specifically?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, of course. I really wanted to focus on rotating ownership today. Rotating roles more specifically in meetings rather than just kind of asking everyone to be engaged, and giving tips on how to do that. Although I do have a few tips on that because I’ve noticed that when the groups I’ve worked with switch up who takes the lead, so whether that’s running a meeting, guiding a [00:03:00] discussion, sharing observations and feedback, running different parts of a project, it’s a really small but powerful way to get everyone involved at different times.
And so teams with shared leadership roles can see more commitment and more creativity and stronger group bonds because the work isn’t just falling on a few people.
You know, it kind of gives each person a real stake in the group’s progress. And as I’ve noticed myself sometimes, stepping up or supporting someone else as they step up, which I think is really important sometimes ,just stepping up or supporting someone is exactly what helps you move out of autopilot and kind of back into engagement.
And like we talked about in the opening, there are days when you’re not leading and it would be easy to tune out. But in those moments, engagement might mean, well, it might mean showing up, right? We have those days, but it might mean also [00:04:00] paying closer attention. Asking a question, giving genuine shout out to someone who’s trying something new, or just supporting the person taking on a leadership role by trusting their process and participating fully in it.
So rotating ownership I think can help everyone reconnect, whether you’re upfront or in a support role.
CORAL OWEN: I love this idea of this practice. So how to actually go about it. Jess, could you walk us through how a team might try this?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, absolutely. So, this is two steps with a third optional step. The first step is to actually rotate leadership. So you could rotate leadership for parts of a project, for meetings, or even for individual meeting agenda items or roles. But let’s focus on a standing meeting. The easiest way to do this is to set up a schedule and rotate the meeting facilitation, even if it’s just for a 15 minute standing meeting.
The meeting facilitator’s job is going to be to ensure [00:05:00] that you connect to the meeting’s purpose and guide the agenda. Basically, the meeting facilitator would engage fully with the why and the how of the meeting. Even if all you do is rotate who the meeting facilitator is for your meetings, it has the potential of having really big benefits.
And a couple of tips: if it’s your turn to be the leader, you might consider preparing a discussion point, a reflection prompt, or just simply checking in with the group on something meaningful. Or, you might consider asking for feedback. Inviting the quiet voices, right? That’s a tip for facilitation.
If there’s always one or two people who are speaking up, make sure those who aren’t speaking up as much have some space too, and make sure to model openness so you could ask others and you could share yourself. “What are your hopes about this project?’ Or, “What could make our work together smoother?”
Okay. Step one is really just the rotating leadership. Step two,. [00:06:00] if it’s not your turn to be the leader, you’re going to practice presence. If you aren’t leading or facilitating, you still have ownership over your presence. Again, sometimes we recognize sometimes just showing up is all you can give that day.
But most of the time you’re going to be able to challenge yourself to bring two unique things. First, maybe a question or reflection. So this means asking an honest question, sharing maybe a brief observation or appreciation presenting a creative solution or voicing a hope for the team’s process, even if it’s really tiny.
And then the second thing that you could challenge yourself to bring is genuine appreciation, right? So this means that you could actively watch and listen for opportunities to celebrate wins, or share appreciation for something a team member did or said during the meeting or in their recent work.
And if you’re stuck on that, if you’re like, “I didn’t hear anything,” you could start by [00:07:00] acknowledging the person leading, right? So, “Thanks for guiding us through this,” or, you know, “I like the angle that you’re bringing,” or, “I enjoyed the way you facilitated the reflection.” Whatever that is, that’s where you could start.
So, challenge yourself to either ask a question or a reflection, and share a genuine appreciation, or do both of those things for a bonus. So this step is really about pushing yourself gently to kind of move from passive to present. Sometimes all it takes is a thoughtful comment or a gesture of support to be engaged, and what those two things are doing, the rotating of the facilitation role in a meeting and the others who are not facilitating or leading the meeting making a point to be engaged in one of those two ways. It’s really helping to build a culture, a team, or a group culture that is engaged.
Okay, step three is the optional step. I think it could be really powerful [00:08:00] if you choose to do this, but I know that not all teams like this would not be something that you would have the time to do always. But if you can do it, I think it would be awesome.
So at the end of the meeting, take a moment or think through this yourself. How did it feel to lead or to intentionally support the leader? You guys can discuss this, or you could just think about that. “So how did it feel to lead or to intentionally support the leader?” Did rotating roles nudge you out of autopilot even briefly, and maybe what new perspectives or creative ideas surface? Did anyone seem more present?
It’s okay if engagement doesn’t look or feel dramatic, just being a little more present, a little more open can bring momentum over time.
CORAL OWEN: I just love this, Jess, and it really is so flexible depending on what sort of structure and culture your team has. [00:09:00] There’s something that I think every person can take away from this. And it also reminds me of what you shared at the top of today’s episode about sometimes just chugging along until you’re pulled into action.
The rotating roles and even just the act of noticing and participation. It just means everyone has moments to be seen. Step up, even if it looks different each time.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, and you know, because it looks a little different every time, some really rich discussions and ideas can come out of it that maybe wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
CORAL OWEN: 100%. So first off, I do want to say just thank you so much for sharing today’s practice, and we want to thank all our listeners for joining us for today’s episode as well. If you did enjoy today’s episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend or a colleague.
Be sure to tune back in next week. We’ll have a new episode and a new practice for you. And until then, you know what it is – keep practicing.
[00:10:00]
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

Military Children's Family Relationships
2025-10-21 11:00 - 12:30
The well-being of military children depends heavily on the quality of their relationships with their parents and siblings. This presentation will focus on evidence about the role of military service in shaping children’s family relationships, how those relationships connect to their well-being and adjustment, and how practitioners can use this evidence to support military families.
Learning Objectives:

Understand the history of military policies and their influence on the characteristics of the service force and military families.

Identify the demographics of children in military families.

Understand the challenges and resilience that children in military families demonstrate.

Identify how deployments shape children’s adjustment directly and indirectly through the family environment.

Shelley M. MacDermid Wadsworth is a Distinguished Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University, where she directs the Military Family Research Institute, which she co-founded, and serves as Director Emerita of the Center for Families. Dr. MacDermid Wadsworth holds an M.B.A. in Management and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Human Development and Family Studies from The Pennsylvania State University. Her primary research interest is the relationship between work conditions and family life, with special focus on military families. She is an author of over 140 articles and chapters. Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health; the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Agriculture; state governments; and numerous private philanthropies. She has served on federal advisory committees for the National Academies of Science and the Department of Defense, and has testified in Congress on multiple occasions regarding military and veteran families. Dr. MacDermid Wadsworth is a recipient of the Morrill Award, Purdue University’s highest faculty honor, for outstanding career achievements that have had an impact on society. She is a fellow of the National Council on Family Relations, from which she also received the Felix Berardo Scholarship Award for Mentoring (2018) and the Burgess Award for continuous and meritorious contributions to theory and research in the family field (2022). She has been named a “Top Ten Extraordinary Contributor” and in 2024 received a lifetime achievement award for contributions to work-family research worldwide. Shawn D. Whiteman is the Interim Dean of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University. He received his B.A. (Shippensburg University) and M.A. (Wake Forest University) degrees in Psychology and his Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies (The Pennsylvania State University). After spending the first 11 years of his career in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University, he joined the faculty in HDFS at Utah State University in 2016. Broadly, Shawn conducts research on the connections between family socialization processes and youth’s health and socioemotional adjustment. He is specifically interested in how siblings directly and indirectly act as sources of social influence and social comparison within families and how their family experiences foster similarities and differences in their relationship qualities, attributes, and health-related behaviors. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and Department of Defense. Leanne K. Knobloch (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin – Madison) is a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois and co-chair of the Science Advisory Board of the Military Child Education Coalition. Her research examines how military families communicate across the deployment cycle. Her scholarship has been honored by the Golden Anniversary Monograph Award from the National Communication Association and the Biennial Article Award from the International Association for Relationship Research. Her research on military and Veteran families has been funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Institute (PCORI). She was recently named a University Scholar, which is the highest honor bestowed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign recognizing outstanding research, teaching, and public engagement. She is a fellow of both the International Association for Relationship Research and the International Communication Association.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 10/21/2027.
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 10/21/2027.
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 10/21/2027.
Early Interventionists and Early Childhood Educators: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the Early Intervention Training Program (EITP) at the University of Illinois. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 06/30/2026.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 10/21/2027.
Human Resource Professionals (SHRM): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 10/21/2026.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 10/21/2028.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Resources Photo Credit:

Shifting from “Should” to “Get To” for Renewed Energy at Work
2025-10-16 06:00 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzk5NTQzOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTc5OTU0Mzgtc2hpZnRpbmctZnJvbS1zaG91bGQtdG8tZ2V0LXRvLWZvci1yZW5ld2VkLWVuZXJneS1hdC13b3JrLmpzJTNGY29udGFpbmVyX2lkJTNEYnV6enNwcm91dC1wbGF5ZXItMTc5OTU0MzglMjZwbGF5ZXIlM0RzbWFsbCUyMiUyMHR5cGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0JTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdCUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ== (Season 6, Episode 42)
What powers you at work: pressure or purpose? This episode gives you one simple language hack to turn daily obligations into energizing opportunities.
In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast, Jessica and Coral explore the powerful impact of language on motivation and energy at work.
Building on last episode’s Motivation Mapping, they introduce the “Should-to-Get To” reframe – a simple, real-time habit that helps replace pressure and obligation with purpose and appreciation.
Coral shares practical steps to notice “should” statements, reframe them, and align daily tasks with intrinsic motivators like growth and service.
Listeners can expect:

actionable advice
thoughtful reflection questions, and
real-world examples of how language shapes our experience and energizes our workday.

Links

“Should To-Get To” Worksheet.pdf
Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org

JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hi. Thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica and my co-host Coral is here as well. Today we’re going to be talking about motivation again, and specifically how the language we use can either drain us or energize us. We’re exploring how shifting from “I should” to, “I get to” can change the way we approach our professional roles.
Hey Coral, how are you?
CORAL OWEN: Hey, Jessica. I’m doing really well, thanks. I’m quite excited about this conversation today because it builds on the practice we shared, I think a couple episodes ago, about motivation mapping, and that practice helps us step back and see whether we’re being fueled more by extrinsic motivators like deadlines, or recognition, or intrinsic motivators like purpose, values and things of that nature.
The practice we’re talking about today, it’s like the quick everyday version of that and helps us notice in the moment when we’re running on [00:01:00] shoulds, and shift our energy to the get to’s.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I always like to say, don’t should all over yourself is, well, I love that it sounds like motivation mapping is the reflection piece, and this kind of reframe is the habit that you can carry into your daily life.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, 100%. And it is just a really practical, real-time way to reconnect with that intrinsic motivator, and it’s just something that you can have in your hip pocket to access on the fly when you need it.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. Well, as always, we’d love to hear from our listeners. Drop us a note at Practicing connection@oneop.org and let us know how you’ve caught yourself saying I should, and turned it into, I get to.
– break –
Let’s dig into this should to get to reframe. Coral, can you walk us through what it looks like as a practice?[00:02:00]
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. So even if it sounds a little cliché, the words that we use with ourselves, they truly do matter. And when we say “I should,” or, “I have to,” we’re typically operating out of extrinsic motivation. So external expectations, pressures, obligations, and that language makes these tasks. Or can make these tasks feel heavy and draining.
And when we shift to an, “I want to,” or, “I get to,” we’re reframing the same task in terms of intrinsic motivation. Things like purpose, meaning, or growth. And then suddenly like magic, the task can feel a little bit lighter, intentional, or more connected to our values.
And I do want to say, I don’t want this to come off as like, you know, “Oh, there’s a silver lining in everything,” because there are some really heavy things or just sort of mundane, you know, root things that we move through on a day to day.
But really connecting these back to the benefit and the value and the purpose is really where this practice holds its [00:03:00] power.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. What I’m noticing here, in what you’re saying, is that it’s not about pretending, right? It’s not saying, “I get to,” instead of “I have to.” It’s not about pretending just to move through your day. It actually is about trying to connect it back to something that matters to you.
CORAL OWEN: A hundred percent. A hundred percent yes. Thank you for saying that, Jess.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: So, tell us about the practice. Let’s go through it.
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. So like I said, it’s very simple and straightforward. Step one is identifying your shoulds. A great place to start is your to-do list. So, for instance, if you’re just getting in touch with this practice at the start of your day, you can jot down three tasks that are on your to-do list that you’ve been thinking of as shoulds or have tos.
So for example, “I have to answer these emails,” or, “I really should prepare for this meeting.” From there, step two is reframe these shoulds or have to’s with get to, and you’re going to take each one and rewrite [00:04:00] as I get to, but tie it back. And this is really the crux of this, is you’re gonna tie it back to something meaningful, like one of your key values, for instance, or something you enjoy.
So a reframe of those two examples from step one would be, instead of, “I should answer these emails,” “I get to support people who are counting on me for my input and expertise.” Instead of, “I have to prepare for this meeting,” “I get to help shape decisions and share my expertise and make an impact from there.”
Step three is just notice a shift, however slight it may be. So you want to say that reframe vision out loud again. It doesn’t change the task, but it changes the energy that you’re bringing to it and you’re giving it.
And from there, step four, carry it forward. See if you can use this throughout your day and notice when you may catch yourself saying should or have to.
And you know, just try pausing, reframing and see how that may change your perspective even in the slightest of [00:05:00] angles.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. I really like how simple that is. It makes me think about a time very recently that I had a big deadline for a presentation I was giving. I kept telling myself, “Okay, I have to get this done. I have to get this done. I need to work on this.” And it felt really stressful. If I had kind of reframed it as, “I get to share important information with my colleagues, or, “I get to share about my work with my colleagues because I do a lot of work that my colleagues don’t know about.”
And so, it was really actually an opportunity for me to share what I’m doing with them. I think it would’ve felt more purposeful. And in the end it did feel perfect, right? I delivered it and it felt great. But leading up to that was stressful.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, like when you can find and tap into that deeper purpose in the process of the doing of the thing, when we tend to feel the most stress, rather than just like you’ve arrived at the finish line. And now we’re like seeing the impact and seeing the purpose and connecting in real time [00:06:00] with all of the buildup.
That’s exactly it. That task, that process, it didn’t change, but your relationship to it while you’re still, you know, feeling the deadline and feeling the heat maybe a little bit. That’s the thing that changes.
And this ties right back to what we talked about with the motivation mapping episode from a couple weeks ago, is when you’re stuck in this should orientation or should language, again, we’re relying on these extrinsic factors like the deadline or meeting someone else’s expectation sort of parameters.
And again, yes, it does work in the short term. It keeps things on track, but it can drain us and our energy. And when we shift to the get to, we’re reframing it in the lens and in the orientation of intrinsic motivators like our purpose, our growth, alignment with values. And that is just such a renewable, energetic resource.
And it’s what sustains us when things get hard or feel like a little bit of a slog, and especially or [00:07:00] more long term.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: You know, kind of like what we said earlier, it sounds like the mapping exercise is kind of the bigger picture reflection, and the should to/get to reframe is the micro practice.
CORAL OWEN: Exactly. These truly compliment each other. The mapping can help you see those patterns from a more macro level, and the reframing is really that real time practice that can help you. In a manner of just a couple seconds, stay aligned in the moment and tap back into, you know, what truly is the purpose and the sustaining force behind all of the efforts.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Awesome. Well, I brought along a couple of questions that our listeners can reflect on as they try the practice. The first one is what’s one should that feels heavy in your work right now? It’s a really great place to start. What feels heavy in your work right now that you’re telling yourself you should do?
How could you reframe it into an I get to [00:08:00] that connects with your values? And then finally, when you make that shift, what happens to your energy or your sense of motivation?
CORAL OWEN: I love those questions. Those are so, again, just so straightforward. But can really just even in the span of a few minutes, by pausing on those questions, it can help shift the entire tone of our day.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: That’s the practice for this week. The should to/get to reframe. We’d love to hear what you discover when you try it out. Email us at practicingconnection@oneop.org and share your reflections.
CORAL OWEN: Also, if you would like a worksheet to guide this practice, check out the show notes. We have created a template where you can write your shoulds and reframe them as get to’s.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Awesome. Thanks for joining us today. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app and send it to a friend who might benefit. We’ll be back next week with a new episode.
Until then, keep practicing.
[00:09:00]
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

Nourish to Flourish: Nutrition Strategies for Breast Cancer Survivors
2025-10-14 11:00 - 12:00
Whether you are newly diagnosed with breast cancer, on active treatment or years into survivorship, the food you eat can play a powerful role in your health. This session is designed to help breast cancer survivors feel confident in their food choices and understand how nutrition supports healing, recovery, and long-term wellness. This webinar will offer practical tips for building a balanced, plant-forward plate, managing body weight, staying active, and navigating common questions about soy, dietary supplements, and more. Participants will leave with simple, evidence-based strategies that can be implemented right away—no fad diets or food guilt required.
Learning Objectives:

Describe the impact of diet and lifestyle on breast cancer recurrence and mortality
Identify the key components of a plant-based diet and its benefits in cancer survivorship
Address frequently discussed topics for breast cancer survivors including soy foods and dietary supplements
Identify lifestyle practices that support healthy cancer survivorship

Whitney Warminski, RD, CSO, LD is a Board-Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition. Whitney has more than 10 years of experience in oncology nutrition where the main focus of her work is to help oncology patients maintain and improve their nutrition status during cancer treatment. She works as a clinical dietitian at BSA Harrington Cancer Center, providing nutrition services to patients before, during and after cancer treatment.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close [Expiration: 10/14/27].
Certified Nutrition and Wellness Educator (CNWE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close [Expiration: 10/14/27].
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close [Expiration: 10/14/27].
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close [Expiration: 10/14/27].
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR): This webinar awards 1.0 CPEUs in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s CPEU Prior Approval Program. Expiration: 9/2/2028.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close [Expiration: 10/14/28].

Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close [Expiration: 10/14/27].
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close [Expiration: 10/14/28].
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Slides
New American Plate

Photo Credit: IStock Photo ID: 79116081; Kenishirotie

Counseling Military Families with Eating Challenges
2025-10-09 11:00 - 12:30
Disordered eating is increasingly recognized as a critical mental health issue impacting family members of the military community. Disordered eating can jeopardize both physical and mental well-being. Yet, these conditions often go unscreened and unaddressed. This session examines the role that counselors, social workers, and other health professionals have in supporting military-connected clients exhibiting disordered eating.
Attendees of this session will gain a deeper understanding of factors (both military-specific factors and general factors) contributing to eating disturbances in military families. The webinar also provides practical strategies and resources to identify, address, and support military family members experiencing unhealthy eating patterns.
Learning Objectives:

Define and recognize disordered eating trends amongst military-connected populations
Understand the professional’s role in supporting and treating individuals with disordered eating
Identify benefits and resources available to service providers working with individuals experiencing maladaptive eating behaviors

CPT Farley currently serves as Chief of Food Service at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He has worked with eating disorder patients in some capacity for over 5 years. Before commissioning, he worked at a combined inpatient and outpatient treatment facility (RWJ Hospital Eating Disorder Center, Somerset, NJ), where he gained experience in the treatment of eating disorders from initial diagnosis through sustaining recovery. While in uniform, he has worked specifically as a referral for the Walter Reed behavioral health department for service members and civilians experiencing disordered eating. CPT Guttormson holds an M.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Dietetics. She has focused on mental health and nutrition practices for 10+ years. She continuously seeks ways to intertwine nutrition with mental health. CPT Guttormson completed her dietetics internship at the North Dakota State Psychiatric Hospital, with her work including a focus on how mental health impacts eating behavior. Her current Doctor of Clinical Nutrition (DCN) research focuses on collaborative practices between dietitians and mental health professionals.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 9, 2027.
Certified Nutrition and Wellness Educator (CNWE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 9, 2027.
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 9, 2027.
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 9, 2026.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR): This webinar awards 1.5 CPEUs in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s CPEU Prior Approval Program. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close August 5, 2028.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 9, 2028.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 9, 2027.
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education credits from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close October 9th, 2027.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Slides
Additional Resources Photo Credit: AdobeStock by doraclub, generated with AI

Take Charge: Small Shifts to Grow Your Autonomy
2025-10-09 06:00 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzk2MzgzOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTc5NjM4MzgtdGFrZS1jaGFyZ2Utc21hbGwtc2hpZnRzLXRvLWdyb3cteW91ci1hdXRvbm9teS5qcyUzRmNvbnRhaW5lcl9pZCUzRGJ1enpzcHJvdXQtcGxheWVyLTE3OTYzODM4JTI2cGxheWVyJTNEc21hbGwlMjIlMjB0eXBlJTNEJTIydGV4dCUyRmphdmFzY3JpcHQlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0U= (Season 6, Episode 41)
If you’ve ever wanted more ownership in your work or home life, this episode is for you.
We’ll walk through a quick autonomy audit – a simple way to discover and grow your personal agency, starting today.
In this episode of Practicing Connection, Coral and Jessica dive into what it means to be a “manager of one” – someone who brings autonomy and ownership to even the smallest daily choices.
Through personal stories and research-backed insights, they break down the Autonomy Audit: a practical, step-by-step approach for identifying where you can claim just a bit more agency in work, home, and life.
Listen in to learn why autonomy matters, how to spot opportunities for more control, and ways to experiment with self-management – plus, an easy challenge you can try this week.
Links

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org

CORAL OWEN: [00:00:00] Hey there. Thanks so much for tuning into the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Coral. Today’s episode is all about completing an autonomy audit, which is a powerful tool for becoming what I like to call a “manager of one.”
My cohost, Jessica, is here to guide us. Hey Jess. How are you feeling today?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hi Coral. I’m alright. It’s been one of those weeks though. I made this really optimistic plan, and actually every Monday I start out and I’ll take a look at my calendar, and I’ll block off time. So this week I blocked off time to do the work. I color-coded my calendar because I’m on different projects, and so it’s easy for me to then, at a glance, see how much time I’m spending on each project.
I did all of that. But the universe had some surprises for me: extra meetings that were unexpected, last minute tasks, a couple of tasks that I forgot about that I needed to deal with, and really it just felt [00:01:00] like the universe was conspiring against me.
CORAL OWEN: Oh man, that is so relatable. Yeah. As a toddler mom and just as a general person rolling through life, it’s very relatable. But I appreciate your honest, honest reply for that. Always. Oh man. It totally is like, “Here’s my plan, and then life throws in a plot twister.” But I mean, honestly, just kinda getting back to the root of today’s theme, that’s kind of what being a manager of one is all about, right?
It’s finding those little places where we can take charge and shift and pivot so that things work with us the best that we can, even when it kind of feels a little bit chaotic or even a little bit out of control.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. And it’s funny too because I started out feeling totally in charge, and so those plot twists, while less interesting than some of my favorite television shows, they’re incredibly real [00:02:00] life. So yeah, exactly. That’s, you know, when things get out of control, you can get back to that feeling of at least being a little bit back in control.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, one of my favorite things, kind of on the side, I like to do triathlons and stuff like that. But one of the best pieces of advice that my college coach ever gave me was, he would say, “The plan is written in pencil, not in pen.”
And so that approach, it gives you that approach of like, “Oh, okay, we can, you know, erase some stuff and kind of shift and pivot but be flexible, but still, like the overall progression is still in a forward direction.”
So, yeah. Applicable in all areas of life apparently. And you know, I know that there are people listening to this episode as well that are already probably going, “Oh, yeah. Very relatable.” And we always love to hear what y’all’s strategies are as well.
And so, if there are ways that you practice autonomy, or help get a little bit more of an [00:03:00] ownership feel back in certain places in your life that may feel a little bit out of reach sometimes, we would love to hear about them. You can drop us an email to practicing connection@oneop.org. and we do check and reply to every message. So thanks for sending those our way.
– break –
All right. Before we dive into today’s practice, Jess, can you tell us what inspired you? And I know that you already alluded to this a little bit, but what inspired you to focus on the autonomy audit and how does it relate? And this is kind of a two part question. How does it relate to becoming a manager of one?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I picked this practice because I’m actually most motivated and fulfilled when I have a little bit of freedom. It’s been like this ever since I can remember. So sometimes that means freedom over my schedule. Sometimes it means freedom over how I choose to tackle problem solving, or how I prioritize [00:04:00] tasks when I feel trusted to make choices.
I get a little boost of energy. And that’s kind of what the manager of one mindset is about, recognizing where we can direct our own work, even in small ways. And there’s some good science behind it too. There’s, you know, studies that show that even a little more autonomy increases our motivation, our wellbeing, and our creativity.
The autonomy audit is a really simple tool to notice and expand your agency. So when things get overwhelming, it’s easy to feel boxed in or it’s easy to default to autopilot. But if we can pause and ask like, “Where do I still have some agency?” That’s being a manager of one. Those small moments of ownership can really boost our engagement and satisfaction and help us spring into action.
And modeling this on a team has a ripple effect too, right? It has a [00:05:00] positive effect on everyone around you.
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. I’m just reflecting on scenarios, you know, working in teams and whatnot, and where this has cropped up in just notable instances. And it does have that contagious energy, like in a positive way, and can help give everybody a boost around you. So I can’t wait to dig into this. And so yeah, for the practical bit, can you walk us through step by step how someone might try this?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, definitely. If you’re listening and you want to join in, you can grab a notebook, or open up your notes app or you could just follow along mentally.
So the first step is listing your responsibilities. You might even already have a project list somewhere, but this is about writing down your main responsibilities.
So start with the big picture, like work, home, volunteering or personal projects, but don’t stop there. Under each of those major headings, list out a few specific projects or tasks that you’re currently working on.
For example, in the work [00:06:00] category, maybe you have a client presentation or a regular team meeting and updating a report, right? Maybe you’ve got those three projects.
At home, it might be planning meals, organizing the garage, or helping kids with homework. Breaking it down this way can give you a clearer view of where your autonomy might vary from project to project, and you can also just look at one of these big buckets of responsibilities, right?
You don’t have to write them all down and put projects under each one of them and do this activity with all of those projects. So you can just take a look at one of those big buckets of responsibilities, like only look at your work projects or your home projects for this activity. So list your responsibilities.
CORAL OWEN: That’s such a great point, and I could see how this could easily kind of get overwhelming. And so I would, yeah, just focus on one specific area where you’re maybe feeling a little bit stuck, or low energy. I think it sounds like a great place to start.
[00:07:00] So where does it go from there?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yep. So after you’ve listed some areas of responsibility, then you’re going to go through and rate your autonomy.
So to do that, there’s a set of three questions that you can, if you want to, you can journal on them or you can just do a gut check and think about them.
So the first question is, “How much control do I actually have here?
The next question is, “Am I steering or am I mostly following directions?”
And then the third question is, “Is there an area I wish I had more say or flexibility?”
And after considering those questions, give each responsibility an autonomy rating, high, medium, or low. You don’t have to spend a lot of time on this.
Like I said, you can let your gut be your guide because you can always go back and dig a little [00:08:00] deeper. You’re really looking for how much control you feel like you have right now, so that you can assess whether there are any immediate wins you can get.
And then the third step is, choose a responsibility with a medium or low autonomy. And brainstorm ways that you can get a little bit more influence. So, you could brainstorm a couple of tweaks to boost your sense of ownership for that responsibility. For example, can you propose a new way of doing the task? Can you switch up your routine for one that you would prefer? Or could you take a low risk action on your own instead of waiting for approval?
So pick one tweak and try it this week. I didn’t mean for that to rhyme. Think of it as a micro-experiment afterwards. Then you can notice, did you feel more engaged, energized, or confident?
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, like a little bit of a pilot test. I like that. Jess, do you have [00:09:00] any examples of how you’ve done this in your own personal life?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, I do. So prepping for this episode actually got me thinking about a project where I was stuck and I was waiting for feedback that never came. And it was kind of a sticky situation because our team was trying to move forward on something, and everyone was so busy, right? And I asked for feedback and it was really difficult to get it.
So I actually ended up sketching out my own plan, and then I shared that with my team. It felt really risky because I like to be more collaborative than that, right? And in my head, I was not being collaborative by doing this thing on my own.
But actually, it turned out that it actually got things moving. People had something to react to. They actually appreciated having a starting point. And then they could build on my ideas. And so that’s when I realized that I was actually practicing being a manager of one. So I was [00:10:00] taking that initiative, not waiting for permission and just making the first move.
CORAL OWEN: That’s a great example, and there’s so much to be said for creating your own momentum, it can kind of have like a snowball effect too in a positive direction. I love that example so much. It’s a lot of momentum and confidence, not just for you, but also for your team as well.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, exactly. So here’s our challenge: if you’re listening, try an autonomy audit and take a small intentional step toward becoming a manager of one, and then notice what shifts for you.
Do you have a little more energy or engagement, or maybe a creative spark that kind of came out of nowhere?
Whether it works perfectly or surprises you, or it turns into a learning moment, share your story with us. We’d love to learn from your experience.
CORAL OWEN: Well, this was a great one for sure. And this is a wrap for today’s episode.
Thanks Jess so much for sharing this practice with us, and thank you all for joining our conversation today on [00:11:00] becoming a manager of one.
If you found value in our conversation today, please share this episode with a friend, and we’ll be back next week with something new.
Until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

Motivation Mapping: Leading with Purpose
2025-10-02 08:00 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzkxMjI3MSUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTc5MTIyNzEtbW90aXZhdGlvbi1tYXBwaW5nLWxlYWRpbmctd2l0aC1wdXJwb3NlLmpzJTNGY29udGFpbmVyX2lkJTNEYnV6enNwcm91dC1wbGF5ZXItMTc5MTIyNzElMjZwbGF5ZXIlM0RzbWFsbCUyMiUyMHR5cGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0JTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdCUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ== (Season 6, Episode 40)
When was the last time work truly energized you?
Today, discover how to pinpoint what’s fueling you and learn practical ways to reconnect with your deepest motivators – so your work supports both your goals and your values.
In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast, Jessica and Coral reveal how you can use the Motivation Mapping tool to transform your work from simply meeting deadlines to leading with energized purpose.
Through a reflective, step-by-step practice, you’ll learn how to distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, notice your own balance, and make small shifts that lead to long-term fulfillment and renewed drive.
Whether leading a team or taking on a new project, this process helps transform routine into meaning.
Try Motivation Mapping for a current project:

Grab the Motivation Mapping Worksheet
In one sentence, share an intrinsic motivator that makes the work meaningful to you right now.
Then, post one small action you’ll take to better connect this project to your values this week.

Share your insight with our LinkedIn group—let’s celebrate purposeful leadership and inspire each other with new ideas!
Links

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org

JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hi, thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica,
CORAL OWEN: And I am Coral.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: And today we’re going to be talking about motivations, specifically, how to better understand what fuels us as leaders. And how to align our work with what matters most. Coral, how are you?
CORAL OWEN: Hey, I’m doing great Jess. Thank you. This topic has been on my mind a lot recently, to be quite honest. And so, you know, so often in leadership we hit stretches where we feel drained or disconnected and we wonder why. And sometimes it’s because we’re leaning heavily on external motivators, like deadlines, recognition, pressure, general routine.
And none of these are inherently bad, by the way, just as a side note, but those internal drivers that really sustain us and connect us to the work, they can kind of get lost in the doing of the thing, if you will.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Mm-hmm. Yeah, that really resonates with me. I’ve noticed that when I’m motivated by things like [00:01:00] learning growth or connection, I feel energized even when the work is really challenging. But if I’m only driven by a deadline or not trying to let someone down, I can feel depleted pretty quickly and burned out.
I mean, I know depleted kind of means burned out, but I mean, burned out, like I think a step beyond depleted even.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, exactly. And this is where today’s practice of motivation mapping comes in. It’s a practice that helps us pause and really take a look at the mix of motivators that are in play.
And so, extrinsic, intrinsic, we’ll get into those in just a second. And once we see sort of how everything is comprised, we can make small shifts to reconnect with our work with our values, and strengthen our intrinsic motivation to better sustain our energy.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: All right. This is very intriguing. Coral, can you share a little more about what motivation mapping is and why you selected it?
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. So motivation mapping is a tool for taking [00:02:00] stock of what’s driving you in a given project or area of responsibility. You can think of it like checking the fuel mix in your tank.
Are you running mostly on extrinsic motivators, like external rewards, deadlines, recognition, or are you primarily fueled by intrinsic motivators, things like purpose, growth, alignment, learning, like you said, Jess, that are really, centered with your value sets.
And like we just mentioned, neither type of motivation is inherently better than the other. Extrinsic motivators keep us accountable and on track. But if they’re the only thing driving us, like you already alluded to, Jess, we tend to burn out.
Intrinsic motivators, on the other hand, are renewable. They sustain us through setbacks because the work itself becomes meaningful.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hmm. Yeah, this is fascinating. I remember reading a book a while back where they talked about one extrinsic motivator, which was salary, for example. You know, an external reward for work done.
And one of the things that they mentioned was [00:03:00] that the research shows that when you get to a certain amount, that becomes less of a factor and that you need to focus on internal motivators.
But what I saw happening with that was people grabbing onto the, “Oh, people only need to make this much money, and then we need to do the internal motivators.” And I think that it’s more nuanced than that. And so I’m excited for this activity.
CORAL OWEN: So, yeah, that’s a wonderful example, by the way, Jessica. So here’s how you can try motivation mapping yourself.
Step one. Pick a focus area. So you’re not going to tackle your entire portfolio, okay? Just choose one project, task, or responsibility that you’re working on right now.
For example, it might be leading a new initiative at work, preparing a presentation, bookkeeping, managing a big transition for your team.
Step two, you’re going to list your motivators. You can draw two columns on a page, one for intrinsic and one for extrinsic. [00:04:00] For the intrinsic column, write the motivators that come within things like, “I care about impact, I’m learning new skills, this connects with my internal values.”
The extrinsic column, jot down the external drivers. “There’s a deadline. Getting a great salary from this. My team or boss expects us. I’ll be evaluated. People are depending on me.” Things of that nature.
Step three – there’s only four steps by the way – step three is you’re going to just take notice of the balance. Not judge it. Just notice it.
So look at your list and circle of motivators that feel really strong right now. They’re kind of primary ones. Do they fall all in one column? And what does that tell you? This reflection piece about your current experience of this work, is it primarily externally dominated or internally?
Then step four, if you notice that you’re running mostly on extrinsic motivators, ask yourself, “How can I reconnect this task with something that feels intrinsically meaningful to me?”
For example, if you’re [00:05:00] writing a report, mainly because it’s due and that can, you know, kind of grind the gears a little bit sometimes, try reframing it as perhaps a chance to highlight your team’s contributions or clarify a bigger vision, something along those lines, and that shift, it taps into purpose.
Which is far more sustaining, and it really can give us a bigger, broader context about the impact of what’s going on.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wow. I really like how practical this is. You know, sometimes we don’t realize we’re running on fumes until we stop and look at what’s fueling us. And I can attest to this. I often don’t realize that I’m running on fumes until I’m forced to stop and look at what’s fueling me.
CORAL OWEN: Exactly. And you know, for our listeners, having a few additional reflection questions as you try to map out your motivation may help anger you. So here are a few that we might suggest.
“When was the last time you truly felt energized in your work? What values were being honored in those moments?” [00:06:00]
Another one: “Looking at your current responsibilities, where are you noticing a potential imbalance in your motivators?”
And then a third to kind of bring this home: “What’s one small way that you can reconnect to your values in that area this week?”
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, those are awesome prompts. You know, even taking five minutes to think them through could shift how you approach. I mean, I think we’re often sharing prompts like this, these kind of big questions and it feels it could feel really big.
Don’t let that scare you. Just look at the question and let your mind do the work and just spend a few minutes thinking through them and that could shift how you approach your work.
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. And again, this shift doesn’t have to be big. Sometimes it’s not even a fundamental shift of how we’re working. It’s just a matter of shifting perspective, and even these small reframes can reconnect us to our deeper motivation.
Maybe instead of, “I have to get this done,” you think, “This is gonna help create a better experience for the people that I’m [00:07:00] serving.”
And that little alignment with values can change the entire energy that you’re bringing to the work and to your day.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, and you know, it seems like this is something that leaders could use with their teams too. So like asking your team, “What’s motivating us about this project?” Or asking a group, right?
If you’re working on a coalition with others, ask yourselves, “What’s motivating us about this project?”
That could really spark a conversation that helps the people that are involved in that team or that group feel more connected, and less like they’re just going through the motions or they’re just coming together, choosing a task, and then going and doing the task, right.
CORAL OWEN: I absolutely love that.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well. Awesome. Thanks so much Coral for sharing this.
That’s it for today’s practice on motivation mapping. We’d love to hear what you discover when you try it. You can email us at practicing connection@oneop.org and share your reflections.
CORAL OWEN: Also a little bit of a [00:08:00] bonus freebie for this episode.
If you would like a worksheet to walk through this practice step by step along with the reflection questions as well, just check the show notes for this episode and we have a downloadable template that you can use.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Thanks again for joining us today. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app and send it to a colleague or a friend who might benefit. We’ll be back next week with a fresh episode.
Until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

Empowering Neurodivergent Teens to Thrive in School
2025-09-30 11:00 - 12:30
This webinar explores interventions and strategies for supporting neurodiverse teens and adolescents with learning struggles. Learn how to recognize signs of neurodivergence, how education and youth professionals can help students develop skills and practices even in the absence of an official diagnosis. We will also cover ways to foster agency, autonomy, and self-advocacy among neurodivergent teens, empowering them to navigate their educational journey. Equip yourself with practical knowledge and tools to create inclusive and supportive environments for neurodivergent students.
Learning Objectives:

Identify neurodivergent traits and recognize when students may need support even without a formal diagnosis
Apply practical strategies to support neurodivergent teens and adolescents across varied learning environments
Use tools and resources that promote student autonomy and support self-advocacy
Incorporate inclusive practices that affirm and validate neurodivergent identities

Dr. Patton is the Assistant Director of the Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative at the University of Illinois, where she leads collaborative efforts to support neurodivergent students through educational, mental health, social, and employment services. She has worked as an Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Illinois State University and as a special education teacher in Champaign Unit 4 schools. Dr. Patton is deeply committed to advancing neuroinclusive practices and is passionate about equipping educators with practical, strengths-based strategies that foster student autonomy, self-advocacy, and inclusion.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 9/30/2027.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 9/30/2028.
Michigan Certified Teachers: This webinar is approved for 1.5 SCECH from the Michigan Education Association’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 9/30/2028.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 9/30/2028.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Additional Resources
Webinar Slides Photo Credit: IStock – 1469940166 This series highlights the broad spectrum of neurodiversity, emphasizing a range of cognitive variations, such as ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, and more. Discover the Uniquely Wired series today.

Scaling Your Skills: Feedback & Mentorship That Works
2025-09-25 08:00 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzg4NDEzNCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTc4ODQxMzQtc2NhbGluZy15b3VyLXNraWxscy1mZWVkYmFjay1tZW50b3JzaGlwLXRoYXQtd29ya3MuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzg4NDEzNCUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF (Season 6, Episode 39)
Feedback and mentorship aren’t just buzzwords – they’re the shortcuts to better skills, stronger confidence, and real momentum.
Discover a simple, practical approach that makes getting feedback and finding a mentor less intimidating – and highly actionable!
In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast, Jessica and Coral dig into the roles of feedback and mentorship in professional growth. Coral shares a step-by-step method that makes seeking input approachable and turns it into real progress.
Learn how to choose the right people to ask, reflect on what you hear, and take small, sustainable actions.
Plus, find out how to invite mentorship into your journey – even if you don’t have a formal mentor. Perfect for anyone who wants to develop new skills, boost confidence, and foster authentic connections at work.
Links

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org

OneOp Academy is a free online series designed for anyone interested in positive change, whether you’re an educator, community leader, student, or just passionate about supporting families.
This year’s Academy spotlights the unique challenges facing military connected youth, from mental health to resilience education to community support.
Explore the 2025 OneOp Academy and register today at oneop.org/series/2025academy JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hi. Thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica and my co-host Coral is here as well. Today we’re going to be talking about feedback and mentorship for skill growth, and Coral’s going to be sharing a practice with us. Hi Coral. How are you?
CORAL OWEN: Hey Jess. I’m doing well. Yeah, as I was preparing for this week’s episode, I was reflecting really heavily on the role that mentorship has played in my own professional experience, particularly most recently in scaling a business.
And it’s only been after several years of flying solo before I finally realized that I could save myself so much heartache and also have such a greater impact if I had sought support from a mentor, which is, you know, I’m a couple years deep into a very formalized, coaching and mentorship program, which is, it’s been wonderful. But it took me a while to get there and yeah, I just, wow, it’s made such a difference.
But it can be tough to ask for that level of support.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. Yeah. [00:01:00] I love that perspective. It really does take courage to ask for feedback directly. I’ve been involved in several training and coaching programs, a big part of the program involved obtaining feedback. And, you know, it’s often helped me make changes, which a lot of people would expect, right?
When you’re getting feedback, a lot of people feel like, “Oh, well that’s about, you know, changing and getting better.” I would say for me, even more so, it’s helped me see strengths that I have that I didn’t notice. Other people knew, other people could see it, but I didn’t notice them until someone started to point them out to me.
CORAL OWEN: I love that and that’s such a perspective shift I had as well of help other people who are seeing us doing the thing or cultivating the skill or process, or whatever it is that we’re looking to elevate and hone, and they can often see things from, well, they are seeing it from a different perspective and helping us lean into the things that we’re strong in. And further hone [00:02:00] those pieces, help level up the things.
And then, you know, maybe shift, pivot a little bit and we’re actually getting into that today. But, yeah, a lot of people just think that they’re, “Oh, feedback.” Like, “I don’t wanna ask people how, you know – ”
JESSICA BECKENDORF: – “Like I already know, I’m already, I’m so hard on myself. I already know how terrible I am. I don’t need anyone else to point it out!”
CORAL OWEN: Yeah. So this is definitely a different framework for perspective that is not just like, “Hey, you could really use some work on X, Y, and Z.”
It’s about that really holistic perspective of receiving feedback or even developing a more formalized mentorship relationship, if you so desired.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, before we move on, I’ll just quickly give a little bonus exercise here. One of the best questions that I was asked, when I was trying to get feedback in one of these programs was, they told me to ask, “When I walk into a room, what shows up when I do?” And people gave me feedback on that, and that was pretty interesting.
[00:03:00] It was pretty cool. But let’s learn more about feedback and mentorship for skill growth, Coral. Tell us a little bit about the practice that you’re going to be sharing today and why you chose it.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, absolutely. So, much of professional development really happens outside of these formal trainings and courses and conferences that we, you know, do attend from time to time. But once you decide that, you want to keep growing a skill or seeking it out and cultivating, that the real work is in weaving it into your day to day, not just in that, you know, kind of finite space that we’re learning about it or you know, kind of developing that brain awareness of it.
And so feedback and mentorship are two of the most effective ways to do that. They give us outside perspective, accountability, encouragement. But also as we already noted, asking for feedback or arranging mentorship, it can feel intimidating. It can also, could just feel like, I hate to say that like a burden, you know, just kind of a heavier load to add to both our plate, but also to ask someone else who already is so busy [00:04:00] to take on that, level of guidance and mentorship.
And so I wanted to share a really simple structured practice that makes it very attainable, very easy to access, and hopefully just something that is a very, approachable way to go about this.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well that sounds super useful. Let’s walk through the practice.
CORAL OWEN: Sure thing. So here’s a practice that you can try next time. You want to develop a skill more deeply in your place or professional space. The first step is of course, choosing the right person. So think about someone who you have seen applying the skill, or who interacts with you in the context where you’re trying to grow.
And it doesn’t have to be a supervisor. It can be a peer, a colleague, even someone that you support. And sometimes the end user perspective is actually the most helpful. So from there, once you’ve settled on this person, step two is, or perhaps a little bit in tandem, using a simple framework in asking for feedback and one that I have leveraged in the past.
[00:05:00] Jess, I think, you know, in kind of our pre-show conversation, you mentioned that you’ve used this before, with a slightly different spin. I’ve come to call it start, stop, continue. Here’s how it works. Just very straightforward. So this is asking, “What’s something new that I could start doing that would help me use the skill more effectively,” or something of the sort, right.
Number two here, stop. You can ask what is, and this is, you know, the question that you’re asking of this person who is helping you along in this process, you can ask them, “What is one thing I’m doing right now that might be getting in the way of progress?”
And then thirdly, continue to ask, “What am I already doing well that I should keep doing?”
So the reason I love this framework so specifically is that it makes feedback concrete and balanced. And you’re not just hearing what needs fixing, you’re also hearing what’s already working, which is really important for motivation, but also just for that holistic [00:06:00] perspective like we talked about.
All right, so step three is reflecting and acting. Once you’ve gathered this feedback and had that input from your mentor, from your experience: write it down, look for patterns, and then choose one small doable action to try straight away. we actually talked about this in our prior episode last week about those just like bite-sized nugget actions that you can do, rather than trying to, you know, just change everything straight away, just choose one thing in a very specific context and just try that in a very, minute sense.
Don’t try to change everything at once. It can get a little overwhelming sometimes. So that’s just the very ground floor asking for feedback, and it can be, you know, multiple times over, or kind of a continuing sequence.
It can also just be a one-off, like, “Hey, you know, can we watch me do this thing, and let me know what should I start doing? What should I stop and what should I continue?”
If you have something [00:07:00] that is a little bit meatier in nature, or that may take more continual progress, you know, more of a long term, you may want to explore mentorship, and a mentor does not have to be a formal role. It can be someone who’s a step or two ahead of you and the skill you’re developing. And when you’re reaching out you might say, “I’m working on developing this skill and I really admire how you approach it. Would you be open to occasional check-ins or giving some advice as I keep practicing?”
And by and large most people will simply be flattered that you asked and oftentimes are happy to share their experience.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, I mean, like you said, Coral, in our pre-conversation, before we started recording, I love the start, stop, continue framework. I’ve used it with groups in a totally different angle. It really does though in this context, it makes feedback less overwhelming for both the person asking and the person giving it.
CORAL OWEN: A hundred percent it, it just lowers the [00:08:00] barrier, right? And so instead of, “Hey, can you give me some feedback?”, that can feel really huge both to you and to the person that you are liaising with. And instead being very specific and giving three small buckets that that person who’s advising or supporting you can fill, just, yeah, it’s a lot more straightforward and specific and just clear.
There’s clarity around it. And the mentorship element, if you choose to dig in a little bit deeper, it builds on that and you can still continue using that start, stop, continue framework. And it just gives you that ongoing perspective and encouragement as you integrate your new skill into your daily work.
Continue to hone whatever practice it is that you’re cultivating and leveling up what you’re doing.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Awesome. Well, that is it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to send it to a friend who might benefit. We’ll be back next week with a new episode. Until then, keep practicing. [00:09:00]
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

The Academy | Launching Leaders: Preparing Military-Connected Teens for Adulthood
2025-09-24 11:00 - 12:30
This webinar will identify approaches, tools, and resources that can increase resilience and self-advocacy for military-connected teens. Presenters will highlight the critical role of positive youth-adult relationships and examine ways to support military-connected teens in their transition to adulthood. Drawing on recent research, this session explores practical strategies and resources like the Cooperative Extension 4-H program.
Learning Objectives:

Define key protective factors within the career and financial domains of Military Family Readiness and understand their crucial role in promoting resilience and positive transitions for military-connected teens.
Gain specific practical strategies for fostering protective factors to help military-connected teens build essential life skills to support a confident and informed transition to adulthood.
Integrate positive youth development initiatives and community-based programs that expand support systems and deliver targeted services to promote military-connected teens’ well-being.

Jenny Rea, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor for the Human Services program within the College of Applied Science and Technology at the University of Arizona. Driven by a passion to understand the challenges faced by today’s military families, Dr. Rea’s work actively connects research with practical outreach. She is dedicated to supporting military families and those who work tirelessly on their behalf, focusing her research on key areas of their lives: resilience and family well-being, opportunities in employment and education, and the vital connection between mental health and familial relationships. Karen Baker, M.Ed., serves as the 4-H Youth Development Agent and Unit Coordinator for the Virginia Cooperative Extension office in Hampton, VA. She holds a Master’s degree in Career and Technical Education from Virginia Tech University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Virginia State University. Karen is dedicated to providing staff development and training opportunities for adults working with youth, aiming to foster positive and enriching learning experiences for young people. Karen assists youth, and those adults working with them, in acquiring the knowledge, life skills, and values that will enable them to become self-directing, contributing, and productive members of society. Whether you are a new or seasoned service provider, the Powerful Provider collection will enhance your awareness and knowledge of programs and services designed to promote military family well-being.

Accredited Financial Counselors (AFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits by the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close September 24, 2028.
Board Certified Case Managers (CCMC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close September 24, 2026.
Board Certified Disability Management Specialists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from The Commission for Case Manager Certification. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close September 24th, 2026.
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close September 24, 2027.
Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close September 24, 2027.
Certified Nutrition and Wellness Educator (CNWE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close September 24, 2027.
Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator (CPFFE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close September 24, 2027.
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). **Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on September 24, 2028.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on September 24, 2030.
Michigan Certified Teachers (SCECH): This webinar is approved for 1.5 SCECH from the Michigan Education Association’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on September 24, 2028.
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on September 24, 2027.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR): This webinar awards 1.5 CPEUs in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Prior Approval Program. Eligibility for CE credit will close on July 22, 2028.
Human Resource Professionals (SHRM): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close July 31, 2026.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on September 24, 2027.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Get familiar with the data: Review this infographic ahead of the webinar.
This presentation will be supported by a brief Academy video, designed to spark conversation and sharing. Familiarize yourself with the narrative by watching this introductory video.
In this webinar, we will follow a case story. View a transcript of the video here.
Webinar Slides (PDF)
Additional Resources
The Academy Homepage Photo Credit: Mariia Vitkovska/iStock

Don't Keep It to Yourself! Creating a Culture of Shared Learning
2025-09-18 06:01 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzg1NTg3NSUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTc4NTU4NzUtZG9uLXQta2VlcC1pdC10by15b3Vyc2VsZi1jcmVhdGluZy1hLWN1bHR1cmUtb2Ytc2hhcmVkLWxlYXJuaW5nLmpzJTNGY29udGFpbmVyX2lkJTNEYnV6enNwcm91dC1wbGF5ZXItMTc4NTU4NzUlMjZwbGF5ZXIlM0RzbWFsbCUyMiUyMHR5cGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0JTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdCUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ== (Season 6, Episode 38)
What if the fastest way to master any skill was to teach it to someone else?
This episode reveals how sharing your learning not only helps others – it solidifies your own growth, strengthens your team, and can transform your workplace culture.
Are you holding on to valuable insights, or passing them along? In this special round-up episode, Jessica and Coral explore why teaching others is the secret weapon for growth.
Instead of just one practice, you’ll get a toolkit of real-world ways to share what you’re learning, from quick tips to full team huddles.
Listen in to discover how knowledge sharing deepens your understanding, boosts your confidence, and creates a ripple effect far beyond your own desk.
Whether you’re a seasoned leader or just starting out, you’ll walk away ready to build a culture of curiosity, generosity, and ongoing development.
Links

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org

OneOp Academy is a free online series designed for anyone interested in positive change, whether you’re an educator, community leader, student, or just passionate about supporting families.
This year’s Academy spotlights the unique challenges facing military connected youth, from mental health to resilience education to community support.
Explore the 2025 OneOp Academy and register today at oneop.org/series/2025academy CORAL OWEN: [00:00:00] Hi everyone. Welcome to this episode of Practicing Connection. I am Coral and I’m here with my co-host, Jessica, and today we’re diving into something a little different, but super essential, which is how to share what you’ve learned with others. Hey, Jessica, how’s your week going?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hey, Coral. I’m good. Honestly, this theme has been on my mind a lot. There’s something about wrapping up a learning journey and then turning around to share it that just feels right to me. But I also work in the education field, so I guess that makes sense. I might be a little biased.
CORAL OWEN: That does track. I love that though, yeah. Any personal stories or moments from this week where you just found yourself wanting to shout, like, “I learned this, everyone needs to know!”?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yes. As a matter of fact I’m in a systems thinking class right now, and we have been talking about VMCL, which stands for Vision, Mission, Capacities and Learning. I just finished the [00:01:00] portion that discusses developing your learning systems, these are the systems of feedback that you set up to continually learn from.
And the systems you set up so that your team can make the most of their professional development by sharing what they learn with others on the team. So, super relevant to today’s topics, and I do feel like I have to note that the class and the podcast converging at the same time was not planned.
CORAL OWEN: But a very happy accident, I think, as Bob Ross would say. But yeah, V-M-C-L, that’s a new one for me. But I am so excited to dig into this more. And it is such a nice feeling when things align like that, isn’t it?
So I know in previous episodes we typically zero in on like one practice specifically for our listeners to try, but I was thinking maybe we shake things up a little bit.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, and there’s actually a pretty fascinating reason behind it. Studies show that when you teach others, you [00:02:00] invest more effort, you spend more time on the material and you achieve better outcomes, even if your student is just a digital teachable agent. It’s called a protege effect. And this protege effect happens because teaching requires you to organize your thoughts to identify gaps and to explain ideas clearly, which deepens your own understanding and memory.
And I have to say, I went down just the tiniest rabbit holes that I’m gonna bring up here right now. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard that term, “Those who can’t, teach.” Have you heard that before?
CORAL OWEN:Yeah.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: It’s pretty derogatory and it’s really not helpful. And frankly, it’s not even the original phrase that came from Aristotle. Aristotle said, “Those who can, do, and those who understand, teach.”
CORAL OWEN: Oh.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. And so it kind of, yeah, during I forget which play, but during like a play, they kind of messed with the [00:03:00] language a little bit.
And it ended up turning into this long-term derogatory thing that we say basically, “People who teach, they teach because they can’t actually do the work.” And that’s not true at all. Teachers have to both be able to do it and they have to be able to stay on top of everything and understand.
So anyway, this is why the protege effect works. It’s not just about mastering the content either. So reviews of decades of research show that regular knowledge sharing among employees leads to greater innovation, to better team performance and stronger collaboration. So when knowledge sharing is part of your group’s routine, it helps you grow, adapt, and succeed, especially in times of change.
But here’s the thing, most effective sharing doesn’t just happen one way. So research also shows that combining different types of knowledge sharing, like mini workshops, quick writeups emails, peer coaching and more [00:04:00] actually builds a much richer culture of learning.
That’s why we’ve put together a roundup of practices today, and I think we’ve done this a couple times in the last month and it’s been kind of fun.
CORAL OWEN: It really has been. And it’s kind of like a smorgasbord or charcuterie of strategies. You can just take what works and, you know, try and iterate as you go through some different strategies. So, yeah, let’s do it.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I think you just invented something, a “Charcuterie of ideas” instead of a smorgasbord. I love it.
CORAL OWEN: I’ll take credit. I’ll take full credit.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: All right, please do. Okay. So the first practice that we pulled together is hosting a mini workshop or a “lunch and learn.”
In my organization, during the pandemic, we actually did these learning popups where if you had knowledge to share, you would just send everyone an email and say, “Hey, if you can make it great, but I’m gonna do it this time, this day, and we’ll record it in case you can’t make it.”
But [00:05:00] whatever way works for you. This doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Just carve out 20 minutes, 30 minutes to show your team what you’ve learned. Use a practical example and invite questions. Making it interactive actually will boost both your team’s retention and your own.
CORAL OWEN: I just, I love that idea of like a popup workshop or, you know, just something like, “Oh, hey, I learned this thing,” and just harnessing that energy and that excitement and then passing it along. You know, I think too, sometimes we kind of overcomplicate this idea of a workshop. Like it has to be this full blown training, complete with slides and handouts and, you know, all of these knowledge checkpoints.
And really just like you said, even 15 or 20 minutes can be so useful to spark some great conversation and brainstorming, even innovation.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: And you can use slides if you want to, especially if it helps you get your point across.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Whatever works for you. But let’s move on to the next one. So this next one is, create bite-sized training resources. [00:06:00] So you could record a short video on a new tool that you’ve learned. You could write a quick how-to with or without screenshots, whatever your preference.
It’s your resource. Or you could make a checklist to share in your team chat, or if you’ve got a team wiki or you know, some other space where you typically share things like that. This approach caters to different learning styles. So some people might prefer the checklist or they might prefer a video, but it also caters to your own style of wanting to share information.
So, catering to different learning styles is another element that is kind of found to increase knowledge, retention, and sharing at work.
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. I personally trend towards the videos. Screen capture with some of the voiceovers. But I love that there are so many formats, especially leveraging different types of technologies these days for quick gathers of information with a little bit of an additive narration or whatever, that make it so [00:07:00] easy to distribute and capture knowledge, and share it along with people who may benefit from it.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, I mean, I would say an incredible example of this is when you created a training video for me on how to post these podcast episodes to our WordPress page, and I think it’s silent. And if it isn’t silent then, you know, I never heard the sound. But even when it was silent, like I could see, you know, the mouse was circling a certain thing and clicking on it.
And I still use that sometimes to remember if I miss something, right? I don’t want to miss something. It was perfect. And then you posted it in a shared space and it’s an easy shared folder, it was easy to find.
So, let’s move on to the next one. This is another favorite of mine. Try doing one-on-one peer coaching.
Showing a colleague firsthand how you’re using a new process or a new skill can really spark change and the peer tutoring effect actually boosts your own mastery as well.
CORAL OWEN: Agreed. Jess, this is actually one of my favorites as well, and I’ve [00:08:00] noticed that when I take time to walk someone through a process, I almost always catch myself noticing opportunities to elevate how something flows or help it work more smoothly. And teaching never fails to sharpen my own skills as well.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. Alright, next up, if you love writing, this is for you.
You can create and send a tips-and-tricks email or a mini newsletter to your colleagues, or to whoever you’re trying to teach what you’re learning to. You could sum up your top learning points and how it’s helped you. This really makes the knowledge easily accessible and it creates a record for your team to refer back to and for you to refer back to.
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. I think there are, this was, you know, probably eight, ten years ago when I first started a particular professional track in my life. There were a number of blogs that I would refer to about, you know, educational technology and learning so much from those just widely available resources.
But having [00:09:00] that sort of personal knowledge database to you to track your own journey, which is something that we talked about in our previous episode. It’s really cool to see those skills develop as well.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. And I would say too, if you do this one, you could easily then turn it into I think the second practice we shared, the creating bite-sized training resources. Like you could repurpose it too and vice versa, right.
So next up we have team huddles and book clubs. I love this option. Team huddles or book clubs can offer a regular space for everyone to share what’s working for them.
So having these structured opportunities for exchange is linked to more resilient and innovative teams.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, this is something that I’ve actually done with colleagues throughout the years, especially the book clubs. And initially some people were like, “Oh, I don’t have time every week to do this.” But sometimes it would kind of be like you said, popup trainings. It would be kind of like a popup book club.
Like if there was a particular book that a [00:10:00] few folks were interested in, it’s like, “Hey, well let’s just do a popup book club for, you know, a particular four or six weeks,” and then maybe it’d be dormant for a little while until the next quarter, and then we kind of pop it back up or breathe more life into something else.
But yeah it’s just so fun when it’s sort of baked into the way that you work. And there is sort of that culture shift as well of, you don’t have to overthink it, it just becomes part of what you do.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. All right, last one. Invite a teammate to shadow you as you try a new skill, or run a live demo so others can see it in action. Interactivity like this, including observation and hands-on trial, is shown to significantly improve retention and understanding.
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. Things a hundred percent stick way better when we’re able to see them and experience them firsthand. You’re so right.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, so that’s why we did a roundup this time because the research is pretty clear that when sharing is varied, [00:11:00] when you can employ more than one option when it’s regular and part of daily life, everyone, including the person doing the sharing, learns more. They feel more confident, and it contributes to a stronger, more adaptable team.
CORAL OWEN: Awesome. Yep. And you heard it here. So I would love to, I know that we’ve got our mailbag open so we would love to hear if y’all try out some of these practices or combine a few, and see what works.
Please share with us what’s working. Jess, what is the best way for everybody to get in touch with us?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, so share your stories, your struggles, your wins at practicing connection@oneop.org, and maybe we’ll feature them on a future episode.
Until next time, keep learning, sharing, growing, and of course, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

Flexible Spending Accounts: Tools for Service Members
2025-09-15 11:00 - 12:00
This webinar provides a comprehensive overview of the two types of Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) available to service members and their families: Health Care FSAs and Dependent Care FSAs. Participants will learn how to enroll and manage these accounts and what expenses are eligible. The session also covers service member-specific situations where a FSA would be a helpful financial planning tool and where to find appropriate resources for FSA support.
Learning Objectives:

Compare the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (DCFSA) and the Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (HCFSA)
Summarize the FSA enrollment process, account management, and eligibility requirements
Determine Service member- specific situations where a FSA would be a helpful financial planning tool
Identify appropriate resources for FSA support

Dr. Beth A. Darius serves as a Program Analyst for Financial Readiness in the Office of the Military Compensation and Financial Readiness, Office of the Under Secretary for Personnel Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.

Accredited Financial Counselors (AFC): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits by the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 10/01/2028.
Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 10/01/2027.
Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator (CPFFE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 10/01/2027.
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). **Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 10/01/2028.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 10/01/2028.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Slides
Flexible Spending Accounts | Office of Military Compensation and Financial Readiness
FSAFEDS Photo Credit: Nastassia on Adobe Stock

5 Strategies for Integrating New Skills into Daily Practice
2025-09-11 06:00 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzgyMTk3MSUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTc4MjE5NzEtNS1zdHJhdGVnaWVzLWZvci1pbnRlZ3JhdGluZy1uZXctc2tpbGxzLWludG8tZGFpbHktcHJhY3RpY2UuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzgyMTk3MSUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF (Season 6, Episode 37)
Are you ready to move from “learning” into doing ?
Today we’re sharing 5 strategies that can help you integrate new skills into your daily practice, to reduce that overwhelm and remember what you’ve learned.
Co-hosts Jessica and Coral are here to show us how to keep that momentum going, so those skills don’t just stay in a notebook, but actually begin to show up in your day to day.
Coral has some practical, approachable steps that anyone can try, regardless of your role, your team structure or where you’re based.
The hope is that as you listen, you can take what speaks to you and adapt it to suit your own work and life.
And don’t feel compelled or overwhelmed that you have to try them all at once, or even all of them at all. You can just take what works for you, remix, adapt and pivot.
Links

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org
Send us a text

OneOp Academy is a free online series designed for anyone interested in positive change, whether you’re an educator, community leader, student, or just passionate about supporting families.
This year’s Academy spotlights the unique challenges facing military connected youth, from mental health to resilience education to community support.
Explore the 2025 OneOp Academy and register today at oneop.org/series/2025academy JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hi. Thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica. Today we’ll be talking about how to move from learning into doing, specifically five strategies that can help you integrate new skills into your daily practice. My co-host, Coral, is here to guide us through today’s practice. Hey Coral, how are you?
CORAL OWEN: Hey Jessica. I’m doing really well, thanks. I just finished facilitating a workshop last week and one of the things that came up in conversation was how energizing it can feel to leave professional development opportunities, but a week later it kind of sometimes fizzles. It’s not a bad thing, just, you know, noting reality.
And that’s actually exactly what we’re going to talk about today is how to keep that momentum going, so those skills don’t just stay in a notebook, but actually begin to show up in your day to day.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yes, I am so looking forward to this topic. I love this. Keeping those notes in the [00:01:00] notebook often happens to me. I can relate to that so much. So I’m really looking forward to hearing about what these practices are you’re going to be sharing with us, and we would love to hear what strategies you use to apply skills in your work or daily life.
Send us a note at Practicing connection@oneop.org. We see and respond to every message and we can’t wait to hear your ideas.
– break –
Okay, let’s get into it. Coral, can you walk us through these five strategies for building new skills into daily practice?
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. So these are practical, approachable steps that anyone can try regardless of your role, your team structure or where you’re based. And so we’re going to be walking through each of the five, and I’ll share each one, along with some examples as well. And so my hope is that as you listen, that y’all can take what speaks to you and adapt it to [00:02:00] suit your own work and life.
But please don’t feel compelled or overwhelmed that you have to try all of them at once, or all of them at all. You can just take what works for you as always, or you can remix them.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Right.
CORAL OWEN: 100%.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, this sounds great. Let’s get going.
CORAL OWEN: Awesome. So yeah, let’s get right down to it. So the first strategy is all about micro goals. So when we learn something new, it can feel overwhelming to apply it perfectly straight away. Micro goals break the skill down into bite-sized manageable actions. And so, if you just learned a new communication technique, for example, your micro goal, it might be to use it just once during a single meeting this week.
Small steps can make this skill less intimidating, and it also gives you little wins that build confidence. It’s like training a muscle. It just, you know, builds that strength and momentum over time.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I like that, it’s less sort of, “How do I overhaul everything,” and more, “How can I try [00:03:00] one thing in one moment?”
CORAL OWEN: A thousand percent, and we’re also reducing that friction to start by just a monumental degree. So, okay. Our second strategy is one that we actually highlighted in the January 16th episode at the start of this year. A personal favorite, not to play favorites, but this one is habit stacking, and the idea here is pairing your new skill with something that you already do regularly and often automatically.
For instance, if you review your to-do list every morning, you can immediately follow that with applying a new productivity technique that you’ve learned, such as tackling your highest priority task first. And essentially this existing habit that we anchor into it becomes the trigger for the new one that you’re cultivating.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, I think, if I remember right from that episode, you had a fantastic example of like when you make your coffee, ’cause you know, you make coffee every morning, that you pair that up with something else. I don’t remember what that was, but I do remember it was a [00:04:00] great example because I also make coffee every morning.
So, super practical. I use this often myself.
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. And yeah, taking advantage of what’s already working with your daily rhythm helps keep this very approachable. And you’ll note that this is going to be a trend throughout all of these strategies, is to really just grease the skids so that you can feel like you can take action easily, quickly, and keep it sustainable.
And so straight into our third strategy, which is daily reflection. So at the end of the day, each day, you can briefly check in with yourself asking, “How did I use my new skill today? Did I use it?” Again, these don’t have to be massive practices. This one can just be a 30 to 60 second check-in, and maybe it’s a brief note in your planner or, I know a lot of people were using bullet journals a while back.
Not sure if that’s still in vogue. But, you know, maybe it’s just a little bullet that you mark in whatever your strategy: voice, memo, et cetera. The point is [00:05:00] simply to capture both the successes and the challenges. And this reflection also reinforces the new action. Helps you see patterns and trends over time.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, seeing those trends is really helpful. I did this for a while where I had a couple of personal goals, because unfortunately I tend – fortunately or unfortunately – I tend to prioritize work. And so I had this period of time where I was trying to prioritize some personal goals.
And I have to tell you, it was super motivating to see the trend of when I was tracking it, to see the trend of, that I was actually spending time on a goal that I had. So you might not even realize you accomplish something a few times a week until you start to look at that. And that’s what I noticed as well. Like I actually was doing the things that I wanted to do, but they were taking up less space in my brain.
And so because I could see the tracking, it helped to create some more momentum to keep it going.
CORAL OWEN: Exactly. And I think too, the piece here [00:06:00] is that these, you know, micro goals are, you know, things that we’re really breaking down to be so bite sized. It is such a brief touchpoint within our day that sometimes you even forget that you did it yesterday, the day before.
So having that concrete documentation where you can see that trend over time, it really just reinforces, “Oh, okay, I’m actually doing the thing.’ And then, you know, that doing of the thing, it can grow and grow over time into whatever you hope it is becoming. À
Alright. Our fourth strategy is creating reminders and queues. So again, you might see a little bit of overlap in some of these, and that is okay. For this fourth strategy, reminders and cues, it really comes down to the fact that we are juggling a lot, all of us.
I know that to be true, and so sometimes a helpful nudge can be exactly what we need. And so this reminder or cue can look as simple as a sticky note on your monitor, on your desktop, whatever.
Sometimes calendar alerts are helpful, even digital prompts like [00:07:00] notifications or, you know, an alarm that is labeled on your phone. Whatever it is. So just a simple example might be if you want to trial a new question technique, you can set a reminder for your calls or your meetings that says simply, “Use open-ended questions.”
And things like this, these tiny triggers, what they do is they just help bring that skill to the forefront of your brain when you actually need it. Rather than having it done in a notebook, where you have to like go look for it and, you know, just again, it’s just it brings it to top of mind when you actually have the space to use it.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: That is really, I mean, that’s just so realistic. Without reminders, even the best intentions can get lost in the shuffle of a busy day. And can I just say, as someone who teaches interpersonal communication, the example you used of getting a message that you’ve sent to yourself that reminds you to use open-ended questions is just wonderful.
CORAL OWEN: Thank you. Yeah, and this is really, it’s not about [00:08:00] willpower. This one specifically, it’s about designing your environment so that skill has space to show up.
Alrighty, bringing it on home. This is our final one, but certainly not the least of them all. And that is building the skill into meetings and processes.
And I know this might seem it’s a little bit different in flavor than our other four, I like this one though, because it’s really cool and you’ll see why here in a second. But this one is, it’s all about weaving your new learning into the structures that already exist.
So, again, just for instance, to give this a little bit more, give it some legs, you might volunteer to lead a portion of a meeting where you’re using that skill, or suggesting to add it to the team workflow. And the magic of this one is by embedding it into your regular work patterns. You make it part of the culture of, you know, your work team or, you know, your day-to-day life.
And it’s not just an individual endeavor any longer.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: This one feels [00:09:00] really impactful, because it’s not only enforcing your learning, but it’s reaching entire teams, and it’s kind of starting to build in maybe a culture of using the new things that you’re learning.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, exactly. This is truly one of the best ways to sustain change of any sort is when others are a part of it. It doesn’t just live in your head, but it becomes part of our collective practices.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, I really appreciate you sharing these strategies with us because they were super clear and super actionable. Thank you so much.
CORAL OWEN: Thanks Jessica, and since this one did have, you know, quite a number of things that we touched on, I just want to do a real quick recap just to bring it on home.
So, as a reminder, the five strategies we discussed today were micro goals, habits stacking, daily reflection, reminders and triggers, and building skills into meetings and processes.
And again, just as a very warm reminder, you do not have to [00:10:00] do all of these at once. You don’t have to do all of them ever. Just simply start with the one or two that resonate most with you, and then build from there and see what happens.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Or don’t build. You don’t have to even build. If you don’t, if it works really well for you, then just keep going with it.
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: That’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a friend or colleague. We’ll be back next week with a new episode.
Until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

The Academy | Creating Accessible Youth Development Programs in Military Communities
2025-09-10 11:00 - 12:30
This event will focus on fostering positive outcomes through youth development programs. This webinar will explore how camps, 4-H, and military youth services can support the well-being and growth of all young people, including those with disabilities. Participants will learn best practices for accommodating youth with disabilities and practical strategies for creating accessible and supportive environments. Speakers from Cooperative Extension and military-connected programs will share real-world examples and resources to help service providers enhance their programming and promote meaningful participation for all youth.
Learning Objectives:

Describe the benefits of including youth with disabilities in youth development programs.
Identify strategies to bridge gaps in accommodations and supports for youth with disabilities.
Explore research- and evidence-based practices to design and implement accessible youth development activities.
Recognize disability etiquette and background information to better support youth with disabilities.
Access resources and examples of inclusive youth programs within both Cooperative Extension and military-connected settings.

Deputy Consultant to the Surgeon General, Nutrition and Dietetics
Assistant Professor, U.S. Army Baylor Master’s Program of Nutrition
Registered Dietitian, Picatinny Arsenal
LTC Khan, a Registered Dietitian, holds a PhD in Public Health from Rutgers, an MPH in Global Health from New York Medical College, and a BS in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of New Mexico. She completed her internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She has served in various leadership and academic roles, including at Walter Reed, Tripler Army Medical Center, and Keller Army Community Hospital, and has deployed to Iraq. Currently, she leads research initiatives, supports the Virtual Clinic at Keller Army Community Hospital, and contributes to curriculum development and military nutrition research. Her expertise includes clinical nutrition operations, performance nutrition, public health nutrition, and professional education. She has numerous publications and presentations and is a DoD Nutrition SME and Clinical Practice Guideline contributor. Her awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, multiple Meritorious Service and Achievement Medals, and badges including Air Assault and Parachutist.
LTC Khan lives in Chester, NJ, with her husband, LTC Saleem Khan, and their two daughters. She will share her perspective as both a healthcare provider and a parent of a child with special healthcare needs.
Associate Professor and Extension Specialist
Associate Department Head for Extension
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M University
Darlene Locke is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Texas A&M University Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications Department, specializing in Applied Youth Development. Her teaching and research focus on youth development and professional development for youth practitioners. She has over 30 years working with youth and adult audiences, striving to create inclusive environments that benefit everyone. Eleven of those years she served as Director of the Texas 4-H Conference Center and facilitated youth camp and educational programs. Since 2015, she has generated over $1M in grants and user fees to support Extension youth development programs. Disability Community Coordinator, North Region
Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Erin Fogarty has been a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) for 20 years, with a background in clinical, community, and system-level roles. She has held professional positions including recreational therapist, wellness program manager, and community alignment coordinator, supporting individuals of all ages with chronic conditions and disabilities to enhance their health, community participation, and quality of life. In her role as Disability Community Coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, in partnership with the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, Erin leads regional and statewide initiatives to improve community access and build partnerships that support the health and well-being of people with developmental disabilities. She provides education and training to agency staff, community partners, and youth development professionals on strategies to create accessible recreation opportunities and promote meaningful participation of people with disabilities. Erin is passionate about improving health outcomes and expanding access to recreation for all people. As a parent of two school-aged children with developmental disabilities, she brings both professional experience and personal insight to her work.
Join our Reflect & Connect session to process learning from the Academy and connect with colleagues. Join us on Sept. 18 via: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/98025339991?pwd=[REDACTED]

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar awards 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close September 10th, 2027.
Certified Nutrition and Wellness Educator (CNWE): This webinar awards 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close September 10th, 2027.
Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator (CPFFE): This webinar awards 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close September 10th, 2027.
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar awards 1.5 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Eligibility for CE credit will close September 10th, 2027.
Board Certified Case Managers (CCMC): This webinar awards 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Eligibility for CE credit will close September 10th, 2026.
Board Certified Disability Management Specialists: This webinar awards 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from The Commission for Case Manager Certification. Eligibility for CE credit will close September 10th, 2026.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR): This webinar awards 1.5 CPEUs in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Prior Approval Program. Eligibility for CE credit will close July 15, 2028.
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar awards 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). Eligibility for CE credit will close September 10th, 2028.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar awards 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Eligibility for CE credit will close September 10th, 2028.
Michigan Certified Teachers (SCECH): This webinar awards 1.5 SCECH from the Michigan Education Association’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Eligibility for CE credit will close September 10th, 2028.
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar awards 1.5 continuing education credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on September 10, 2027.
Human Resource Professionals (SHRM): This webinar awards 1.5 continuing education (CE) credit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Eligibility for CE credit will close July 31, 2026.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (UTSW): This webinar awards 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Eligibility for CE credit will close September 10th, 2027.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Presentation Slides (PDF)
Get familiar with the data. Review this infographic ahead of the webinar.
An All About Me document will be discussed in the webinar. Download a copy of the All About Me resource here.
Recreation and Camps: Including Youth with Disabilities
The Academy Homepage

Photo Credit: FG Trade

From Outreach to Impact: Extension’s Role with Military-Connected Communities. With Rachel Brauner and Karrie Calloway
2025-09-04 08:00 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. 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 (Season 6, Episode 36)
This episode of Practicing Connection explores the incredible bridge-building work happening in Texas with guest Karrie Calloway – military liaison, educator, chef, and advocate – who doesn’t just connect resources, but transforms lives.
Join host Jessica Beckendorf and guest co-host Rachel Brauner for a compelling conversation today with Karrie Calloway, Texas 4-H Military Liaison and a passionate advocate for military-connected families.
Karrie shares her unique journey from farm-to-table learning and culinary arts to leading statewide initiatives that support youth, families, and thriving communities.
In this episode, we discuss:

The daily work of connecting Extension agents, volunteers, and installations to create meaningful support networks.
Practical, high-impact ways anyone can do to include and empower military-connected families in their programs.
The crucial role of volunteers in building bridges for military youth and families.
Sustaining yourself in service-oriented work—and why ongoing connection matters.

Whether you’re an Extension professional, service provider, volunteer, or simply interested in community-building, you’ll walk away inspired by fresh ideas and the power of purposeful connection.
Links

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org
Send us a text

OneOp Academy is a free online series designed for anyone interested in positive change, whether you’re an educator, community leader, student, or just passionate about supporting families.
This year’s Academy spotlights the unique challenges facing military connected youth, from mental health to resilience education to community support.
Explore the 2025 OneOp Academy and register today at oneop.org/series/2025academy JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hi, welcome to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica Beckendorf, and I’m so excited today to welcome not only our guest, but also a guest co-host, Rachel Bronner from OneOp. Rachel works with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, specializing in military and community health. She brings a ton of expertise supporting service members and families. Rachel, welcome. Would you mind introducing yourself a bit?
RACHEL BRAUNER: Hi. Thanks for having me. As you mentioned Jessica, I support OneOp’s efforts, especially within the lifespan caregiving area, but I also serve as an extension program specialist for military and community health with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, as you mentioned. And in this role I really develop and deliver educational programs that supports providers, service members, military families, and those department defense civilians.
[00:01:00] And a lot of my work really focuses on topics like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, caring for older adults and individuals with disabilities, especially those when we think about maybe children with special healthcare needs. I also have done work surrounding mental health and alcohol and substance use. Then I also work closely with military professionals across the country to really help better understand caregiver needs and provide services that help reduce those challenges of caring maybe for either a wounded service member or, as I mentioned, those individuals with special needs.
And then I’ve had the opportunity to really support prevention and education programs throughout the state of Texas, really in those family support programs on Texas military installations. So a lot of the work that we’ve done here, is work in partnerships with Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Bliss and Fort Hood.
So I’m just excited to be here today and help support this podcast.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: One thing I didn’t mention is that this is your [00:02:00] first time on this podcast. I’ve been going through the different collaboration teams, on all of our colleagues and collaborating on episodes like this. So I’m so happy to have you here and you do fantastic work, Rachel. And I’m also looking forward to our conversation today.
I’m also delighted to welcome our guest, Karrie Callaway. Karrie is a true bridge builder with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Harris County, where she connects agriculture, education, health and community engagement to make a real difference. As the Texas 4-H military liaison, Karrie leads programs for military connected youth and families supporting resilience, leadership and life skills across Texas, from military bases to local communities as well. Your experience, Karrie, I was just blown away.
So she’s also a certified chef and educator who creates innovative farm-to-table learning experiences for all ages. And she partners with schools and [00:03:00] organizations to bring nutrition and garden-based education into communities beyond her professional work. Oh, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg, by the way. With Karrie, she’s got a lot of really cool experiences. Beyond her professional work though, Karrie is also a military spouse and a parent, roles that further inspire her passion for serving military families and building stronger, healthier communities. Karrie , welcome to Practicing Connection.
KARRIE CALLOWAY: Thank you for having me. Thank you. Great introduction.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Thank you. I mean, it was a really difficult one because you have so many cool background experiences. So, you have mentioned in a previous conversation we had that serving people has always been heavy on your heart. So when you think about your journey into extension and this focus on military families, would you say the work found you or you found the work?
KARRIE CALLOWAY: The work definitely found me. I think it actually started a little bit from [00:04:00] childhood, now that I think about it. Just again, feeding the homeless and feeding kids, or giving out toys during Christmas time. And then Extension finding me, it just was a heartfelt thing to kind of serve my community, because I grew up doing it.
RACHEL BRAUNER: And Karrie, your early experience is from growing up around farming, your journey into the Extension program itself and the work that you’re doing, and as Jessica mentioned, those farm to table practices, do you see some of the trends carrying throughout your work with the families today?
KARRIE CALLOWAY: Yes, I definitely do. I grew up in a family catering company. So I grew up cooking my whole life. Again, serving in hospitality and just that idea, which I didn’t really know of, again, farm to table. I grew up, you know, during summertime, coming to Texas and running around large landmarks.
And so just that connectivity between [00:05:00] food and agriculture really was instilled in me as a very young child. But then to find Extension, that has both these pivotal things that we do to serve our community, we teach people how to cook and be healthy. alongside of this agriculture production of farming and livestock and 4-H and the idea of STEM education for youth.
I think it’s like a streamline of all of the things that, again, was instilled in me as a child. And so to be able to translate that and actually teach that to the community, it’s very heartfelt and it’s very fulfilling.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. I would say Extension work definitely found me also. So that resonates with me a lot. Like it was just sort of a, it’s almost like every, all of my experiences leading up to that was preparing me exactly for Extension work.
So, it sounds like you had a similar kind of [00:06:00] experience.
KARRIE CALLOWAY: Yes, the journey of getting to extension is a very long one, and people say I’m so young to have such a heavy journey. But, I went and studied at a culinary school in New York called the Culinary Institute of America. And then once doing that, I decided to move and go to Australia, and I noticed just the agriculture production and when it relates to restaurant or restaurateur, how that correlates. And I wanted to bring that experience back with me to America. So I went and studied plant and soil science, and in that journey, again, Extension found me.
While I was going to school, I lived in Houston, a lot of hospitality work while studying my undergrad, and again Extension found me and I found building out different community gardens and just again, while studying, I wanted to be hands-on. It was very important for me. [00:07:00] So started building out these community gardens and Extension got word of me building out these community gardens in Houston, and they came and sat and I fed them barbecue and I cooked for them and I went on this long-winded journey and they were like, “You’re gonna be a student aide, we’re gonna build you up.”
So all four years of my undergrad, I was a student aide with Extension. And as soon as I graduated, David Wright, my director here in Harris County, he picked me up and said, “Hey, we need you, we need you as community engagement. You’ve been doing this work for four years in research, on the community, and it really has taken like wildfire.”
I think the first two weeks of working for Extension, Fox News called me and I was like, wait, what? What’s going on here? And they wanted more information and to talk about again, agriculture production.
So it’s literally something that found me and then something that’s stuck. I love it.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I didn’t realize that the answer to that question was going to be so literal, that like literally they found you. [00:08:00] Incredible.
KARRIE CALLOWAY: Incredible. Yes, actually. So, definitely, I was interviewing and looking for work right after college and I got an email in the middle of an interview and it was from David Wright and he said, “We want to interview for this community engagement job.” And I was like, “Community engagement? I’m a chef and a farmer. How does that correlate?”
I mean, I do serve the community, and then I realized what that entailed. And during my interview process, I mentioned that I was a military spouse and he was like, “Oh, I have something else, something great for you.” And I was like, “What is it?” And he’s like, “We work with these military families and these kids.”
And he got really excited and fired up. And then I got really excited and fired up. And so it literally, again, the work found me and just the right time, right moment.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Awesome.
So Karrie, from your personal journey, let’s zoom out a little, [00:09:00] to the kind of work you do now. A really big part of your role is connecting people: extension agents, installations, community partners, which we know isn’t always easy. Your role as a liaison is about building bridges, between installations, extension agents, volunteers, families. What does that look like day to day and what challenges do you face, keeping those relationships strong given how often people rotate in and out.
KARRIE CALLOWAY: Yes. So what I really try to do at least every quarter is connect with not only the agents, but also the installations, and connecting the installations with the agent. So I do something called a virtual working call, that allows the agents, and again, the installations to express themselves, simply to have a platform to speak, maybe round table, if you will, of some of the struggles that they’re personally having.
Maybe possibly connecting with another agent in their area and/or [00:10:00] maybe some different needs, equipment that they need to start a garden project and or some resources or funding resources or, is there sub-award, grant funding available, to allow them to achieve their next goal or step.
Sometimes it’s as easy as shipping out STEM kits to the installation and providing a trainer to the folks that are working at the installation. But with the in and out rotation, a lot of the installation workers are spousal support, and so maybe they’re stationed somewhere else in the next couple of months.
So with that being said, sometimes that transition between agent communication and installation communication kind of gets lost in translation. And so I just try to continue to build that relationship with directors there, which is typically a stable person that is on the installation base alongside with the agent.
And then just making sure that communication is streamlined and clear.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Do other states have liaisons like [00:11:00] you? I mean, I know Wisconsin does, I know that some are maybe more active and less active, are you, do you all talk and, share tips?
KARRIE CALLOWAY: Yes, we have conferences, we have academies. Actually one of my colleagues actually just graduated from the academy, which again is almost a three month training where you go to different states and you get to know each other. And you get to connect with the other liaisons and/or other agents that are working with military families.
And so I do feel that the 4-H military partnership makes a pretty important impact, connecting us and setting the stage for us to stay connected with each other. Because again, when you have a family that might get stationed in another state, us having that line of communication is pretty important. Because maybe someone is moving to Texas and they need to connect with us to a local agent, and Texas is so big, so I have to connect them to an agent in that specific county.
But again, vice versa, if someone [00:12:00] moves to Washington DC or for instance, hosts a summer camp where multiple kids came from multiple different states, and they may not necessarily know about 4-H, but they wanna know after the camp happened, I now am connecting them to their state liaison that then connects them to their county agent, and different clubs in that area.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, I’m curious. Because for those of you who may not know Extension very well, for one thing, when Karrie mentions agents, there are some states that refer to their Extension educators as “agents.” Some of them refer to them just as “Extension educators.” So when you hear ‘agent,’ she’s really speaking about someone who works for an Extension service who has a certain role that works in communities and counties. For example, my role is in community development and local government. And, Karrie’s role is in youth. She’s a youth liaison. Is that your whole role, Karrie? We talked a little bit about your role already, I know [00:13:00] that, but is your whole role with youth, your entire role in Harris County Extension?
KARRIE CALLOWAY: No. So, I’m actually the community engagement coordinator for Harris County specifically. Actually we only have one in the state of Texas, but I work within an urban community, so, you know, we’re dealing with over 4.5 million people at any given time in an urban area. And so that community engagement position is really for me not only to engage with possibly our, our local commissioners or mayor’s office and or news channels or news stations, but also dealing with media relations, along with communicating with our local, different people that are, again, commissioner, mayor’s office, their team and trickles down to the bottom line team.
And then again, you know, Harris Health, who are our local partners. So my boss always says, “My job covers the three Ps: People, Partnership, [00:14:00] and Programs. So all the way from the partnerships and possibly, obtaining some grant funding, to build out these different community gardens, for instance, or working with the local school districts.
We have plenty of those. I’m connecting all of the three Ps, the partnerships, the programs, and the people.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, thank you so much for making that distinction. I know that Extensions operate differently in different states. We are everywhere and we do a lot of similar things like you just described, with the community engagement coordinator. I think you just described so much of what I did when I was working in a county. But we were called community development educators, so it was just very different across the state. So, yeah, Thank you so much for making that distinction.
KARRIE CALLOWAY: Yes. I get the luxury of managing, I have a lot of hats and I enjoy my hats that I wear. So managing a lot of different projects within the community of Houston, but beyond that, in the state of Texas. Being the 4-H military [00:15:00] liaison, again, working with all of the installations within Texas, and just seeing again, how to connect our programs to the people.
RACHEL BRAUNER: Karrie and Jessica, y’all just talked so much about how Extension agents kind of have their plates full a lot of time. You’re constantly juggling different roles, different jobs. You’re that educator, Karrie, but then you’re also a 4-H military liaison, so we’re wearing a lot of different hats, really making sure that we’re connecting with our communities and our installations. And then with our, what we call here in the state of Texas, with AgriLife is our county extension agents. And so in Texas we have 250 offices that encompass the 254 counties that make up the state of Texas. So there’s so many counties and so many county offices that there’s such a big Extension footprint here in the state. And a lot of our, what we call Extension agents out in those counties have [00:16:00] multiple roles, whether they’re focusing on 4-H, they’re focusing on health and wellness and nutrition, maybe animal agriculture and natural resources. And they have so much going on on their plate. And so when we as Extension educators that are focusing on military connected populations, from your perspective, Karrie, what are some high impact, low effort ways that extension staff can keep families in mind in their programming out in their counties?
KARRIE CALLOWAY: I think getting involved. You know, I always speak about the three Ps, but also just our volunteer base is pretty pivotal for what we do. And all of the hats that we wear within Extension and leaning on our volunteers, like our master gardener volunteers, as we call it, and or our master wellness volunteers.
And we have other categories of, again, a large volunteer, 4-H volunteers, which could [00:17:00] be a parent and or an older sibling, that have you know, been through the 4-H program, starting at a young age. I think leaning on just our community, again, our partnerships is key, as well as our volunteers.
Partnerships is very, very, very important to me, within Extension because we can’t do it alone and we don’t want to do it alone. So, you know, maybe a partner might fulfill something that we don’t necessarily do, within Extension, but it’s still a need. So I have a community of people that come to me for all different various topics.
You kind of name it, they come to me about it, financial literacy, STEM education, and you know, something of that nature. So being able to pull on a partner or a community partner and or a volunteer, that might be someone that’s an expert at that particular topic. And then our experts are specialists.
We have a very large group of specialists within Extension as well. And I also lean on [00:18:00] them and their expertise, because they’re very knowledgeable and that’s kind of that extension of the university, right? We’re extending information from the university, so from professors to specialists all the way.
Again, we talked about agents in Texas and then our volunteer base. That’s kind of like the streamline of what the community can really lean on and depend on. And there’s a lot of us that are willing to serve the community. But I think that that’s kind of what, again, my job and my role is, is to figure out that streamline, to support what we’re trying to do with an Extension.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: So I really want to tease out a little bit of this idea of the value of volunteers, that you were talking about. So like 4-H has a set of volunteers, master gardeners, I think we have master naturalists here. I don’t know if you guys have that. And I just heard about one too, a new one that like this model has been replicated over and over again because it’s such a powerful model. [00:19:00] So the value of volunteers in creating touchpoints for military families, how have you seen volunteers play that connector role in meaningful ways and how can we maybe take better advantage of that, or boost that?
KARRIE CALLOWAY: Rachel might have to help me with this one, from her perspective as well, but I think, asking – number one, you know, a lot of people are afraid to ask for help, and the worst answer you can get is no. That’s what I’ve always heard. So I think asking is very key. But there’s another side to this because there’s volunteers and there’s also resources, right?
So asking the community that simply just want to serve and give their time, and possibly even resources. So we have our volunteers, but then we also have people that want to just simply give in kind donations. So really just again, leaning on partnerships in the community, volunteers, to pour back into the community is, key, right?
And that [00:20:00] doesn’t mean necessarily someone is giving their time. That could also mean in-kind donations to achieve the larger goal of whatever a community garden, for instance, or maybe you’re trying to put on a six week series cooking course. So your local grocery stores might want to give funding or resources or even just simply groceries to achieve that program or that project that that 4-H student or that group or that club is trying to achieve.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I would imagine then that the volunteers in that way, because they’re having so many touchpoints with the families, can also help the people who are putting the programs together understand what they’re hearing, so that maybe program adjustments can be made, or maybe programs times, or, you know, making things more convenient or making changes to it.
So, yeah. It seems like that it’s a pivotal role, for two reasons, the touch points with the families, and then also gaining [00:21:00] information for program improvements.
RACHEL BRAUNER: Well, the volunteers are just so important in making that connection with Extension, and then our communities, because even though Extension has a large presence, at least here in the state of Texas as just a reference, we can’t do everything and be everywhere. And so those volunteers are so important to our programs and supports for example, in Bexar County where Joint Base San Antonio is located, we have a great master garden’s program where the agent, the county extension agent in Bexar County, where Bexar County is located in Military City USA in San Antonio, Texas. And so that county Extension agent and their program, the Master Gardeners Program, all of their volunteers are predominantly, a large population or percentage of that volunteer group is military connected.
So they’re predominantly [00:22:00] veterans that have transitioned out, that live in that community and they want to give back. And so we have found, or what we’ve seen in Bexar County, as a lot of our volunteers, those veteran volunteers, are providing a lot of peer support in those communities. So they are working closely with the installations. They’re working closely outside the gates to provide support. And then because they have that military experience, they’re providing a lot of peer support to the audiences that they’re serving and supporting. And so this is just a great way to see an example of how our extension volunteers are supporting our military connected populations.
And so we may not always ask our volunteers of who their backgrounds are. Or, you know, if they have a military experience, because we’re just so excited to be able to have the support of volunteers. But then it’s really important, especially those [00:23:00] programs that we have located near an installation, that those volunteers have a little bit of that experience that they’re bringing to support the active duty population.
So that’s always fun and exciting to see, and it just shows that value that those volunteers and their experiences bring to supporting us.
KARRIE CALLOWAY: Also, during the process of becoming a master gardener volunteer, for instance, they actually go through training. It’s almost like going back to college. And it is, it could be lengthy at times, but it’s important because we’re not just asking them to come and volunteer their time, but we’re also giving them the specific information to make sure that it’s, you know, research based information straight from the university, to actually provide the community with, again, things within nutrition and/or agriculture, horticulture topics. So volunteering their time, but also training them to provide the community with the right information.
RACHEL BRAUNER: Karrie, your [00:24:00] explanation on volunteers and Extension was just really a helpful reminder of how we can extend our reach in so many powerful ways, and it connects something else to your work, because mentioned you’re based in Harris County, which is for those that are listening is Houston, Texas, or in the area of Houston, Texas.
And it’s one of the largest veteran populations here in the state. And so of course, military service doesn’t end when someone transitions out from an active duty status. And so families are still raising children, they’re still facing similar challenges to their civilian counterparts. And still looking for that support, even when getting out of active duty. So how should Extension be thinking about how we support that transition, both during and after service?
KARRIE CALLOWAY: Yeah, that’s a great question. Starting with really going back to just doing it, I think is very key, but also acknowledging [00:25:00] that it’s important for us to serve our families that are within active duty and transitioning into becoming a civilian, or becoming a veteran. I think it’s even more important for us to support our families that are transitioning into becoming a veteran because there’s a lot of that right now.
And there will be in the next three years, we think of the ones who started being in the military at 18, they’re now 32. I know my spouse’s first sergeant and he’ll be retired in two years, and he’s already starting to think of different ways. He’s a humanitarian already on his own.
And so he’s already in the community serving, but, we have to think the military have a servant heart. So they’re looking for ways to serve their communities, to still feel connected to the service, right? And so that’s a big thing, and it’s very pivotal and important for someone that’s serving in the military because they’re like a comradery.
They’re a huge family. And so them transitioning out into being [00:26:00] civilians, they’re still looking for that comradery. Extension, it’s important for us to support that and think of ways that we can better support our military families, throughout. Again, being an active duty member and or veteran, and even if that’s asking them simply to volunteer their time, is a great way to make an impact to, again, a military family and also supporting them with 4-H programs, right?
Their kiddos are looking for things to do. They’re looking for their kiddos to do something. I had the luxury of planning a summer camp with about 60 kids this summer. And the way that it reached the masses, right? Over 120 kids signed up. It was really spousal support, right? So a mom told another mom, told another mom, told another mom.
And it was a very emotional moment to even connect with the kids, right? And communicate with kids because they were looking, they were teens, right? They were looking for something to do that was different. They’re used to this parent that [00:27:00] serves in this high risk management role. And so for them to do something active and with their hands and just adventurous, I think was very key and pivotal and they really, really took well to it.
So it’s our job with an Extension to really figure out different ways to target this audience.
RACHEL BRAUNER: Thank you, and thanks so much for letting me join you and Jessica today on this podcast. I’m excited, especially, Karrie, as a fellow colleague and peer working together across Texas A&M Aggro Life Extension. It’s always fun to hear what our Extension folks are doing throughout the state, and so the work that you’re doing is exciting, it’s great and it makes me want to work more with people like you and the importance of how to connect all of our different programs to better support military connected populations. And so I’m so excited about the work that you’re doing in your area. Thanks, Jessica.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:28:00] You are so welcome. And Karrie, before we go, first, this has been such a rich conversation about your journey, your work, and the role Extension can play for military connected families. But before we wrap up, I think I warned you about this question. I’d love to turn to you personally for a moment. What is one thing you do or one thing you practice that sustains or supports you in your work? Like cooking could be one of them, but I’ll leave that up to – is that what you were gonna say?
KARRIE CALLOWAY: It is, yes.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Oh I stole your thunder!
KARRIE CALLOWAY: Gardening and cooking and actually cooking with my daughter. And even my spouse, her dad has taken it on, full on. He’s stationed in California while I’m in Texas. And so even when she goes and visits him, he cooks with her because he knows it’s our thing and it’s something that really connects and bonds them.
I mean, he sends me pictures of them baking cookies and all kinds of stuff, stuff I don’t even do with her. And so I think cooking will always [00:29:00] be my number one go-to. Again, growing up my dad was a chef. The kitchen is home and it will always be my grounding space and gardening just kind of adds to it.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, one thing I’ll say is in the show notes, OneOp actually has a little mini course. It’s called, “Military Culture, A Guide For Extension Professionals.” If you are an extension professional and you are looking to learn a little bit more about how you might support military families in your area, this is just a super short, I think it takes like 45 minutes to an hour to get through a short guide on how to understand military culture, so that you can serve the families with a little bit more understanding.
So that’s it for this episode. Special thanks to our guest, Karrie Callaway and the guest co-host Rachel Brauner for the first time, hopefully not the last.
If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend. We’d love to hear what you’ve been thinking about and [00:30:00] what’s inspiring you. You can share that with us by clicking the Send us a text message at the top of the description of this episode. If you’re listening on a computer, you can email us at practicingconnection@oneop.org. We can’t wait to hear from you.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

From Networking to Meaningful Connections: Learning Together
2025-08-28 06:00 - 17:00
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Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzcxNjczOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTc3MTY3MzgtZnJvbS1uZXR3b3JraW5nLXRvLW1lYW5pbmdmdWwtY29ubmVjdGlvbnMtbGVhcm5pbmctdG9nZXRoZXIuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzcxNjczOCUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF (Season 6, Episode 35)
Professional development isn’t just about the content – it’s about the people.
Whether it’s a quick follow-up question, a shared takeaway, or an invitation to debrief, connecting with others during a learning event can spark fresh ideas, deepen your understanding, and expand your network in a meaningful way.
In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast, Coral and Jessica explore how connecting with other attendees – or even speakers – can transform your professional development experience.
Jessica shares a simple, low-pressure practice for starting conversations, learning collaboratively, and expanding your network in ways that feel authentic and focused on shared learning.
Whether you’re attending in person or online, discover practical ideas for reaching out, sharing takeaways, and creating spaces for meaningful dialogue.
Links and resources from this episode:

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OneOp Academy is a free online series designed for anyone interested in positive change, whether you’re an educator, community leader, student, or just passionate about supporting families.
This year’s Academy spotlights the unique challenges facing military connected youth, from mental health to resilience education to community support.
Explore the 2025 OneOp Academy and register today at oneop.org/series/2025academy [00:00:00] CORAL OWEN: Hey there. Thank you for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Coral. Today we’ll be talking about making the most of professional development opportunities through connecting with other attendees, or even the speaker, and my co-host Jessica, will be sharing a practice with us. Hey Jess. How are you today?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hey, I’m doing pretty great. I’ve been kind of in the spirit of our topic. I’ve been noticing lately that I’ve had a lot going on in my head, and typing out my to-do list and thoughts weren’t actually helping much. So I actually have more than one journaling app. There’s generally one that I use only, but I have a journaling app and I have different to-do list apps as well that I like to test out. I’m kind of a productivity tool nerd. But the typing it out wasn’t helping me very much. I go through periods where typing helps and sometimes it doesn’t.
And I’m in a period right now where typing isn’t helping me at [00:01:00] all. So, I’ve taken up daily pen and paper journaling again, and pen and paper list making, pen and paper journaling is a practice that I’ve actually kept for a long time, but I’ll sometimes go like a few days, weeks, or occasionally months without doing it.
And when I’m not doing pen and paper journaling, I’m generally doing some spotty typing out of my journals. So I thought I’d bring this up because today we’re talking about connecting with others, and this practice helps me connect with myself. And I’ve learned a long time ago to kind of let go of, “I don’t have to do things one way all the time.”
And I’ve noticed that there are times when my pen and paper isn’t fast enough for me, and so I need to go to typing. And then again, I’ve noticed times when the typing isn’t helping me ensure things get done, or it’s not helping to really get everything out of my head, and so I need to go to the physical writing. And so it, I really have to just be in tune with myself on that.[00:02:00]
CORAL OWEN: I’m chuckling over here because that, it’s very much been my experience too, as someone who, you know, kind of is, has one foot on either side of these generational lines of tech and then also pen and paper. And yeah, it’s nice to have a format for whatever the situation is feeling like it, you know, necessitates, not requires necessarily. But yeah, I love that. That’s a great reflection too on being able to connect with yourself and just figure out where you’re at before you turn around and make those intentional connections with other people. I love that. Thank you for sharing. We’d also love to hear what’s inspiring our listeners, so please do drop us a line at Practicing connection@oneop.org.
We see and respond to every message, and we can’t wait to hear from you.
– break –
Alright. Let’s learn more about the power of connection when it comes to making the most of our professional development. Jessica, can you tell us a little bit more about the practice you’ll be sharing today and [00:03:00] why you chose it?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, of course. I chose this particular activity for two reasons. First, if we’re looking for things like what’s lighting a spark in us, which is what we talked about in a previous episode, or if we’re looking for ways to connect with someone, then that means that we are fully present, we’re in the room even if that room is virtual.
Second, I chose this because seeking to connect with someone who is co-learning alongside us, or seeking to connect with the speakers, is one way to deepen our learning and to expand our professional network. And you’re expanding your network in a way that centers the connection on your learning, not on the things that usually make people feel a little icky when networking.
CORAL OWEN: Oh man. Jess. I know that’s gonna resonate with a lot of people. I feel that pretty deeply and yeah, having something to center that connection around, I know it’s going to be helpful for a lot of folks. So can [00:04:00] you go ahead and walk us through on how we might get started?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, absolutely. This actually might be one of the simplest practices we’ve shared. The only step, the first and only step is to reach out to a fellow participant, instructor or colleague. So you can do this well in multiple ways, but I’m going to give you three ways and three reasons for your reach outs.
So you might ask them a follow up question during the session. You can ask the speakers or one of the participants who shared something in the chat, just ask them a follow-up question. That’s all that one is.
Another way that you could reach out is, share a takeaway. This is a really low pressure way to open dialogue. For example, during a virtual learning setting, you might put this in the chat. You could say something like, “One thing that really sparked my thinking today was..” fill in the blank. “I’d love to hear what stood out to others.” You could also do [00:05:00] this in a LinkedIn group or thread.
Make sure though to tag the speaker or the organization who hosted. They will really appreciate it. And then the third way that you could reach out to a participant, instructor, or colleague, would be to invite connection. So you could invite some colleagues or others to a short debrief conversation or create a shared file for an idea swap where you all share one idea that you plan to try.
That is one way I’ve actually gone back to some of those documents where someone decided to create one for everyone who was in the room and say, “Hey, here’s a shared document that I created with my idea. Go ahead and add yours.”
I’ve actually gone back to them months later too, to try something new.
So that’s it. You just reach out to a participant, instructor, or colleague.
CORAL OWEN: Good deal. Simple is easy. Love it. Awesome. Well thanks so much for guiding us through, and yeah, that’s it for this episode.
So thank y’all for joining us, and if you did enjoy this episode or [00:06:00] find this practice helpful, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend or colleague.
Till then, we’ll be back next week with a new episode, and be sure to keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

The Academy | Fostering Belonging for Military-Connected Teens
2025-08-27 11:00 - 12:30
Join us for an insightful webinar on the impact of school transitions related to military moves and how these changes affect military-connected adolescents. We’ll explore the challenges transient students face and discuss strategies professionals can use to support teens in building a sense of belonging and community. When students feel connected and engaged in their school environment, they experience positive short- and long-term outcomes for well-being, both in adolescence and adulthood. Learn how to foster belonging, create supportive school cultures, and help military-connected students thrive despite frequent relocations.
Learning Objectives:

Highlight the unique challenges faced by transient military-connected students, including disruptions in peer relationships, academic continuity, and identity development
Examine how frequent school transitions due to military moves affect the academic, social, and emotional well-being of military-connected adolescents
Discuss how schools can cultivate inclusive and empathetic environments that support the needs of all students, including those with disabilities, especially those experiencing frequent relocations
Share practical strategies and interventions professionals can use to help all military-connected teens build a sense of belonging and connection within new school communities

Ms. Terri Jones is currently an Army School Liaison/Transition Specialist with the Army Installation Management Command Headquarters (IMCOM HQ) G9, Child and Youth Services (CYS) in San Antonio, TX. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Education from Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX. She has sixteen years’ experience as a School Liaison Officer and eleven years as an educator who taught in Copperas Cove Independent School District (CCISD) in Texas. Kristen Acquah is a dedicated education professional and School Liaison Program Specialist currently serving at the Headquarters Marine Corps in Quantico. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education (PreK-6) from Old Dominion University, along with a Virginia endorsement and license in Special Education. Kristen also earned a Master’s Degree in Leadership: Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University, further strengthening her expertise in educational leadership and program development. Join a Reflect & Connect session to process learning from the Academy and connect with colleagues on Sept. 18 via https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/98025339991?pwd=[REDACTED]

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2027.
Certified Nutrition and Wellness Educator (CNWE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2027.
Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator (CPFFE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2027.
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2027.
Board Certified Case Managers (CCMC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2026.
Board Certified Disability Management Specialists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from The Commission for Case Manager Certification. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2026.
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). **Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2028.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR): This webinar awards 1.5 CPEUs in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Prior Approval Program. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2028.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2028.
Michigan Certified Teachers (SCECH): This webinar has been approved for 1.5 SCECH from the Michigan Education Association’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2028.
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2027.
Human Resource Professionals (SHRM): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2026.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (UTSW): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on 8/27/2028.
Certificates of Attendance: OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities

Webinar Slides
Additional Resources
This webinar will be supported by a brief video Case Story, designed to spark conversation and sharing: https://youtu.be/U59cr1K-Dp4?feature=shared. View a transcript of the video here.
Get familiar with the data: Review this infographic ahead of the webinar.
The Academy Homepage Photo Credit: Wavebreakmedia

Bridging the Gap: Military Kids and School Communities with Mark Paolicelli and Dulce Carrillo
2025-08-14 06:00 - 17:00
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Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. 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 (Season 6, Episode 34)
When a redistricting proposal put military children’s routines at risk, two communities came together, transforming crisis into collaboration. Discover how a proactive partnership made all the difference.
Jessica Beckendorf welcomes Mark Paolicelli (former Deputy Base Commander for joint base Meyer-Henderson Hall) and Dulce Carrillo (Supervisor of Community Partnerships and Engagement at Arlington Public Schools) in this special episode, sharing their story of coming together to solve a collective challenge that affected each of their respective communities.
When a redistricting proposal threatened to disrupt the school experience of military kids, little did anyone know it would spark a dialogue that led to meaningful, long-term partnerships.
Hear firsthand how Mark and Dulce navigated misunderstandings, built bridges, and turned neighbors into allies – all in the name of supporting military-connected students.
Their story offers timely lessons in resilience, communication, and the power of coming together for a common cause.
Links

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OneOp Academy is a free online series designed for anyone interested in positive change, whether you’re an educator, community leader, student, or just passionate about supporting families.
This year’s Academy spotlights the unique challenges facing military connected youth, from mental health to resilience education to community support.
Explore the 2025 OneOp Academy and register today at oneop.org/series/2025academy JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hello, and welcome to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica Beckendorf. Our guests today are Mark Paolicelli, former Deputy Base Commander for Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall, and Dulce Carrillo, supervisor of Community Partnerships and Engagement at Arlington Public Schools in Virginia. Dulce and Mark were part of an effort that began as a crisis from the base’s perspective and ended in long-term understanding and partnership.
Though they were neighbors, the base and Arlington schools had little interaction until a redistricting proposal threatened to move military kids from their usual school. We’re excited to learn more about how this story unfolded, which resulted in improved support for military kids, and raised regional awareness of their unique challenges.
Hi, Mark and Dulce. Thank you so much for joining us on Practicing Connection.
DULCE CARILLO: Hello, [00:01:00] Jessica. Great to be here.
MARK PAOLICELLI: Yeah. Thanks for having us, Jessica.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, let’s start by getting to know you both a little bit. Can you share a bit about your backgrounds and your connection to the base in Arlington schools? And maybe Mark, I’ll start with you on this.
MARK PAOLICELLI: Sure. My name is Mark Paolicelli, as previously stated, I’m a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps. My last assignment before I retired in 2022, I was the Deputy Joint Base Commander for Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall. Now this is an army owned installation, but because it’s a joint base with the Marine Corps, that’s why a marine officer is the deputy commander for the base. And I was in that role from 2018 until my retirement in 2022.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: And Dulce, please share a little bit about yourself and your connection to the base in Arlington schools.
DULCE CARILLO: Yes. I’ve been working for Arlington Public Schools since the fall of 2016. I had been assigned by our superintendent, then Superintendent Patrick, Dr. Murphy, [00:02:00] as a representative to the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. So I was learning and getting to know members of that community including Lieutenant Colonel Paolicelli, and that led to starting to learn about and how we can serve military students better. How we can be a system that supports students and looks out for the interest of military connected students.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Awesome. Well, let’s think about before the two of you were assigned to get involved. What was the relationship like between the base and Arlington schools before this redistricting proposal, and what concerns did the proposal raise?
MARK PAOLICELLI: So how I would describe our relationship was we were neighbors – Literally, the headquarters for Arlington Public Schools is right outside our main gate. So we could walk there from our main gate. But we were neighbors that were, I’d say, friendly and cordial to each other, but we didn’t know each other.
We [00:03:00] coexisted very closely. But we didn’t really have a relationship, at least to my knowledge, because a lot of our kids, they’re enrolled in Arlington schools. Those families dealt with the Arlington school district on their own. So the base leadership and the base really didn’t have, you know, any interactions with Arlington public schools.
DULCE CARILLO: Yes. No, I totally agree. I think we were neighbors, but we were not, certainly not meeting on a regular basis or discussing issues that were pertinent to military connected students. That said, the commander Kimberly Peoples, Colonel Peoples would come to our events. I really always enjoyed seeing her.
She would be invited to an administrative conference or certain events and I would see her at our whole child conferences. So that was something that I loved and I was interested in learning more about, but certainly at that time we were not having meetings. Just bumping into each other basically.
MARK PAOLICELLI: Yeah. I’ll agree. And I’ll follow up, you’re right there were events that we would invite each other to, [00:04:00] whether it’s like the base change of command or certain events that Arlington Public Schools would have, that we would extend invitations to. But again, I don’t think we had a really dedicated relationship where we were talking on a regular basis. And I don’t think up until this point the topic we’re about to talk about, I don’t think there were any things that came up for, you know, kind of forced us to have a conversation with each other, other than just being cordial and friendly with each other.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, and I’d like to set the stage even a little bit further. Mark, you and I have talked in the past, and as I recall, there were not very many kids that were in school that were living on the base, but there was a presence of children because of a daycare.
And I wonder if you could just explain a little bit about that dynamic, and how it contributed to the need to connect.
MARK PAOLICELLI: Sure. Yeah. So Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall, the army side of the base, previously known as Fort Myer, or the residents that live on that base are the army’s senior most leaders, and honestly the military’s senior most leaders, [00:05:00] so five out of the eight Joint Chiefs of Staff live within our fence line. And so all the other top generals from the Army reside on the base.
And so because of that, a lot of these are older and senior military officers. Most of them have kids that are grown or that have moved out that are in college or whatnot. So the base’s children population was only about 30 kids that actually lived on the base. Aside from the residents, we have the largest daycare center in the Department of Defense and our early child development center hosts about 550 kids when we’re at full capacity, and that’s both infant care and toddler care.
And then the other side of the facility is the school age side which are, K-through-Eighth Grade that get dropped off at the daycare center in the morning, hop on Arlington County buses, go out into the county and then at the end of the day, they’re brought back to the daycare [00:06:00] center.
And now keep in mind military families work pretty long hours. So our daycare center was open from six o’clock in the morning until six in the evening. And those before and after school care kids you know, really relied on the care of the center to be able to hang out there and do afterschool programming until their military parents could come pick them up.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I would love to also dig a little bit into the redistricting proposal itself. Dulce, maybe you could talk a little bit about the school’s needs for the proposal and Mark you could maybe talk a little bit about the response that the base felt they needed to have to support the military kids.
DULCE CARILLO: Yes, to give you some background, so it is basically a responsibility of the school district to ensure that we have balanced enrollment in our school buildings. Each of our school buildings has a certain number, a capacity of students fit in a school. And our demographics are constantly changing where people are moving and [00:07:00] coming.
And so every couple of years, and this fall is no exception, when a school gets too crowded and we see extra room in another school where there are empty seats in classrooms, we do a boundary change. And that means that we shift some students to other schools to balance this enrollment, otherwise it could balloon up and you know, we need more trailers and things like that while other schools are kind of empty.
So boundaries are one of the most painful things that we do as a school district and we take a lot of care, since there are a lot of competing demands. How do we ensure that all of our students, none of them are overburdened, but also that some schools are not overcrowded, while others empty.
So that was the backdrop. And also prior to this example, we were really bursting at the seams. Our enrollment had been growing and growing. We were looking at 30,000 student enrollment and not enough seats. So I think that was part of the [00:08:00] reason we’re not seeing that now, there’s less pressure to do severe boundary moves because we’re not under that type of pressure.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: And so Mark, when did it become known that the redistricting proposal was going to affect the military kids on base? And maybe it affected more than that. If you could maybe describe that reaction you guys had and why you felt like it was really important, right? Even though there were only 30 kids on base. Like, why was it really important for you to step in?
MARK PAOLICELLI: Yeah. So I was made aware of this in the fall, when Arlington was holding town hall meetings, and really the base leadership was made aware of it from a lot of concerned military families that were going to be impacted by it. So I don’t know if you know anything about running a base, but every decision you make, and everything that happens around the base, the base commander and the deputy commander, you hear an earful from your population and the people that you’re supporting, and the people that use your services.
So, as you can imagine, you [00:09:00] know, the redistricting thing was a pretty emotional event for some of our military families. They were very vocal about their concerns and the impact that this was going to have on them. The unique thing with military families is these families are assigned to a location for two or three years, and then they pick up and they move again.
So, I think it’s pretty well known that military kids are very resilient. Because they’re always doing that. That’s the lifestyle that they’re used to. And so for us, our concern when the base leadership was informed of it was, is this really necessary? Can we talk to Arlington, just kind of find out a little more about it?
Because at that time, to be honest with you, I didn’t understand the redistricting reasons. I do now. Especially as a parent of a 7-year-old, ’cause we just went through this where I live. So I fully understand it and I completely understand why the county needs to do that in order to make sure that they’re operating within capacity, so that they don’t have some schools that are bursting at the seams. So [00:10:00] anyway, the base commander, she was notified and at the time she was really concerned that we just needed to understand this. And she knew that it needed the base leadership involved. So she tasked me to be her point person on this, to dig into it, find out exactly what was going on, to understand the situation a little bit better so that really we could communicate back to our military families using the services on the base of, “Hey, this is what we’re doing, or this is why Arlington is doing this.” Really to inform them. So that they weren’t just dealing with emotions, you know what I mean, or acting out on their emotions. And our standpoint from the beginning was just understand it and then see if this was concrete or if there was room for, you know, maybe a compromise.
Before we even got to that, we had to understand the issue and why Arlington was making that decision.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: It sounds like you were really looking for where are the gaps and how can we bridge them? And a lot of that kind of back and forth communication and helping everyone understand why redistricting needed to happen is [00:11:00] one of the ways you do that.
MARK PAOLICELLI: Yeah, and we were very cautious too, right? We never go in, or at least Colonel Peoples – now Major General Peoples was a fantastic base commander and a great boss. She’s a very, compassionate leader. And so, she didn’t take the stand of, “We’re the military and we should be treated differently and special because we wear a uniform.” She sincerely looked at it from, “Okay, let’s understand this first. And then if there’s room for compromise to alleviate these military families from having to pull their kids out of another school and go to a different school next year, you know, is there room for compromise?”
And at the very least, make sure that Arlington County understands kind of the uniqueness of these military families. ‘Cause like I said, when we talked earlier, that we’re neighbors. There’s a lot of people that I engage with from Arlington County that have lived in Arlington forever and have never stepped foot on the base. And I think a lot of these bases are really [00:12:00] foreign to their neighbors because they never get access to the base. They never get to go on and see the services or the soldiers or the Marines. So it’s kind of this foreign place that they know it’s over there.
They know it’s guarded, but they don’t understand it because they’ve never had the opportunity to, you know, be on the base or engage with the base community kind of thing.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: So if I could just add one thing to what you’re saying. Earlier you mentioned that military kids, like it’s pretty well known that they can be very, very resilient. And I’ll just say as a former military kid, it was eons ago at this point, but it would have been extra hard to have had to – midstream in the middle of that two years or three year stint – to have had to switch again.
It really would have been difficult. And so that said I’m wondering Dulce how did the school district start to begin to understand the unique challenges that military kids face?
DULCE CARILLO: It was through these conversations, and I totally agree that Colonel Peoples was an amazing, compassionate leader who really had [00:13:00] very strong influence, but it was more soft and diplomatic influence. And of course she sent Mark Paolicelli, who’s a similar very strong leader, but with a lot of curiosity and, you know, willing to listen and dialogue before making demands, which, you know, could have been worse I think, had we sort of come to a standoff. But I think these conversations were important for all of us because we as a district also needed more understanding of the particular situation of military students, and we knew it at a certain level.
We know students because we see them, they enroll and then they have to leave, or sometimes they don’t, you know, they enroll late in the summer or even sometimes mid-year. Not that we didn’t know, but because we live in the DC metropolitan area, and we also have a lot of diplomatic kids who are different, they’re not military, but they are also moving quite often. It’s a very dynamic region. You know, military students having this burden seemed [00:14:00] kind of like, “We have a bunch of students and if we allow this group to say we can’t move, what are we gonna do with these other students who also have these needs?”
I think that was one of the things we were hearing in terms of how much flexibility can we have and still balance the capacity at our different campuses.
I just wanted to kind of echo what Colonel Paolicelli said about the base being a foreign place. I think you’re totally right. I mean, we are neighbors, but personally I thought that we were not allowed on base unless we were invited and escorted. It looks like a very secure place that, unless you know you have an opportunity to create relationships and visit, it feels like it’s out of bounds and you’re not supposed to go there and don’t try to go there and you know, it’s not for you. It’s only for military. That is the perception.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: That actually I think is a beautiful segue into a burning question that I have, and that is what were the main [00:15:00] challenges in building this understanding? I mean, you guys have made it sound beautifully easy but what were the challenges in building this understanding between the base and the school officials and how were they overcome?
MARK PAOLICELLI: It sounds difficult, but it was really just talking to each other, right. And understanding each other. You know, one of the things talking to the folks with Arlington at the time, I realized that when they were looking at their data for redistricting, they were looking at the 30 kids that lived on the base and their proposal was, “Hey, we have to pick up your kids and bus them to their school anyways, so it doesn’t matter, is it really a big deal that we’re, going to bus them to a different school, right?”
They’re not walking to school. Like other Owens County residents, we have to go, come on the base and pick them up. “So what’s the big deal about, you know, moving them to a different school?” Talking in our initial conversations, I quickly realized that they were only looking at the 30 kids that were residents [00:16:00] and the 180 kids that were before and after school care in our daycare center that were also Arlington County residents who attended our before and after school care program. That was a kind of a blind spot for them.
They didn’t realize that this impact wasn’t going to just impact the 30 kids who lived on the base. It was also going to impact the 180 kids that were using the before and after school care. That opened up their eyes. And quite honestly I was even more nervous because they’re like, “There were even more kids that we weren’t factoring in.”
And so we were able to pull together the data for them of, “Here’s our list of all the kids that are either residents or patrons of the before and after school care. Here’s a by name list of everybody.” If memory serves me right, I had a by name list. I know I had the numbers. And so really kind working together with them, with like, say, “Hey, here’s a population that we weren’t counting in.”
And then I was able also, actually, yeah, you’re right. Sorry to go back. I [00:17:00] didn’t share the names. I was only allowed to share the numbers. I was able to go in and find out from the families when they were leaving. Right. And that was another thing that I think the decision makers that wasn’t part of their calculus was like, yes, when the decision is made, there’s 180 kids that are impacted, but out of the 180 kids, 60 of them are what we call PCS, which is a move. Meaning their families are gonna get orders. So next year they’re not gonna be students anymore. They’re going to move somewhere else, right. So there’s a lot of variables that, quite frankly, it was quite a science project for me to dig into to get that data for them, to get that data over to Arlington Public School so they can make a more really informed decision and at least in my opinion, a more informed decision. But again, those are the uniquenesses of it, right?
There’s the base population, you know, that live there. There’s the population that used the before and after school care. And then on top of it, to add even more complexity to it you have some [00:18:00] kids that aren’t gonna be around for the next three years. And then even more kids, what we don’t know coming in, right. You really had to go through it with a fine tooth comb.
And I was fortunate still to this day, grateful that the leaders at Arlington County Public Schools were at least willing to talk to me. And hear our position and our considerations
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, and so Dulcey I’d love to get the similar thoughts from you on what were the challenges from the school district’s perspective? Like what were some of these challenges in the building? That understanding?
DULCE CARILLO: I think one of our challenges was that several different departments were involved in this. So we had one department called the Department of Planning and Evaluation, and they’re the ones working on the data, working on, you know, numbers, really trying to make everything work. But they’re kind of blind to, like my department, we’re school and community relations.
We’ve got the relationships, we have more ability to meet with, and build conversations. So planning valuation is [00:19:00] more policy. We can’t break the policy. It is more black and white if you want to say, because they’re dealing with so many variables that they don’t really want to hear.
It’ll throw off their models if we give them all these exceptions. So it’s their job, you know, to be responsible and to say, “Hey, we’re running all these models and we can’t have all these exceptions to these models or our plans won’t work and our schools won’t be well distributed.”
And then you throw in, we have a registration office. Which is our welcome center. These were separate offices at the time where they had very strict registration rules. A person cannot register until they can prove that they have an Arlington address, and once they have an Arlington address, they are sent to a school that is within their boundary.
These are all the regulations for registration. So if you live on base, you go to this school. If you live in another part of the county, you go to that school, unless you’re in a lottery program. So they’re also [00:20:00] trying to juggle where all of the kids are. And then we had obviously the superintendent’s office, which got involved when the leadership at the joint base came forward and said, “Hey, you know, please intervene. We want to do some talking.”
So we had basically four departments trying to educate one another and each of us bringing a different perspective to that conversation. Some are saying, yes, we should make this exception. And others saying we can’t, there’s so many other exceptions. So it was a bit tricky also internally for us. And I don’t know what Mark’s numbers were, but some of the arguments that, you know, I was getting pushback on was saying even though the kids attend the childcare center, they’re not necessarily Arlington residents, and we don’t have any room to be accepting kids whose parents might be working at the Pentagon, say, but are actually not living in Arlington.
They’re not supposed to be registered at our schools at all. So we had to really share, and your research helped a lot to say, “Here are the kids who do live in [00:21:00] Arlington County, who will be going to our schools, and we can make the exception to keep them in a community so they don’t feel further disturbed from, you know, the normalcy they’re trying to create in their two or three year posting with us in Arlington.”
MARK PAOLICELLI: Yeah, Dulce, I remember that. Because this was an educational adventure for me as well, right. So when that came up, I was able to dig into our population and really dispel that rumor or that belief that no, if they’re a student at Arlington Public Schools per Arlington’s policy, they are also an Arlington resident.
So we were to dig into that, because that was a question and a concern understandably from the school side, do we have students in our schools that aren’t Arlington County residents? And we were able to dig through that and validate that for you, that we are in compliance with the policy.
DULCE CARILLO: Correct, we hadn’t dug into that data. In fact, as a military liaison of sorts, I did have access to numbers. [00:22:00]I know how many kids were at each of our schools because I was told for security they were not releasing that information. Virginia policy, we ask every student when they start school, are you military connected or do you have the data. For security they told us we don’t release that information. We don’t want any schools targeted in case there are more families than another. So I actually for the first time had that information from the base who willingly shared and said, you know, we published that and it helped us understand that 5% of students are military connected, a significant number.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wow. It sounds like you guys had some things that really contributed to the success of this effort, and what I’m hearing right now is that there was a willingness to spend the time on it, right? Because conversations take a long time. And I’m [00:23:00] hearing that there was also an openness to hearing what the needs were on both sides, and openness to hearing about data that maybe you had never seen before. And also there was a commitment on both of the leadership’s sides toward the effort, like a commitment to learning more and to doing more.
Does that all feel true for you guys? Is there something else in your magic sauce of like, what contributed to the success?
MARK PAOLICELLI: I mean, really it is just having the conversations, right? And I said it earlier, you know, I was so grateful and am grateful that they didn’t just say, “Hey, this is our decision, deal with it. See you later.” And I think that you hit on it with the willingness and openness to at least engage in a conversation. And then, to understand it better because I needed to understand the reasons for the decisions that were being made so I could communicate that back to our military families. Quite honestly, you know, I was resigned [00:24:00] to the fact that if the decision was made that, “Hey, sorry there will be no military family exception to policy and the kids have to move.” You know, I may not have agreed with the decision, but at least I could understand it and be able to communicate that back to the families, right? So that they had the facts and they understood the reasons why the decisions were made.
So again, you know, we had to understand this a little more, because it was impacting families for the three years that they’re assigned to our base or their children are patrons of our daycare center. If we can do something to help them, and at least ensure stability for while they’re assigned to our base, then we’re gonna do everything in our efforts to try to accomplish that, right? To try to support them in that effort.
DULCE CARILLO: I would like to add, Mark, that I think it was precisely that attitude that came through and the fact that, you know, the compassionate leader in you and in Colonel Peoples made it a lot easier for our leadership too, to be [00:25:00] compassionate and be as flexible as possible because we wanted to figure out, I think it makes it easier.
We get demands from all sides, and sometimes the demands are people who are not listening. They want to share their needs, but are not listening to our situation and vice versa. And I think that this situation was not like that. And I’m going to credit you not only because we’re on this call, but that the type of leadership where you were willing to listen, understand and accept the outcome, and yet advocate so strongly and with evidence and with research and through conversation one-on-one, I think really helped.
Not every leader may have been able to get through that way because that does matter, being a great listener, being understanding, not only sharing your needs, but listening to understand others’ needs as well.
MARK PAOLICELLI: I’m greatly flattered by your comments, Dulce, thank you. And I’ll say, during our conversations we also [00:26:00] recognized that we have a lot in common, because the decisions that Arlington County public schools are making are very similar to the decisions a base commander makes, right? About what’s best for your community.
And then you have to stand in the Town Hall and justify yourself of everything, of every decision you’re making. So I think we found that in common ground with Arlington, because we get it. I’ve been there too, right? You make a decision and then you’ve got a lot of concerned folks that are saying, “Why did you come to that decision? Well, what about this?” Or, “Have you considered X, Y, and Z?”
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hmm.
MARK PAOLICELLI: And that’s being a leader, serving a community, you have to be able to articulate that. But I’m not going to lie, it can be frustrating at times. Only because it’s unique. It’s a unique command because, you know, people think of the military and they think, okay the commander makes a decision and nobody questions it, and everybody executes.
A base commander and a community leader, it’s very different, right? And it’s not that it’s a burden to explain [00:27:00] yourself of why. But you have to be able to understand the needs of your community, and when you make decisions, be empathetic and have that in mind, but also communicate that of why the decisions are being made. So yeah, that was the common ground that I think we found, that we had with the leadership of the school district.
DULCE CARILLO: Indeed. And when you say you know command at base, I think how unique Arlington public schools in Arlington County as a community is a very incredibly involved community, very highly educated, savvy. Every decision that we make, we have to have a lot of research, a lot of community input, because the community members are engaged. In a great way.
MARK PAOLICELLI: Yeah.
DULCE CARILLO: But they will take us to task if we don’t explain why we’re giving someone an exception, but not someone else. And so we have to be very careful as well in every decision, because every family that gets [00:28:00] impacted is huge. It’s their child.
MARK PAOLICELLI: Yeah.
DULCE CARILLO: They’re not military connected, moving them from a community they thought they were going to go, now you get tears, lawsuits, people leaving our district and going to private school. I mean, it is a huge deal.
MARK PAOLICELLI: Yeah.
DULCE CARILLO: These are delicate subjects in a very engaged community.
MARK PAOLICELLI: But you know, I would say this and you know, with the engaged communities that we both have, right? That we share, they hold you to account, right? So you better make sure that you do your homework and do your research and get your facts straight before decisions are made. Which is a good thing, right?
But also on the flip side of it is like, “Okay, I get the facts together, or when we present things, I know I’ve done my homework, I know that I can speak confidently behind the decisions that we’re making.”
Because I, you know, it wasn’t a, just a gut thing and “Oh, we’re just going with this, right?” We did our homework and we got our facts together before we made decisions. There was a lot of [00:29:00] thought involved between leadership of both the public school and the base.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wow, there was so much that went into this. I would love to switch over to talking about what were some of those big wins or outcomes from this effort that you’re particularly proud of? And, you know, maybe were there any lasting wins? Were there any kind of things that carried on or grew out of this?
MARK PAOLICELLI: I think from my perspective the big win was that Arlington Public Schools and the leadership there aren’t just our neighbor in passing, there’s actually a relationship built on trust and transparency. When I left, you know, I know the base commander was still continuing to engage and meet with the Arlington superintendent, at least on a quarterly basis. With Dulce and I, I think that a friendship has formed.
You know, we started off not really knowing each other except for when we were at the Arlington County’s Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. But that relationship, I think, started with this incident or crisis[00:30:00] and because of that a strong relationship was formed and has maintained since then. And a friendship and, you know, I consider Dulce a friend, a friendship and partnerships was formed throughout this whole thing.
DULCE CARILLO: Thank you, Mark. I want to echo that. I think the big wins were not only did we genuinely understand each other’s needs better. I think the lasting wins that, as you mentioned, there are quarterly meetings between the superintendent and the commander. And we’re now onto our third commander where we’re going to be launching those this fall. And there we have an opportunity when crises occur that we have these relationships and we bring the commander to a different school at least twice a year to see and to speak with military connected students to tell them how was their transition, what are their needs. So it’s really become a learning tool for us.
And our superintendent, our new superintendent, because we did switch to Dr. Francisco Duran. [00:31:00] He is very big on the Purple Star program. This is a Virginia Department of Education program where a school can be designated purple star, that they understand the needs and support connected students.
And that is a program that he has been working very hard to engage in, that’s a lasting win. I think we’re now up to almost half of our schools that have applied and were awarded Purple Star status, and our goal is to have one hundred go through that. That includes an investment in training our staff members about military connected students and particular circumstances.
Having programs that a student comes in, the school counselors are made aware so that there are already students willing to have lunch with that student, show them school, tell them what clubs and activities are available. So that they don’t have to eat lunch alone or wait, you know, it’s very hard when you’re a child to make [00:32:00] friends. So we’re proud of our Purple Star program, our quarterly meetings and genuinely increased understanding awareness among staff and, you know, celebrating the military child in April having proclamation military students.
So we’ve taken a lot of steps that are ones that you know, when I’m gone, things will continue.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Did a lot of that actually come out of this initial redistricting proposal in all of these conversations?
DULCE CARILLO: They happened afterward, I can’t say they were a direct result. I’d say when you grow closer to a community, you build that trust. You’re both transparent. You have goodwill, which I believe was there on both sides. That really opens up a lot of possibilities. We are looking for ways that we can serve and support, we’re eager to do so because it didn’t leave a bitter aftertaste.
It wasn’t a [00:33:00] type of fight where we felt we were pushed into something that we really didn’t want to do, or vice versa. I think, again, I’m gonna go back to investing in those conversations and to learning about one another. Really set some goodwill.
MARK PAOLICELLI: I think Dulce, you had, I think two Purple Star schools when I started my tenure at the base in 2018. And now you’re up to, you said 16.
DULCE CARILLO: I’d have to count them and I’ll let you know, but it’s about 16. We had one to be honest, one.
MARK PAOLICELLI: One. Okay. I thought it was two. Yeah. Okay. Wow. And then the other thing too, Jessica, I’ll say that because we had a relationship with the staff with Arlington, it goes both ways, right? So anytime they had issues, like for example, at the beginning of the school year when their bus drivers are having a difficult time getting through the gate, because they have to go through the search lane and the bus drivers have to get vetted. I mean, that’s something that we could help them with so that the bus drivers can make their routes on time. Get their bus drivers names. We can give them a trusted traveler permission after a [00:34:00] background check. So that they’re able to make their routes on time. But we didn’t know that was an issue.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, looking back then, what lessons from this partnership would you share with others who are working to build similar relationships? It doesn’t have to be a military base, but at least like military population and schools. What lessons would you have to share with people who are looking to develop similar relationships?
DULCE CARILLO: I would say some lessons learned are one, you know, don’t make assumptions. Make the time to listen to all of your families and constituencies. Come to the school district, be willing and open to learn. And in this case you know, we learn so much. So there’s probably other communities and needs that we might not understand because we haven’t yet had the opportunity to do so. Also, I think meeting quarterly is important, because you want to have those relationships so when things do flare up, you already have a direct call of somebody you know and [00:35:00] trust that you can have a conversation with to solve the situation a lot faster than if you’re trying to figure out who to call.
So I would say that, and what keeps us motivated is that we are a school system that prides itself in serving every student, from their own needs and assets, and military students are no exception. I think they are one of the populations, like several others, where there are needs. We want to make sure that we’re ensuring stability for our students and serving them in a way that meets their needs.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. Just a quick note. It’s like, one of the things I’m hearing in what you’re saying Dulce is something that we’ve said a lot on this podcast and that’s work on setting up and cultivating the relationships before you need them.
MARK PAOLICELLI: Yeah, Jessica. I agree. I mean, we have a saying that, “A time of crisis is not the time to figure out who your counterparts are,” right.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yes.
MARK PAOLICELLI: And the only thing I would add, I [00:36:00] think, I agree a thousand percent of what Dulce said that those relationships, establishing them and maintaining them are extremely important.
Because really, you have to know the other side. And I think that there’s a perception on the military side that it’s “Our way and that’s it,” right? So if there’s any base commanders out there listening to this I would say, even though there’s a fence line that separates you from your community, really that fence line is irrelevant. You have to engage with your community leaders, both, you know, at the city or county level, definitely with your school districts, and the military community and what services they’re using from the county.
I look at the difference between the military community and the civilian community and really, that fence line should not exist, So if that means you’ve got to go out of your comfort zone and go introduce yourself with your counterparts outside of your base, then you need to do that. And if it’s not you as the base commander, then have your deputy or your sergeant major, or somebody, [00:37:00] one of your senior leaders do that. To be your point person.
A lot of bases have school liaisons. But as a commander, I would say you need to join them once in a while and show an interest, that you care, because it’s going to impact your community on the base.
And then the final thing I would say is open up your base to them. There’s a lot of people that think it’s behind this fence, that they don’t know what’s going on there. So level the knowledge gap by inviting the community leaders onto your base, host them, show them around, and there’s your entry point. You need to cultivate that.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, I think you told me once that you ended up hosting a meeting on base and a number of the people who attended from the school district had never been on it.
MARK PAOLICELLI: That’s right. That’s right. Yeah. When we first started meeting with Dr. Duran, the base leaders came to him, to his office, for our first couple meetings, and then we hosted him on the base with his staff. We took them to the childcare daycare center and showed them around, and then also showed him [00:38:00] around where the residents were. And then hosted him for a meeting. And I believe a lunch on the base.
Yeah, that was a little surprising to me where people who’ve lived in Arlington County for decades have never been on the base before. They were never provided that opportunity.
So this is where I go back to the base leadership, and any base leaders out there listening, you need to recognize that and understand that there are your counterparts in your community. Who could be just like that, that they’ve never stepped foot on your base. So they don’t know what you do, they don’t know your population, they don’t understand it. And it’s your responsibility to break down those barriers and establish those relationships. And at least to build awareness, right?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wow. So this podcast is called Practicing Connection and boy, did you guys ever practice it on this effort!
MARK PAOLICELLI: Well, it was a team effort. It definitely was a team effort, us and Arlington. And we couldn’t have done it without compassionate people like Major General Peoples and Dulce, and at the [00:39:00] time Dr. Murphy. So yeah, I think it was a win all around.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wow. Well thanks so much to you both for joining us, Dulce and Mark. I so enjoyed hearing this story and I really I feel like this could fill up multiple episodes with all the work you guys have done.
DULCE CARILLO: This is fun to relive. Thank you Mark, for inviting us and really bringing forward lessons because we’re always onto the next issue, the next problem.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah.
DULCE CARILLO: And so I think that’s gonna propel me forward now, because before the Purple Star point contact was a different person and I was the person going to the military meetings, but now I’m both.
So I’m so looking forward to continuing to partner with the military organizations that help us support students. And even with military people themselves. I think we have a couple of schools where we bring in [00:40:00] young military officers to support athletics and things in our schools.
I hope that we can expand that to build even deeper relations between us.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Ok, well, thanks again so much for joining us. Dulce Carrillo is Supervisor of Community Partnerships and Engagement at Arlington Public Schools in Virginia. And Mark Paolicelli is former deputy based commander for Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall.
That’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us. If you enjoyed today’s episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend.[00:41:00]
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of One-Off and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

Turn Learning into Action with "Spark, Shift, Share" Notetaking
2025-08-14 06:00 - 17:00
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzYyNjcwNCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTc2MjY3MDQtdHVybi1sZWFybmluZy1pbnRvLWFjdGlvbi13aXRoLXNwYXJrLXNoaWZ0LXNoYXJlLW5vdGV0YWtpbmcuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzYyNjcwNCUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF (Season 6, Episode 33)
Do you ever sit through a workshop, scribble endless notes, and then never look at them again?
Discover a notetaking method that helps you capture what matters – and actually use it. Get ready to spark ideas, shift your mindset, and share your growth with others!
In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast, Jessica and Coral introduce the Spark-Shift-Share notetaking strategy, a simple yet powerful approach for translating professional development into meaningful action.
Instead of just recording information, learn how to capture what inspires you (“spark”), identify how it can change your practice (“shift”), and spread valuable insights through your network (“share”).
If you want your learning to make a real impact, this episode is for you. Tune in for a practical walkthrough and ways to connect learning with action.
Links

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12879756/
Send us a message: practicingconnection@oneop.org
Send us a text

JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hi, thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica. Today we’ll be talking about an innovative note-taking practice that can spark new insights and enhance your impact. And Coral will be sharing a practice with us. Hi Coral. How are you? Did you see what I did there? Teaser?
CORAL OWEN: I did, and our audience will find out soon. I’m great. Thanks for asking. I’m actually just coming off my first, and I’m air quoting here, “real” vacation in several years, where I actually fully unplugged, and it was incredible. Highly recommend. I just feel so much more energized and creative, and I think that really stems from just letting my brain decompress.
And yeah, just seeing some beautiful new places. So yeah, that’s what we’ve been up to the last week.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: That sounds wonderful. I think I shared with you just a couple minutes ago that I think it’s been about 12 years since I’ve had like a [00:01:00] traveling full-on vacation, and I can’t believe it’s been that long. But I’m also glad that we haven’t had any episodes about “taking vacations as a way to enhance your productivity,” because I would be a massive hypocrite when it comes to that!
CORAL OWEN: I think that might be a new episode idea though, about the importance of unplugging. So let’s file that away for later.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I take vacation time. I just haven’t been anywhere in a while.
CORAL OWEN: Indeed. Indeed.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, we’d love to hear what’s inspiring you, so please drop us a line at Practicing connection@oneop.org. We see and respond to every message, and we can’t wait to hear from you.
– break –
Let’s learn more about note taking with the Spark-Shift-Share method. Coral, can you tell us a little more about this practice and why you chose it?
CORAL OWEN: Sure thing. Thanks Jess. So in our last [00:02:00] episode, we kicked off a new series on making the most of professional development opportunities by talking about setting learning intentions before you go. So taking a few moments to ask yourself, “What do I hope to get out of this?” Today’s practice builds on that idea, and so we’re talking about how to take notes in a way that connects directly to those intentions, and more importantly, helps you move from inspiration into action. So a lot of traditional note taking methods were developed for academic settings. So think outlines, bullets, transcribing slides, things like that.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Which are like the Cornell, right? There’s a Cornell Method or something like that, right, of note taking? I remember this.
CORAL OWEN: That sounds familiar. And yeah, you know, whatever methodology you’ve used for just kind of your classic note taking in the past, in learning settings, those are great for, you know, test prep or memorization or things like that. But the professional development setting really is different.
And the challenge typically is not just remembering what was said, but it’s knowing what to do with it. And so the Spark-Shift-Share method [00:03:00] is a simple framework that helps us move less from capturing everything and more to capturing what really matters for us and our work and our context and all of that good stuff. And then how to integrate those ideas into your practice and relationships and work.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, I am excited to hear about this practice because I tend to be the person who writes two words down and then later on goes back to it and is like, “What do those two words mean?” So, tell us a little bit more. Let’s walk through the practice.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, absolutely. So as you’ve likely gathered, there are three steps to the strategy: Spark, Shift and Share. The first step, Spark, takes place in the session itself. Whatever learning activity or professional development opportunity, you’re tapping into the second and third steps, shift and share respectively, they take place after the session is concluded and you’ve had a little bit of space to regroup.
So let’s go ahead and just dive in on how to do all of this, shall we? Step one: [00:04:00] spark. This is really what stood out and inspired you. So instead of filling a notebook with like a play by play of what’s being said, you’re focusing your notes more with moments that grab your attention. These are like ideas, quotes, even questions that light you up and make you feel connected to what brought you to this session or talk in the first place.
And as we’ve already noted, you don’t need to write everything down. Just jot down what is giving you, you know, maybe a phrase, a couple words, or, you know, a direct quote, paraphrasing what is giving you the most energy and direction. And again, you’re doing this in the session itself. And it can be on a notepad or, you know, in the notes app on your phone or your tablet.
Just capturing the moment that you’re in and just letting things as they hit you, just do little brain dumps, you know, along the way. So the second step is after the session is concluded, maybe you’re on your flight home or regrouping on your first day back in the office. We’re going to step into our [00:05:00] Shift. And this is, you know, how might whatever sparks you’ve captured, how might this change your thinking or practice?
And so like we already said, you’re gonna go ahead and, you know, grab whatever you jotted your spark notes on, and crack ’em open. And so once you’ve reviewed what you’ve captured that stood out to you, ask yourself a few questions, and you can do any or all of these.
So the first reflection point is, what could I do differently because of this? The second one, how does this change how I think about my work or relationships? And the third that you could reflect on is, where could I try this even in a small way? Hopefully this is the step where we are beginning to move from passive listening to more active learning.
And this shift helps you figure out what you might actually do with these insights that you’ve gained. And so finally, step three is share. And we begin to consider who else might benefit from this, this being your Spark [00:06:00] notes, or your insights and how are you going to share it. So as you may know, connection is a huge part of the learning process, and this part of the method invites you to think beyond your own work.
And so you might ask yourself, who in my network or team would appreciate this idea? Is it something that I could bring to a meeting, a mentoring session, a coffee chat? And thirdly, to consider how might sharing this idea deep in a connection or open up a new one, and just really bringing this all home.
This step is reinforcing this learning and it helps spread useful ideas throughout your community, your team, or your organization. And that’s it.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I absolutely love how this starts to turn note taking into a full circle learning tool. Earlier I said that I tend to be the person who writes like two words down and later on I’m like, “What do those two words mean?” But when you mentioned this is meant to shift from writing everything down that’s being said to writing just what sparks you,
I [00:07:00] I realize that I kind of waffle between the two words, or writing everything down, and neither one of those is like super helpful. So, this is really turning note-taking into a full circle learning tool. And it’s not just something then that you do during a session, but it’s something that helps you keep learning and connecting after it’s over.
CORAL OWEN: A hundred percent. And I apologize if you heard me chuckling in the background, Jess, because I am very much like you. I either am just capturing like a word for word, you know, record, or going, “Huh? I don’t know quite what that Cliff Notes version meant,” but, yeah, so I’ve used this a couple times, in some recent learning opportunities that I’ve had, and it really is just, I know we say this with many practices, but it’s so impactful.
And, you know, even more so, it’s just a way to stay present in the moment and reflect meaningfully afterwards. And it kind of has a ripple effect outward. You know, the cool thing is too, it doesn’t take any special tools. You can simply jot like a [00:08:00] Spark-Shift-Share in a notebook or a WhatsApp on your phone, and really moving from an information overload type where you’re just, you know, saturated in information, but being a lot more intentional in what we’re taking forward with us that really is gonna resonate with our work. And then moving it into intentional action with those around us and having that collective impact together.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wow. Thank you so much. That’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend. We’ll be back next week with a special episode focusing on military kids and school communities. Until then, keep practicing. [00:09:00]
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of One-Off and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under award number 2 0 2 3 4 8 7 74 3 3.

The Academy | Unified Support for Military-Connected Teen Well-Being: A Panel Discussion
2025-08-13 11:00 - 12:30
This 90-minute panel discusses how service providers across the Military Family Readiness System can support the well-being of military-connected youth. This panel introduces the impacts of, and supports for, adolescents in military-connected families.
Experts discuss youth well-being and the role of service providers in promoting positive youth development. Conversation focuses on adolescents in active-duty military families ages 12-18. Discussion includes mobilizing multi-pronged systems of support across the Defense Department’s Military Family Readiness System using strengths-based approaches to bolster youth well-being.
Learning Objectives:

Understand definitions and key principles of positive youth development
Identify the unique experiences of military-connected youth
Demonstrate an understanding of the demographics of military youth
Identify how professionals within the Military Family Readiness system can support the well-being of military-connected youth
Discuss successful youth programs, initiatives, and resources

This event sets the stage for a series of three interrelated webinars (scheduled for August 27, September 10, and September 24) which will focus on the following topics: 1) The impact of military life on adolescents, 2) Positive outcomes through youth development programs, and 3) The role of protective factors across the MFRS domains of well-being. CFLE, Professor and Director, Military REACH Youth Programs Coordinator of Navy Child and Youth Programs at the Commander of Naval Installations Command Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Director for Military and Veteran Families Program at the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress Associate Director, Program Lead, 4-H Youth Development CES/Clinical Associate Professor ASEC Naval Health Research Center, The Millennium Cohort Study of Adolescent Resilience (SOAR) Researcher

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close August 13, 2027.
Certified Nutrition and Wellness Educator (CNWE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close August 13, 2027.
Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator (CPFFE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close August 13, 2027.
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close August 13, 2027.
Board Certified Case Managers (CCMC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close August 13, 2026.
Board Certified Disability Management Specialists: This webinar is pending approval for 1.5 CE clock hours from The Commission for Case Manager Certification. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on August 13, 2026.
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). **Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on August 13, 2028.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on August 13, 2028.
Michigan Certified Teachers (SCECH): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE hours from the Michigan Education Association’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on August 13, 2028.
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on August 13, 2027.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR): This webinar awards 1.5 CPEUs in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Prior Approval Program. Eligibility for CE credit will close on July 22, 2028.
Human Resource Professionals (SHRM): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close July 31, 2026.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (UTSW): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CE credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on August 13, 2028.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Get familiar with the data: Review this infographic before the live panel discussion.
MFRA Panel – Slides
Additional Resources
The Academy Homepage Photo Credit: iStock/EvgeniyShkolenko, ID:1177656538
