Military Connected Youth & Families
Supporting Military-Connected Youth & Families
Creative Minds International Public Charter School is proud to serve military-connected students and families as part of our diverse, globally minded school community. We share our campus with the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), and connections to military service run throughout our community, several members of our Board of Trustees and CMI families have military ties, and we are committed to making sure every military-connected student feels welcomed, supported, and known.
Our Point of Contact
- Tamika Joyner-Lewis Director, Family Engagement & Community Partnerships tamika.joyner@creativemindspcs.orgTamika serves as the primary point of contact for military-connected students and families at CMI. She’s available to answer questions, connect families to resources, and support smooth transitions in and out of our school community.
Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling School Liaison Officer
Alonso Hay, JBAB School Liaison Office: 202-284-4064 | Cell: 202-706-3618
The JBAB School Liaison Officer supports military families with school placement, transitions, and other education-related questions for children living on or connected to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.
How We Support Military-Connected Families
- Flexible enrollment for military families. We know military families often relocate outside the typical school calendar. CMI enrolls military-connected students after DC’s standard October 5 enrollment deadline, so families arriving at different times of year can still join our community.
- A campus connected to the military community. CMI shares its campus with the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), and our students build relationships with AFRH residents throughout the year.
- AFRH Letter Writing. Students write letters to AFRH residents, many of whom are veterans, to build connections across generations.
- AFRH Annual Prom. CMI students volunteer at the AFRH’s annual prom, serving food and spending time with residents.
- Reading Buddies (launching this year). AFRH residents will visit our Kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms to read with students, building relationships between our youngest learners and the veteran community next door.
- October Costume Parade. Our annual costume parade route passes near the AFRH campus, and residents join in the celebration, some in costume themselves.
- Military-connected representation. CMI’s Board of Trustees and student body include members of military families, and their perspectives help shape how we support our community.
- A welcome program for new students, any time of year. Students who join CMI mid-year, including many military-connected students, are paired with an 8th grade peer mediator and school ambassador. These student leaders help new students settle in, introduce them to CMI’s community and culture, connect them with adults across the building, and point them toward clubs and extracurriculars to get involved in right away.