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Choosing a college or career pathway can feel overwhelming, especially for students balancing school, service, caregiving, or frequent transitions.

Every organization already serving military-connected children has a voice in this framework. Participation does not require rebranding, restructuring, or surrendering identity. It requires only a shared commitment to belonging, dignity, and recognition.

Just as service members have institutions that bring coherence, visibility, and shared purpose—such as AUSA for the Army or the USO for active duty, military-connected children deserve a unifying home of belonging, identity, and recognition.

For military-connected youth, identity is often shaped across multiple communities, cultures, and geographies. Frequent moves and changing environments can make it difficult for young people to maintain a consistent sense of self or belonging.

Supporting military-connected students begins with understanding that their experiences are often shaped by factors outside the classroom. Moves between states or countries, gaps or overlaps in curriculum, and the emotional impact of deployment can affect academic performance, behavior, and social connection.

Military-connected children serve alongside their families, adapting to frequent moves, changing schools, and the realities of military life. Yet for many years, there was no single national space dedicated to recognizing their experiences, contributions, and voices. The Military Child World Expo was created to fill that gap.

Across the United States, thousands of teenagers quietly take on caregiving responsibilities within their families. For military-connected youth, these responsibilities often arise alongside deployments, injuries, relocations, and the unique pressures of military life.

Belonging is more than fitting in. For military-connected children, it means being recognized, understood, and valued across transitions. It means having space to develop identity while adapting to new environments, cultures, and expectations.

The Military Child World Expo is an exciting event that celebrates the strength, resilience, and unique experiences of military-connected children. This year, we are thrilled to welcome the Friends of Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium as a community exhibitor and local knowledge partner.