UK launches 6th annual Military Family Readiness Academy
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 14, 2026) — The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) at the University of Kentucky is launching its sixth annual Military Family Readiness Academy, a free professional development series designed to help community leaders, service providers and educators better support military families. This year’s theme,
“Building Strong Communities for Military Family Readiness,” focuses on building the partnerships and systems that communities need to more fully help those who serve.
Kentucky has strong ties to the military. The state is home to Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, and ranks 11th in the nation for its active-duty military population. More than two-thirds of soldiers at Fort Campbell live off base, meaning they depend on local schools, nonprofits and community organizations for everyday support. Across Kentucky, there are 235,000 veterans and more than 34,200 military-connected children and youth, making community-based support systems more important than ever.
The academy runs throughout August and is hosted through OneOp, an online platform that offers research-based learning opportunities for professionals who work with military families. The program is backed by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Military Family Readiness Policy and funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
“Military family readiness is strengthened when communities work together to create systems of support,” said Nichole Huff, Ph.D., assistant professor in family and consumer sciences extension and principal investigator of the subaward to UK.
“Whether a family is dealing with a move, job challenges, childcare needs or access to basic services, strong partnerships make sure they don’t have to face those challenges on their own,” Huff said.
The four-week series brings together experts, community leaders and practitioners from UK and seven other university partners. Each weekly session tackles a different challenge facing military families and the professionals who support them.
The series opens Aug. 5 with a session on building meaningful partnerships and connecting military families to the right resources, with a focus on National Guard and reserve members and those who live far from a base. Aug. 12 covers federal nutrition assistance programs and financial readiness tools. Aug. 19 digs into childcare barriers and how they affect military spouses looking for work, offering cross-sector solutions for professionals in education, health and workforce development. The series closes Aug. 26 with a panel discussion on community-based policy and how local action supports military families at the state and national level.
“The Military Family Readiness Academy gives service providers practical strategies they can use right away,” said Kristen Jowers, Extension specialist for OneOp at UK. “What makes this series especially valuable is the chance to learn alongside professionals from across the country. When we equip the people who support military families, we improve outcomes for those families throughout their entire military journey.”
All sessions are free and available online to everyone, with flexible, self-paced options. Continuing education credits are available at no cost, and participants gain access to a network of professionals working across disciplines nationwide.
To register and learn more, visit oneop.org/building-strong-communities-for-military-family-readiness. For information on Martin-Gatton CAFE’s broader programs supporting military families, visit extension.mgcafe.uky.edu/programs/kentucky-extension-military-collaborative.
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under subaward number 2023-48770-41333. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Department of Agriculture.
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