Military youths are eligible for cash awards

Youths ages 13 to 18 in military families are eligible to receive a $10,000 cash award, a trip to Washington, D.C., and a big plus on their college applications through the Operation Homefront 2018 Military Child of the Year Awards.

There are seven awards, six of which will represent a branch of the armed forces in which a parent serves — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard.

These awards recognize recipients for scholarship, volunteerism, leadership and extracurricular activities.

The seventh award is the Military Child of the Year Award for Innovation, presented by global technology and consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton.

The award goes to a military child who has designed “a bold and creative solution to address a local, regional or global challenge.”

The Innovation Award recipient will work with a Booz Allen Hamilton team to develop a plan to scale the recipient’s project by drawing on technology and strategic thinking as a part of the corporation’s competitive Summer Games.

Students may apply for the Innovation Award themselves, and anyone can nominate a deserving youth for a service branch award. Nominations and applications are being taken at MilitaryChildoftheYear.org through Dec. 4.

Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose stated mission is “to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive — not simply struggle to get by — in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.”

Operation Homefront provides financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to “prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles.”