Home About the Film Life as a BRAT Trailer Filmmaker Store Screenings Press Room Audience Reactions BRATS RAW BRATS Workshops Future Projects BWB Newsletter    Donate!    The Nonprofit    Our Supporters Donate! BRAT Links Contact Us In September, 2009, Brats Without Borders (BWB) launched its educational outreach program, Operation Military Brat, to: Raise the awareness of the challenges facing military brats of all ages; Acknowledge and celebrate their existence, sacrifices, and contributions; and Improve the quality of their lives. An integral part of Operation Military Brat is our new "BRATS" Workshop. In less than a year, we have hosted "BRATS" Workshops at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington, DC, the Officer's Wives Club in Shreveport, Louisiana, J.E. Williams Middle School in Huntsville, Alabama, the USAG chapel in Mannheim, Germany, and more! These workshops have been so successful, we hope to expand the program exponentially in the years to come! For those who didn't grow up this way - "brat" is not a bad word. It's actually an historic, time-honored reference to British military children based on the acronym "British Regimental Attached Traveler!" What Is the BRATS Workshop? A BRATS Workshop explores the military "brat" and/or Third Culture Kid ("TCK") culture from the child's point-of-view. How does it feel to move multiple times around the world in such a paradoxical lifestyle? How does it affect brats/TCKs when they're young children, teenagers, adults? We analyze both the benefits and the challenges of "growing up brat/TCK" and acquaint participants with current research in the field. We also discuss ways to help military brats and TCKs cope with the challenges of mobility, deployment, parental absence, even the racial and cultural alienation many feel. Basically, our BRATS Workshop takes everything we've learned in the past ten years from making the "BRATS" film and accumulating what is arguably the largest qualitative database on the long-term effects of "growing up brat/TCK" and passes it on to those who need it most to help brats and TCKS thrive, not just survive! Who Is It For? Brats of all ages, their parents, caregivers, educators, clergy, health care providers, and anyone else who cares for or works with military brats or TCKS (foreign service families, internationally mobile corporate families, missionary families, etc.) We are currently focusing on individuals working with brats/TCKs under 18 years of age, but BRATS Workshops can be geared towards adults, as well. Why Is It Necessary? There's been a lot of focus on soldiers and spouses these days, and on military "families" in general, but not so much on military children and TCKs in particular. At the Vicenza Army Health Clinic, only a handful of medical personnel had even heard the term "Third Culture Kid." In fact, despite their good intentions, most individuals who work with these children have no clue what it's like to grow up that way, including their own parents! Our mission is to help them understand, so they can support these children more effectively. An estimated 5% of the United States population grow up as military brats. That's over 15 million Americans with at least one career parent. And that's just military brats, not all the other types of TCKs. You can't tell by looking at them, but brats are brats for life, and if a brat and his or her family (educator, caregiver, clergy, health care professional, even employer) doesn't understand this - it can limit that individual's potential. They feel like outsiders. They don't know where they belong. They don't realize some of the strategies they use to successfully maneuver this peripatetic life as children can be counter-productive as adults, so they blame any feelings of alienation on themselves - there must be something wrong with "them." Operation Military Brat wants to help brats and TCKs and their families and communities understand that there is nothing wrong with them - they are just like all the other brats and TCKs who came before them. They're different, yes - not better or worse, just different - and that's okay! How Long Does It Last? Most workshops last 1-2 hours, but can be expanded or shortened, depending on your needs. Who Teaches the Workshop? "BRATS: Our Journey Home" Writer-Director Donna Musil (JD, ABJ) currently teaches the BRATS Workshop, but hopes to train others to step in her shoes, so the program can be expanded. Donna has also presented the workshop in conjunction with other professionals, including military brat Diane Dillard Broadnax, MSW, LICSW, and USAF Retired Officer, Dr. Paulette Bethel, CMC, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. Can We Get CEUs For Attending? We are currently in the process of applying for continuing education certification. What Does It Cost? It depends on the presentation. We try to keep the costs down as low as possible, and in many cases, have presented the BRATS Workshop for free, thanks to The Sprint Foundation and supporters such as yourselves. To find out more, write us at info@bratsfilm.com. If you'd like to make a donation to support this program, click here: Where Have You Hosted BRATS Workshops? We have hosted BRATS Workshops all around the world at schools, hospitals, libraries, churches, counseling centers, military spouse meetings, and more. Click here to see a sampling of places we've been. How Has the BRATS Workshop Been Received? Both the film and the BRATS Workshop has been received with open arms - and attendees have let it be known they want more! After our presentation, the head of the Vicenza Army Health Clinic was very appreciative and said she was going to spend a lot of time with her daughter that evening. Here are just a few of the quotes from feedback forms asking whether the participants would recommend the workshop: “Yes, to every Military Family!” “I would recommend to all USAREUR!” “These two wonderful ladies should travel to every military installation and share their knowledge and experiences!” Here is a compilation of thanks and comments Brats Without Borders has received over the years for our efforts to help military brats and other TCKs of all ages: How Do We Schedule a BRATS Workshop? Contact Brats Without Borders at info@bratsourjourneyhome.com or info@bratsfilm.com. You can also call at 478.968.0102, but email is the fastest and most efficient way to reach us. © 2010 Brats Without Borders, Inc. All Rights Reserved.