OneOp, a professional development resource for military family service providers, recently won multiple awards from the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences. 

Jessica Beckendorf, a Community Economic Development Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, contributed to these award-winning efforts through her work on the 2024 Military Family Readiness Academy, an annual series offering themed learning and engagement opportunities.

At the national level, the OneOp team was awarded third place for both the Excellence In Multi State Collaboration Award and for Internet Education Technology Award. Regionally, the team secured second place in these same categories within the Southern region.

In her role, Beckendorf teaches collaboration, collective action, and leadership skills to family service providers and community leaders, something that has a ripple effect on well-being for military families and the retention and readiness of military service members, she says. 

“When service providers and community leaders understand the unique challenges and barriers military families face, they are able to provide better support to military families, and in turn, improve the well-being of the entire family,” says Beckendorf.  “Organizations can better serve these families’ unique needs through OneOp’s free professional development resources.”

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension partners with eight other universities to provide OneOp, a free and open-access professional development resource that strengthens the capabilities and impacts of service providers and community leaders.

Learn more: https://oneop.org/mission/