This program was for youth who were 5 to 17 years old and had a parent in the National Guard or Reserve who was in the reintegration phase of the deployment cycle.

Passport Toward Success (PTS), a community-based program, was designed to foster resiliency in youth by promoting emotional competency, stress management, and communication skills.

No peer-reviewed studies examining the effectiveness of the current version of the program could be identified through a public search.

PTS was based on models of family resilience and social-cognitive means of developing competencies.  Youth were divided into three age groups (5 to 8, 9 to 12, and 13 to 17) and were given a passport to travel to the following three islands:

• Feelings Island - Guides youth on how to express their emotions concerning their parent's deployment and return, and they make a reunion poster to share with their family.
• Relaxation Island - Teaches youth how to address their physiological and psychological needs with an emphasis on social support and stress management skills; youth make a strength box to help remind them of coping strategies they can use during difficult times.
• Communication Island - Helps youth understand how to use communication skills to improve listening, perspective-taking, problem-solving, and conflict resolution; youth engage in a block talk activity in which one child constructs something out of Legos and instructs another child, who cannot see what was built, on how to build an exact replica.

Since 2009, PTS was delivered to over 435 children at 26 different Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program events.

PTS was delivered by trained facilitators and community volunteers, and they worked together to present the program. Facilitators were required to have a bachelor's or master's degree in a human services-related field. They received a 20-hour training that included reading the training manual, completing online modules, observing staff from the Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) perform program activities, and leading a practice run with volunteer military children.  Community volunteers received the training manual prior to program start.

Considerations for implementing a program similar to PTS might include recruiting and retaining committed facilitators and community volunteers, gaining buy-in from parents and children, organizing program delivery at Yellow Ribbon events, and advertising the program well in advance of the Yellow Ribbon events so parents are aware their children can participate in PTS.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing a program similar to PTS , the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

PTS was delivered at the Yellow Ribbon 60-day or 90-day Reintegration Program event. Children spent 45 to 75 minutes at each of the three islands depending on the total amount of time allotted to the program at each event.

Information on implementation costs was not located.

To move PTS to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least one year from the beginning of the program or at least six months from program completion.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

This program is no longer available; however, you may also contact MFRI at Purdue University by mail 1202 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, phone 1-765-496-3403, fax 1-765-496-3362, eamil mfri.purdue.edu, or visit https://www.mfri.purdue.edu/

www.mfri.purdue.edu/programs/passport-toward-success.aspx (This website no longer contains program information) and Wilson, Wilkum, Chernichky, Wadsworth, and Broniarczyk (2011).

Wilson, S. R., Wilkum, K., Chernichky, S. M., MacDermid Wadsworth, S. M., & Broniarczyk, K. M. (2011). Passport Toward Success: Description and evaluation of a program designed to help children and families reconnect after a military deployment. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 39(3), 223-249. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2011.585399