Honor Military Kids in April with Service Learning Projects

Small Stickers, Big Impact: A Lesson in Service-Learning

At Galesburg-Augusta Middle School in Michigan, Jennifer’s sixth-grade class participated in the Honor Their Courage program, using stickers from the Wounded Warrior fundraiser to support injured veterans.

What began as a simple activity turned into an opportunity to teach responsibility and gratitude. Jennifer noticed how much pride her students took in the project. “They’ll leave their $30 water bottles under their desk,” she joked, “but those stickers? Not one has gone missing.”

For the students, the stickers became more than a fundraiser — they were a way to honor service members and their families. By taking part in the program, the class learned how small actions can make a big difference and developed a deeper appreciation for those who serve. Read more about Jennifer’s class and their efforts to support veterans.

This is the power of Honor Their Courage — transforming classrooms into spaces where students actively honor military families while growing into compassionate leaders.

Empower Students Through Service-Learning Projects

Military kids face unique challenges, from frequent relocations to long separations from loved ones. These experiences build resilience but also highlight the need for community support.

Honor Their Courage equips students with tools to better understand these challenges while offering tangible ways to make a difference. Here’s how this service-learning project helps students grow into compassionate leaders:

• Real Stories, Real Impact: Students hear heartfelt stories directly from veterans and military families, making the challenges of military life real and relatable.
• Interactive Projects: Activities like crafting thank you cards or writing essays and poems give students a way to show appreciation and honor the sacrifices made by veterans and their families.
• Fundraising with Purpose: By organizing a Wounded Warrior fundraiser, students learn the power of collective action while raising vital funds for programs that support wounded veterans and their families.

Ready to inspire your students? Bring Honor Their Courage to your school and, by registering, unlock access to a wealth of exciting service-learning projects and resources designed to make a lasting impact.

Creative Ways to Honor Military Kids in April

This Month of the Military Child, engage your community with purposeful and creative activities to celebrate military kids and their families:

• Purple Up! Day: Designate a school-wide Purple Up! Day, encouraging students and staff to wear purple, the color symbolizing unity among military branches. Decorate hallways with purple streamers and host a short assembly where military-connected students can share their stories.
• Wall of Honor Displays: Turn a blank wall into a tribute to courage by collecting photos and stories from military-connected students. Add flags, thank-you notes, and stars to create a visually powerful display.
• World Map Connection: Create a classroom map where military kids can mark places they’ve lived. This sparks curiosity and conversation, fostering connection among students.
• Stars Activity: Students decorate stars to honor veterans and military families they know who embody core values like courage, integrity, and service. Display these stars in classrooms or hallways to raise awareness of military families and foster a shared sense of purpose.

For more ideas, explore 50 Ways to Celebrate MOMC and discover creative ways to bring awareness to your community.

Take Action Beyond the Classroom

The lessons students learn in the classroom are just the beginning. By stepping into their communities, they can turn compassion into impactful action, creating connections with military families while developing important life skills. Research shows that students involved in service-learning projects are more likely to develop empathy, leadership, and a sense of social responsibility.²

Inspire students to go beyond the classroom with these ideas honoring veterans:

• Host a Fun Run: Organize a fun run to raise awareness and funds for military families. Add an extra layer of meaning by incorporating military-connected kids’ stories into the event, such as quotes or milestones shared along the race route. Encourage participants to wear purple to symbolize unity and support.
• Plan a Veteran Service Project: Collaborate with local organizations to organize hands-on activities like park clean-ups or tree plantings. Dedicate the project to military families by including plaques, flags, or notes of appreciation from students, making the event both purposeful and personal.
• Daily Announcements: Highlight the strength and resilience of military families during morning announcements throughout April. Share military family statistics or stories during morning announcements. For example, “Military-connected children are twice as likely to join the military,”³ or, “Over 2.3 million children live in caregiving households with a veteran.”⁴ Encourage students to reflect on how they can show support and gratitude.

Each of these activities turns learning into action, making a real difference for military families and teaching students the power of community engagement.

The Ripple Effect of Honor Their Courage

Military kids and their families embody resilience, strength, and sacrifice. They give so much to support our nation, and their unwavering dedication inspires us to do the same. Honor Their Courage is more than a program—it’s a movement to build empathy, foster leadership, and empower the next generation to take meaningful action in their communities.

By participating in veteran service projects, students learn the value of service and the importance of supporting those who protect our freedoms. These activities nurture gratitude, unite communities, and ensure that military families feel seen, appreciated, and supported.

When we empower students to lead with compassion, we create a ripple effect that transforms classrooms, strengthens communities, and changes lives. Together, we can honor the courage of military families and make a lasting impact that extends far beyond April.

Join us today. Register for Honor Their Courage and take the first step toward empowering your students and making a difference in the lives of military families.

Sources

¹U.S. Dept. of Defense: Month of the Military Child

²ScienceDirect: A systematic meta-analysis and meta-synthesis of the impact of service-learning programs on university students’ empathy

³5 Unique Facts about Military Children and Their Families

⁴U.S. Dept. of Education: Resources for Caregiving Veteran Families