Home
/
Service Learning Projects MOMC

Students present in class for the Honor Their Courage service learning program with a poster of veterans and families.

Celebrate the Month of the Military Child (MOMC) with Honor Their Courage, a service learning program that empowers students to support military families and inspire future leaders.

Celebrate MOMC with a School Service Learning Program

Across the country, more than 1.6 million military-connected children¹ grow up with a unique kind of courage. Frequent moves, long deployments, and daily uncertainties shape their lives in ways many of us rarely see. But their strength often speaks the loudest in quiet moments.

These young people adjust quickly. They make new friends, carry emotional weight, and help their families through big changes. They may not wear a uniform, but they serve in their own way.
April is the Month of the Military Child (MOMC), a time to honor that strength and support those who give so much. Since its founding in 1986 by the Department of Defense,² MOMC has encouraged communities to recognize military kids with more than praise — with purpose.

This year, as our nation nears its 250th anniversary,³ it’s a chance to connect students with that long tradition of service. Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP)’s Honor Their Courage initiative helps educators do just that with a thoughtful service learning program that teaches gratitude and supports injured veterans and their families.

Bring Honor Their Courage to your school

Building Community Through Service

In many schools, Honor Their Courage is more than just an event. It’s something students look forward to and remember.

At St. Catherine of Siena School, students brought MOMC to life. They decorated stars with veterans' names, created colorful red, white, and blue displays, and fundraised for Wounded Warrior Project. Wearing their Honor Their Courage stickers, they stood proud. A photo slideshow of family members who served made it personal.

"It’s our second year doing this, and our students love it," said teacher Rebecca Denison. "It’s a meaningful way for them to feel connected and give back."

This service-learning program turns classrooms into spaces where students deepen their understanding of service and show support in tangible ways.

Want to bring this to your school? Use our classroom resources to mark America’s 250th anniversary and tie your project to a broader conversation about service and history.

From Lessons to Leadership

Through Honor Their Courage, students explore the sacrifices of veterans while gaining skills that matter in and beyond the classroom.

This service‑learning program combines age‑appropriate lessons, veteran‑inspired activities, and student‑driven fundraising to make learning meaningful. Teachers can use classroom materials that include multimedia resources, interactive discussions, and lesson plans tailored for different grade levels, helping students understand who they’re supporting and why it matters.

With this fundraiser for Wounded Warrior Project, students can:

Connect with veterans’ and military families’ stories with help from real videos and classroom resources that bring experiences to life.
Create thoughtful work, such as thank‑you notes, essays, or patriotic artwork that reflect what they’ve learned.
Organize fundraisers or school events to support WWP and help sustain services for injured veterans and their families.

Each activity deepens understanding, builds empathy, and encourages students to take meaningful action. And because the materials are easy to integrate into your existing curriculum, it’s a practical way to introduce civic values while honoring service.

Looking for honoring veterans' ideas or ways to involve students in meaningful activities? This program is a strong place to begin.

Connecting Service to Everyday Life

Honor Their Courage helps students recognize that behind every freedom is a person who served, and that message can resonate even more when it comes from a teacher.

Selena Bliesener, a U.S. Air Force veteran, now teaches middle school. She introduced Honor Their Courage to her classroom as a way to help students connect what they learn in school to real life.

“The reason you have the freedoms you enjoy is because someone else is out there fighting for you,” Selena shared. “You may not know who these people are, but they are the reason we can enjoy our freedoms.”

Her words helped students connect service to their everyday lives — and reminded them that gratitude can be a powerful lesson.

Stories like Selena’s show how educators can inspire students to reflect, take action, and give back. As the country marks 250 years, it’s a timely reminder that students can play a role in honoring that history — through simple acts of service in their own schools and communities:

Plan a School Field Day. Organize games and activities that promote teamwork while raising awareness for veterans and military families.
Create a Wall of Honor with a reflection space. Pair student tributes to veterans with a timeline of key American milestones in service and leadership.
Plan a Day of Service focused on kindness. Encourage students to take small actions that reflect big values, such as empathy and gratitude.

Need help? Check out our Fundraising Resources.

Lead the Next Chapter of Service and Gratitude

When students learn to show gratitude, they don’t just learn — they grow.

By bringing Honor Their Courage to your school, you help kids understand sacrifice and see the value of helping others. You also send a clear message to veterans and military families: you’re appreciated.

MOMC is a perfect time to start. This service learning program gives young people a meaningful way to get involved and a deeper understanding of those who serve.

As we mark 250 years of our nation’s story, let’s help students carry that legacy forward.

Join us today. Bring Honor Their Courage to your classroom and make a lasting difference.

Sources

¹ U.S. Dept. of War: Month of the Military Child
² Defense Contract Audit Agency: Purple Up for Military Kids
³ America 250
⁴ ScienceDirect: A systematic meta-analysis and meta-synthesis of the impact of service-learning programs on university students’ empathy