Education

Purpose: The purpose of the Education Committee is to promote quality education for children—especially for military children—and adults. Standing Rule #6, Mission Outreach Programs.

Promote quality education for children, especially for military children, and adults. 

• Participate in ALA’s Give 10 to Education.

  • Present a Give 10 to Education certificate to members who donate at least 10 items to schools.

• Participate in Teachers Appreciation Week.

  • Contact local Parent Teacher Organizations or schools to see what your unit could sponsor or donate (e.g., donating doughnuts to your local schools).

  • Show your appreciation to teachers by designing and presenting certificates of appreciation.

  • Provide Teacher Survival Kits with fun and helpful items such as candy and snacks, tea bags or coffee, restaurant gift cards, or items for the classroom.

• Participate in American Education Week, held every November.

  • Recognize school administrators and staff with special treats.

• Encourage schools to participate in Month of the Military Child and Purple Up! Day in April to honor their students who are military children.

  • Sponsor a Purple Up! Day on April 15 in your school by providing purple items for students to wear.

  • Present the Military Child Table at your school, unit meeting, or at your post.

  • Sponsor a party for the military children in your school.

Encourage schools to invite veterans to speak in their classrooms. 

• Work with your American Legion post to participate in Veterans in Community Schools.

• Ask the teacher(s) to have their students make cards for the veteran.

• Work with the teacher(s) to prepare students to ask questions of the veteran.

Support and promote the Education Program and scholarship opportunities of The American Legion Family. 

• Promote the American Legion Auxiliary’s scholarships.

• Promote The American Legion’s scholarships by visiting https://www.legion.org/scholarships to learn more about the Legion’s scholarship opportunities.

Provide scholarships for students who desire a college education. 

• Work with your unit to create a scholarship.

• Ask schools to allow you to do a bulletin board about scholarship opportunities within The American Legion Family.

• Publish information in your local newspaper, libraries, and on your unit’s social media.

• Host a “Scholarship Night” Zoom meeting to inform students and parents about Legion Family scholarship opportunities.

• Start a partnership with a local college to provide their students with scholarship information.

• Ask the local Board of Education to host a “Scholarship Workshop” in their schools.

  • Work with the schools to invite college administrators to speak.

  • Have volunteers assist students with scholarship applications.

Support legislation that establishes new scholarship opportunities.

• Support The American Legion’s efforts by signing up for legislative alerts at https://www.votervoice.net/AmericanLegion/home.

• Contact your representatives and ask them to support scholarship opportunities, particularly those for veterans, military, and their families.

Deadlines/Important Dates

• November 13-17, 2023: American Education Week

• March 1: National scholarship applications due

• April 15: Purple Up! Day for Military Children

• May 6-10, 2024: Teacher Appreciation Week

• May 15: Department chairmen reports due to division chairmen; cc: national chairman

• June 1: Awards submissions due