I grew up in a military family. By the time I was in school, however, my father had already transitioned to the Army Reserves. I remember the look and sound of his boots as he left the house for Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan, and the uncertainty of how long he would be gone.
When Operation Desert Shield began in 1990, he was no longer actively serving, but the war still shaped the world around me. Yellow ribbons appeared on trees and front porches throughout our neighborhood, and I watched as fuzzy green streaks of light flickered across the TV each night. I understood the two were connected, but not exactly how.
That’s the thing about military-connected youth: even when they don’t have the words for it, they are aware. They carry transitions, uncertainty, pride, and worry—feelings that sit just beneath the surface.
For educators, that awareness matters.
Across the United States, particularly in California, school districts have begun formally recognizing the need for more intentional support for these students through the Purple Star School designation. Awarded by the California Department of Education, it honors schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to military-connected students and their families. These schools prioritize stability during transitions, staff training, and systems of academic and social-emotional support so students feel seen, understood and connected.
Here in San Diego County, home to one of the largest military-connected student populations in the country, that commitment is especially visible. This year, 107 local schools earned the designation, representing nearly half of all Purple Star schools statewide.
Recently, at the Salute to Purple Star Schools Award ceremony, the USS Midway Museum was honored to be named the 2026 Purple Star Community Partner of the Year by the San Diego County Office of Education, in recognition of our ongoing work to support military-connected students and schools.
This recognition reflects the dedication of many across our education department—from school programs leadership and educators to our reservations team, who play a critical role in building relationships with schools and ensuring access to our programs. Their outreach and follow-through have made a measurable difference year after year.
Today, 94 percent of Purple Star elementary schools in San Diego County have participated in Midway programming, and this number continues to grow. Across all grade levels, more than 80 percent of local Purple Star schools have engaged with Midway education in some way, reflecting strong partnerships and a shared commitment to supporting military-connected youth.
But this recognition is not simply about what we have done—it points to where we are going.
As more schools earn the Purple Star designation, our role alongside them continues to expand. We often say in our youth programs that students “Live it and learn it.” That’s exactly what happens when students come aboard. Even in a single visit, they engage with the lived experiences of those who served on the USS Midway, and that shared experience becomes a bridge between history to empathy. It also creates space for peer-to-peer awareness, helping students better understand what their military-connected classmates may be experiencing and, more broadly, what it means to serve others.
At the Purple Star Awards ceremony, we heard from a student who described her experience of moving repeatedly in a short period of time—rebuilding her life, her friendships and her sense of stability each time. It was a powerful reminder that when one family member serves, the entire family serves alongside them.
“These experiences remind us that education is not just about content. It’s about context. It’s about people.”
For schools to go above and beyond in supporting these students and families is meaningful. For Midway to stand alongside them feels essential. In partnership with the county’s education office, and with support from our volunteer docents, we continue to explore how Midway can support these schools not only through onboard programs, but through opportunities that extend beyond a single visit—serving students, teachers and administrators in more sustained ways.
We serve as a place of daily learning where students experience history firsthand.
For some, that connection is immediate. For others, it unfolds more slowly—through a conversation with a docent, a story told during a program, or while exploring a new exhibit. In these moments, the stories of those who served aboard Midway become points of connection, reflection, and, at times, understanding.
For military-connected youth, that connection carries particular meaning. It affirms that their experiences matter—that they are part of a larger story, and that there are communities, both in schools and in places like Midway, ready to accept them.
What Purple Star Schools and places like Midway share is a commitment to creating spaces where students don’t have to explain their experiences in order to belong. These experiences remind us that education is not just about content. It’s about context. It’s about people.
By supporting military-connected students, Midway is not only honoring their service—we are continuing it.
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