PURPLE UP!
April is designated as the Month of the Military Child. Begun in 1986, as part of the Defense Department commemoration, the month is a time to celebrate the important role military children play in the military community, recognize the sacrifices they make, and applaud the challenges they overcome. In the military, purple symbolizes "joint." It is a combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Navy blue, Marine Corps red, and now Space Force white.
Each year, Nevada joins the Department of Defense and the rest of the nation in celebrating April as the Month of the Military Child. As part of the month-long recognition, MIC3 and each state designate a day as "Purple Up! Day." For 2025, Nevada has designated Wednesday, April 16, as our Purple Up! Day.
There are many ways schools and communities can celebrate and highlight military-connected children throughout April and specifically on April 16. The most visible way is by wearing purple. Purple ribbons, t-shirts, banners, balloons, etc. are simple ways to celebrate and recognize the military-connected children in your school.
Think
How can you celebrate military-connected children in your school in April?
The Dandelion
In 1998, the idea to adopt an official flower of military brats began as a thread in the alt.culture.military-brats Usenet Newsgroup. After a 2-month discussion, the dandelion was chosen above other possible flowers during a vote at the Military Brats Registry. Central to the campaign to adopt the dandelion was that the seeds scatter to all corners of the Earth to grow and bloom where they land.
Below is one of many images of the dandelion as the official flower of military children with the symbolism behind it.
Here is a short video of an original Purple Up song written by David Carroll, Instructional Leader and Lynette Daum, Music Teacher with Badger Clark ES 3rd grade eS2S students. Circa 2022, and they continue to sing the song for Month of the Military Child at morning announcements.
As a review, please watch this short video on the Month of the Military Child. While it is from 2020, the information is still relevant and applicable.