Purple Star Program

Purple Star Schools are programs that support military-connected children as they relocate to new schools due to a parent’s change in duty station. At Ashlawn, we welcome our State Department families to join in this group, as they live a similar lifestyle to our military families.

The Purple Star School program is designed to help schools respond to the educational and social-emotional challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and keep them on track to be college, workforce, and life-ready. Military-connected refers to children of service members on active duty, and in the National Guard and Reserves.

As of November 2025, 44 states have Purple Star School designation programs or approved legislation, and five states have proposed legislation:

The Virginia Purple Star Designation is awarded to military-friendly schools that have demonstrated a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military. Schools that earn the award will receive a special Purple Star recognition to display onsite.

A school will be honored with the Purple Star Award if it completes all the required activities, plus one optional activity. The Virginia Department of Education’s Military Student Support Process Action Team, (MSSPAT) will review all school applications for the award. Final approval on awards will be made by members of the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on the Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

Ashlawn is in the process of applying for Purple Star Designation.

In the Spring of 2026, we started the Purple Star Ambassador program, pairing current Ashlawn Eagles with students who are newly arrived at Ashlawn. These ambassadors act as buddies to our new students, helping them learn their new routines, make new friends, and answer questions they have.

We will be adding student and family events throughout the year to build our community!

Purple Star Club Interest Form