There are 1.6 million children in the United States with a parent or guardian actively serving in the military. They attend schools across the country — and in most of those schools, nobody ever acknowledges what they carry. They are proud of their parent. They are also afraid, lonely at times, and quietly resilient in ways most children never have to be. Project Gratitude was founded on the belief that these children deserve to be seen — not once a year on Veterans Day, but consistently, personally, and by their own peers.

Project Gratitude is designed to be effortless for schools and meaningful for everyone involved. Here is exactly how it works.

How the Program Works

We Deliver the Kit

Once your school signs up, Project Gratitude ships a complete card kit directly to your school at no cost. The kit includes pre-printed cards (one or more per student in the participating class), a Teacher’s Guide, Student Reflection Handouts, a collection envelope, and a pre-addressed return shipping label. Everything is included. Nothing is required from your school beyond opening the box.

Students Sign the Cards

During a single class period — approximately 30 minutes — students read the pre-printed card message, sign their first name, and may add a personal note in the space provided. A brief guided reflection helps students connect with the meaning of the gesture before they sign. The Teacher’s Guide includes a full script, discussion questions, and everything a teacher needs to run the session confidently.

We Collect and Deliver

After the session, signed cards are placed in the provided collection package and handed to your school’s designated coordinator. Project Gratitude arranges pickup or return shipping — entirely at our expense — and distributes the cards to military children through our secure distribution network. Your school never handles shipping or distribution. Every card includes an invitation on the back for the receiving family to share their story at project-gratitude.org/share — closing the loop between the student who signed and the child who received.

Privacy is Built into Everything We Do

Project Gratitude never collects home addresses, personal family information, or the identities of military-connected students. Our program operates entirely institution-to-institution — cards travel from your school back to Project Gratitude for processing and then to our distribution partners, never directly to a family’s home. Military students in participating classrooms are never singled out or asked to identify themselves. They participate in the signing session just like their peers. The cards they receive will come from students at other schools — sent through our network, not returned to the same school where they were signed. We take the privacy and dignity of every child seriously.

What We Ask of Your School

One class or advisory period (approximately 30 minutes)
A school counselor or staff contact to coordinate card collection
Voluntary opt-in identification of military-connected students (privacy fully protected)
Permission to list your school as a participating partner

What Project Gratitude Provides

All cards — designed, printed, and shipped to your school at zero cost
Complete Teacher’s Guide and Student Reflection Handouts
All return shipping and distribution — we handle everything after collection
Recognition on our website and program materials
An annual impact report showing how many military children your school’s cards reached

Ready to Bring Project Gratitude to Your School?

Get Involved