Hannah Baleme/MDN Participating in a Purple Star Award ceremony are, from left, Col. George Chapman, deputy commander of the 91st Missile Wing; Col. Benjamin Jensen, deputy commander of the 5th Bomb Wing; Joy-Hope Smith, school liaison program manager for Memorial Middle School; Steven Young, principal of Memorial Middle School; Kirsten Baesler, State Superintendent of Public Instruction; and Mark Vollmer; Minot Public Schools superintendent. They are surrounded by students at Memorial Middle School. Memorial and two other Minot Air Force Base schools received Purple Star Awards on Tuesday.

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE – State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler presented the Purple Star Award Tuesday to Memorial Middle School and the Dakota and North Plains elementary schools at Minot Air Force Base. The award recognizes their efforts to assist military families.

The award has been given to military schools across the nation for 10 years; however, it is new to North Dakota.

According to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, the Purple Star program is designed to help students in military families adjust to the academic and social challenges that occur when they are transferred to new locations, which typically happens every two to three years. It benefits children of service members who are on active duty, in the Reserves or in the National Guard.

“This award is given to schools that support military-connected students. When parents see the purple star, they will know it is dedicated to supporting their students,” Joy-Hope Smith, school liaison program manager for Memorial Middle school, said. “We know that military students typically move six to nine times, and with this award we are recognizing the effort these schools take to ensure the social and emotional needs of students that relocate are met.”

Baesler presented the awards to school administrators and Minot Air Force Base leaders.

Although all of North Dakota’s Purple Star school honorees are located on military bases, Baesler said the program is open to any school.

“I would encourage any school with children from military families to seek this designation,” Baesler said in a release. “It would help any school focus on the task of making children of military families feel more welcome and included.”