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Service Learning for Little Learners – How Can CDA Candidates Lead by Example?

image in article Service Learning for Little Learners – How Can CDA Candidates Lead by Example?Veterans Day offers a meaningful opportunity—not just for remembering service and sacrifice—but for you, as a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential candidate or holder, to turn those themes into a purposeful #classroom or program activity. The idea? Use service-learning with young children (yes, #preschoolers included!) to help them say “thank you” in creative, age-appropriate ways, while you hone your professional skills.

Why This Matters

When you earned (or are working toward) your CDA, you accepted more than a certificate—you embraced a professional path. According to the article “Your Path to Success: Why the CDA Credential Matters More Than Ever”, the CDA credential is a recognized benchmark in #early-childhood education—demonstrating commitment, knowledge of child #development, and the ability to foster #safe, nurturing environments.  Meanwhile, the “CDA FAQs: Applying for the CDA. All Ages. CDA.” guide reminds us that this credential spans infant, #toddler, preschool, mixed-age settings—and is open to professionals across roles.

So: By designing a Veterans Day service-learning project, you’re doing several things at once:

  • Showing children what it means to be thoughtful, respectful, and active in their community.

  • Exercising key CDA professional values like collaboration, respect for families and #cultures, reflection, and ethical behavior.

  • Creating a portfolio project that could tie into your CDA training journey.

Project Ideas & Steps for You

Here are fun, simple ideas you can #adapt for your classroom or early childhood setting—and align with your CDA competencies and courses:

1. “Thank You” Cards for Veterans

  • Have children create handmade cards or drawings for veterans in a nearby VA facility or veterans organization.

  • Use age-appropriate prompts: “What does a helper look like? How could we say thanks?”

  • Encourage children to sign (or mark) their names and talk about what “thanks” means.

  • As a CDA candidate, reflect: How did children feel making the cards? What #language did they use? How did you encourage cooperation, diversity of ideas, and respect for the veteran audience?

2. Care Package Creation

  • With support from families, collect small-safe items (snacks, handwritten notes, barbershop gift cards, socks, or other small gifts) and assemble care packages with children.

  • Talk about “service” and “community”—the idea that veterans helped many people, and now we help them in a small way.

  • Use this to involve families: invite them to donate, help assemble, bring in items, or write short notes.

  • In your reflective portfolio: How did you engage families? How did you support children’s participation? How did you handle the logistics and community connection?

3. Invite a Veteran Visitor (in person or virtually)

  • Coordinate with a local veteran or veterans organization for a short visit (or video call) where a veteran shares in child-friendly terms what service means.

  • Children can ask questions, draw pictures, or even hand over cards they made.

  • Afterwards, #lead a circle discussion: Why do people serve? What can we do to thank them?

  • Reflection: How did the interaction go? How did you prepare children for respectful listening and responding? What supports did you put in place for diverse children and families?

How This Ties into Your CDA Coursework

You’re working toward professional excellence—and here’s how specific courses help build this project and your overall practice:

  • The course “CDA: Stand With Respect and Professionalism” helps you build respectful, inclusive relationships with children, families, and community members. CDA Certification

  • The module “CDA Subject Area 6” focuses on professionalism, ethical conduct, community collaboration and self-reflection—perfect for planning and evaluating a service-learning project. 

  • If you’re enrolled in the “Birth to Five CDA Credential with Portfolio Review” course, you’ll find the project can be a strong piece of your portfolio and reflection practice. In other words: you’re not just doing a “nice activity for Veterans Day”—you’re weaving methodological, reflective, meaningful practice into your role as an early childhood professional.

Reflection & Documentation Tips for Your Portfolio

As you complete the project, keep a few reflective notes to strengthen your CDA-related #growth:

  • Document children’s participation: how many, their reactions, what they said.

  • Note how you included families and community: invitation, involvement, feedback.

  • Ask yourself: What went well? What surprised me? What would I change next time?

  • Relate back to key competencies: supporting children’s social-emotional growth (gratitude, #empathy), building productive relationships with families and the community, creating respectful inclusive environments.

  • Use this for your portfolio: photos or drawings (with permissions), children’s notes, your reflection sheet.

  • Align your reflections to the courses above: professionalism, community collaboration, respect, ethical behavior, reflection.

In Closing

This Veterans Day, let your inner early-childhood #educator-shine through a service-learning project that is simple, meaningful, and reflective. As a CDA candidate or credential holder, you’re leading by example: showing young children how to be caring citizens, how to respect service and community, and how to engage with families and local organizations. Your project isn’t just a one-day activity—it becomes a stepping-stone in your professional growth, your portfolio, and your journey toward excellence in #early-childhood-education.

Ready to roll? Grab your art supplies, invite your children and families, and plan a meaningful moment of gratitude together. You’re setting the stage not only for a Veterans Day tribute—but for a lasting program of respect, service, and learning.

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