There are now four patch levels to the American Legion Auxiliary Junior Patch Program. 
 
The newly created Purple Level is for preschoolers, ages 3 through kindergarten. 
 
Children of this age can earn the Americanism, Membership, and Poppy patches:

• Americanism: Educate yourself about the rights and responsibilities of an American citizen. 
• Membership: Your eligibility for membership is a gift from a veteran. 
• Poppy: The symbol of sacrifices our veterans have made.
 
For each of the three patches, four of the seven possible choices must be completed to earn the patch. For example, to earn the Americanism patch, a member could recite the Pledge of Allegiance with an adult, color some pages in the ALA’s America the Beautiful coloring books, draw a picture about what is important to you living in the United States,  and have an adult identify the proper number of stars and stripes on the American flag. 
 
In recent years, ALA National Headquarters has fielded inquiries from mothers and Junior Activities chairs asking if anything could be sent for their young Juniors who were working alongside older siblings. National Junior Activities Committee Chair Barb Washburn initiated a process of adding a new level for the younger Juniors, which created the Purple Level. 
 
Any Junior member of the ALA and school-aged Sons of The American Legion can be part of the Junior Patch Program. You don’t have to have an active group to participate. This is a great way to be involved in learning about the ALA, American Legion Family, volunteering in the community, and serving our country’s veterans. 
 
The other three levels of the Junior Patch Program include Red Level — first to fourth grade; Gold Level — fifth to eighth grade; and Blue Level — ninth to 12th grade. 
 
For questions related to the Junior Patch Program, email JuniorActivities@ALAforVeterans.org or call ALA National Headquarters at (317) 569-4500.