Wal-Mart Foundation Gives $3.6 Million to Veterans Educational Programs
ACE, Students Veterans of America and 10 institutions of higher education receive grants
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Nov. 10, 2008 – The Wal-Mart Foundation is celebrating Veteran’s Day by donating a total of $3.6 million in grants to 12 organizations to support programs that provide educational assistance for veterans. The American Council on Education (ACE) received a $2.5 million grant to support successful veteran educational assistance programs in 20 institutions of higher education. In addition, the Wal-Mart Foundation awarded 10 colleges and universities with $100,000 grants each to build programs and develop resources to support veterans with access to higher education and success in completing their degrees.
“The men and women who serve our country are our nation’s heroes,” said Margaret McKenna, president of the Wal-Mart Foundation. “Wal-Mart is proud to support programs that help our veterans get the resources they need to succeed in their education and their transition back to civilian life.”
Student Veterans of America (SVA) also received a $100,000 grant for capacity building and to support student veteran advocates on campuses across the country.
GI Bill to Fund Education for VeteransIt is estimated that the number of veterans in the United States will rise to more than 375,000 in 2009. To help meet the needs of those veterans, the 21st Century GI Bill was signed into law on June 30. The GI Bill will provide veterans the financial means to attend any public college in the nation as well as benefits for those who choose to attend private colleges. Veterans are entitled to receive the cost of tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, yearly books and supplies and a one-time re-locating fee to those moving from highly rural areas.
30 Higher Education Institutions to Receive GrantsTo support the thousands of veterans who will take advantage of the GI Bill, the Wal-Mart Foundation has awarded the American Council on Education a $2.5 million grant to support successful veterans education programs across the country. Through a competitive grant program, ACE will identify and reward 20 institutions that operate model programs advancing access and success in higher education for veterans and their families. The winning 20 institutions will be awarded $100,000 grants in the spring of 2009.
“In conversations with veterans, we have heard, time and time again, that their needs are modest but the impact of our policy decisions on campus carry significant weight,” said ACE President Molly Corbett Broad. “Giving institutions the ability to accelerate their programs to support veterans—and to expand promising practices to other campuses—will tell our former servicemen and women that we are committed to their success. We are so grateful to the Wal-Mart Foundation for their generous support of our goals.”
The Wal-Mart Foundation also awarded $100,000 grants to 10 higher education institutions that currently have successful veteran educational assistance programs. The grants will support the development of new and existing programs and provide resources to assist veterans with access to education, adjustment to civilian life and success in completing their degrees.
Following are the institutions that received a grant:
Cleveland State University
San Diego State University
Arkansas State University
University of Minnesota
Mississippi State
University of Incarnate Word (Texas)
Montgomery College (Md.)
Citrus College (Calif.)
Florida Community College
San Diego Community College
Additional Grant to Support Grassroots Organization
The Wal-Mart Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to Student Veterans of America (SVA), a coalition of student veterans groups from college campuses across the country. Formed in January 2008, SVA is one of the most rapidly growing grassroots veterans’ organizations in the United States today. In just a few short months it has attracted more than 85 student veterans organizations across the country. The $100,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation will help SVA establish additional chapters and support student veteran advocates on campuses across the country.
The SVA also works in collaboration with ACE on the Severely Injured Military Veterans: Fulfilling Their Dreams program. Fulfilling Their Dreams offers educational counseling to injured veterans and their families to assist them in finding resources to help plan for the future and make informed decisions about potential programs of study. Earlier this year, the Wal-Mart Foundation provided a $250,000 grant to ACE in support of Fulfilling Their Dreams.
About Philanthropy at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and the Wal-Mart Foundation are proud to support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. Through its philanthropic programs and partnerships, the Wal-Mart Foundation supports initiatives focused on enhancing opportunities in education,job skills training, sustainability and health. In 2007, Walmart, Sam’s Club and the Wal-Mart Foundation gave $296 million to communities across the United States. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org.
About the American Council for EducationFounded in 1918, the American Council on Education (ACE) is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.
About Student Veterans of AmericaStudent Veterans of America (SVA) is a coalition of student veterans groups from college campuses across the United States. Founded in January of 2008, SVA is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that works to develop new student groups, coordinate between existing student groups, and advocate on behalf of student veterans at the local, state, and national level.
http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/NewsRoom/8752.aspx
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Combat2College Program Holds First Lecture and Discussion
Published at Oct 7 2008 12:00AM Category: College/Campus News
Speaking in the Technical Center on the Rockville Campus, Hospital Corpsman First Class and Operation Enduring Freedom Navy veteran Lee Becker reminded attendees that "military service members are our national treasures." Becker was one of the speakers on hand for the first of three Combat2College (C2C) lecture and discussions. "Lets focus on success and work to change the stigmas that are out there about our returning veterans," said Becker, who told the audience of his own struggles to cope with civilian life after active duty. "We have the training, the skills... How do we apply that to life in general?"C2C is a new comprehensive program at the Rockville Campus to welcome home and provide academic opportunities and appropriate support services for veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).
C2C demonstrates that it is possible to create a "veteran friendly" college using efficient and inexpensive interventions. The interventions do not disrupt the activities of the college, rely heavily on existing resources, and essentially have a small and non-disruptive footprint. The program provides assistance to veterans with mental health problems so that they may have an effective college experience, but it also addresses and seeks to provide benefit to all veterans, even those who deny or refuse to identify themselves as being in difficulty or needing services.
The first speaker, Joseph Bleiberg, is a senior fellow at the National Rehabilitation Hospital and a clinical associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Georgetown University's School of Medicine. Bleiberg said that traumatic brain injuries (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain are the "New Triad" of war injuries and classified TBI as "the signature injury of this war."
Also joining Becker and Bleiberg in the discussion was Stacey Pollack, Ph.D., the director of the Trauma Services Program for the United States Department of Veteran Affairs.There are two more C2C lecture and discussions scheduled. The entire College community is encouraged to attend and learn about our veterans' experiences.
October 31: THE WARRIORImage in Literature and Mythology of the Warrior and the Returning Warrior Personal Account of the Warrior and Transition to Civilian Life
Presenters:
Professor Joan Naake
Professor Tammy Peery
Eric Beauchamp, Combat Veteran
Mientien Ngyuen, Combat Veteran
Michael Sepulvado, Combat Veteran
November 21: CLINICAL ISSUES Traumatic Brain Injury Combat Stress and PTSD Orthopedic and Musculoskeletal Issues Discussion of Combined Medical/Psychological Issues in the Returning Warrior
Presenters: TBA
This series is facilitated by Montgomery College's Combat2College faculty and staff.
http://insidemc.montgomerycollege.edu/showStory.php?id=5971
Speaking in the Technical Center on the Rockville Campus, Hospital Corpsman First Class and Operation Enduring Freedom Navy veteran Lee Becker reminded attendees that "military service members are our national treasures." Becker was one of the speakers on hand for the first of three Combat2College (C2C) lecture and discussions. "Lets focus on success and work to change the stigmas that are out there about our returning veterans," said Becker, who told the audience of his own struggles to cope with civilian life after active duty. "We have the training, the skills... How do we apply that to life in general?"C2C is a new comprehensive program at the Rockville Campus to welcome home and provide academic opportunities and appropriate support services for veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).
C2C demonstrates that it is possible to create a "veteran friendly" college using efficient and inexpensive interventions. The interventions do not disrupt the activities of the college, rely heavily on existing resources, and essentially have a small and non-disruptive footprint. The program provides assistance to veterans with mental health problems so that they may have an effective college experience, but it also addresses and seeks to provide benefit to all veterans, even those who deny or refuse to identify themselves as being in difficulty or needing services.
The first speaker, Joseph Bleiberg, is a senior fellow at the National Rehabilitation Hospital and a clinical associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Georgetown University's School of Medicine. Bleiberg said that traumatic brain injuries (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain are the "New Triad" of war injuries and classified TBI as "the signature injury of this war."
Also joining Becker and Bleiberg in the discussion was Stacey Pollack, Ph.D., the director of the Trauma Services Program for the United States Department of Veteran Affairs.There are two more C2C lecture and discussions scheduled. The entire College community is encouraged to attend and learn about our veterans' experiences.
October 31: THE WARRIORImage in Literature and Mythology of the Warrior and the Returning Warrior Personal Account of the Warrior and Transition to Civilian Life
Presenters:
Professor Joan Naake
Professor Tammy Peery
Eric Beauchamp, Combat Veteran
Mientien Ngyuen, Combat Veteran
Michael Sepulvado, Combat Veteran
November 21: CLINICAL ISSUES Traumatic Brain Injury Combat Stress and PTSD Orthopedic and Musculoskeletal Issues Discussion of Combined Medical/Psychological Issues in the Returning Warrior
Presenters: TBA
This series is facilitated by Montgomery College's Combat2College faculty and staff.
http://insidemc.montgomerycollege.edu/showStory.php?id=5971
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Combat2College (C2C)
Combat2College (C2C) is a comprehensive program at the Rockville Campus to welcome home and provide academic opportunities and appropriate support services for veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and/or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). For a more comprehensive description of C2C, see: Combat2College: Facilitating College Success for Combat Veterans (.pdf 103KB), by Joseph Bleiberg, PhD, et.al.
C2C has been developed jointly by:National Rehabilitation Hospital, Washington, DCNational Center for PTSD, Palo Alto, CAMontgomery College, Rockville CampusVeterans Administration Medical Center, Washington DC
Program is being piloted at Montgomery College: http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/combat2college/
Article published on InsideHigherEd:
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2008/06/12/c2c
News clip discussing Combat2College at Montgomery College:
http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=78181&catid=189
C2C has been developed jointly by:National Rehabilitation Hospital, Washington, DCNational Center for PTSD, Palo Alto, CAMontgomery College, Rockville CampusVeterans Administration Medical Center, Washington DC
Program is being piloted at Montgomery College: http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/combat2college/
Article published on InsideHigherEd:
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2008/06/12/c2c
News clip discussing Combat2College at Montgomery College:
http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=78181&catid=189
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