Kankakee Community College Veteran Resource Center
Kankakee Community College Veteran Resource Center
To support veterans as they return to civilian life and take on the challenge of being a student, professors and student veterans at Kankakee Community College in Illinois have developed a veterans’ resource center on campus. The resource center provides veterans with the opportunity to connect with other student veterans, which helps them to feel less isolated and gives them a sense of community. It’s a place where the students can let down their guard and feel safe enough to focus on their studies.
How They're Solving the Problem
How They're Solving the Problem
Veterans are nearly twice as likely as nonveterans to take their own lives. One of the challenges they face is adjusting from military life to civilian life—and going back to school can present extra challenges.
Coalition partners are collaborating to implement the following activities:
- Creation of a student veteran resource center on campus. The resource center coordinator orients new student veterans and connects them with mentors.
- Activities by and for student veterans, such as veteran resource center monthly open house events, skill-building workshops on topics like job searching, financial literacy, and leadership development.
- Participation in a program that socializes and trains puppies that become companions to veterans who have PTSD.
- A Photo Voice project, through which veterans use photography to express their feelings and experiences.
Impact
Impact
Student veterans feel more connected to each other, are more engaged in the community, and are participating in more personal and educational development opportunities.
Participating Organizations
1Pet1Vet-Peggy Moran
Transformative Growth Counseling
Photo Credit for All Photos: KCC Veterans Association