Engaging Student Veterans: Study Findings and Recommendations

Swords to Plowshares and University of California Berkeley Veteran Services Center invite you to attend a presentation and discussion of the 2017 Bay Area campus focus group findings regarding veteran student affairs.

This program, based on qualitative research conducted by Swords to Plowshares with Bay Area student veterans and campus staff, is specifically designed for educators and higher education professionals.

Swords to Plowshares’ Institute for Veteran Policy will first present their Combat to Community® training, a series of accredited cultural competency curricula to teach our communities how to address the challenges veterans face re-integrating into society and the unique skill sets they acquire in service.

Participants will then participate in guided discussions, application exercises, and a discussion panel with student veterans. Bay Area school representatives may engage and share information through networking opportunities and group discussions. Participants will conclude this in-service with concrete strategies to implement at their school based on Swords to Plowshares’ research findings and benchmarks to assess their improvements.

AGENDA

Combat to Community® Training

9:00am – 10:00am

Tyler Solorio, Army veteran and Policy Analyst for Swords to Plowshares will present a Combat to Community® training. Topics will include potential barriers student veterans are experiencing which impact education outcomes, necessary support for academic success and overall well-being, and how to better support incoming and outgoing student veterans.

Discussion Panel with Student Veterans

10:00am – 11:00am

Participate in a panel discussion with student veterans attending UC Berkeley to understand their experiences and discuss ways to support veterans in education.

Break

11:00am– 11:10am

Case Study and Self-Assessments

11:10am – 12:00pm

Join us to discuss practical ways to support student veterans in the classroom and on campus, based on real case examples. Discussion questions and handouts will help facilitate this portion of our program.

Lunch (provided)

12:00pm – 1:00pm

Research Findings

1:00pm – 2:00pm

Learn about Swords to Plowshares’ research findings and what they can tell us about student veterans. The Institute for Veteran Policy at Swords to Plowshares conducted eight focus groups with 75 student veterans at four Bay Area colleges and interviewed several campus staff. These findings will help universities tailor their supportive practices for student veterans.

Continuing Education Credits (4) are available for MFT, LPCC, LEP, LCSW, AND CAADE professionals licensed in California.

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