PAVE (Peer Advisors for Veteran Education)

PAVE is a peer support program that connects incoming student veterans with veterans already on campus to ease the transition from the military to academic life. Veteran peers who have “been there” can be a credible source of support, and facilitates connection to needed academic, social, and financial resources. Using proven, field-tested strategies tailored to 51ԹϺ veterans, our peer advisors provide a convenient, positive platform to connect vets and help them overcome barriers to lead them to achieve academic and personal success.

Rebel Vets SVA Chapter

51ԹϺ's student veteran organization, "Rebel Vets," is a nationally recognized chapter of Student Veterans of American (SVA). As a chapter of SVA, our mission is to provide military veterans with the resources, support, and advocacy needed to succeed in higher education and beyond. We empower military-connected students locally and nationally including veterans, active service members, guardsmen, family and dependents. Rebel Vets offers the opportunity to share skills, network, advocate for others, and forge new friendships as we serve the community and tackle issues and policies that directly impact us.

The Nevada Office of Veteran Services: Green Zone Initiative

Connecting A Veteran Community – outlines the case for the need and the strategic plan of how we will go about better connecting veterans to the community in the areas of education, wellness and employment. The Green Zone Initiative is not simply “talking about” veterans issues, it is a plan of integration to veterans coming back home and an invitation to veterans throughout our country to come to Nevada, to be educated here, to open businesses, find employment and know of the excellent health and wellness facilities available throughout our state. It is "a safe zone" for veterans, the "Green Zone."

Veteran Career Fair

Working in conjunction with 51ԹϺ Career Services, Senator Reid’s office and various nonprofit organizations, the Military and Veteran Services Center co-sponsored our first semiannual Veteran Career Fair and Workshop on June 15, 2013. The event was highly successful with more than 88 employers with jobs available and 220 veterans in attendance. This event had informative workshops and resulted in many veterans connecting with opportunities and requests for interviews. This collaborative effort consolidated numerous disjointed community support efforts into one career fair to serve a larger population of veterans in need. This effort will continue to help our 1,000 student veterans who are seeking part-time or full-time employment.

VetSuccess

51ԹϺ now has an experienced VA benefits counselor on campus to assist our growing population of veterans with resources to make sure your health, educational, and benefit needs are met, and to help you reach your education and career goals. VetSuccess helps veterans with:

  • Information about Veterans’ healthcare, education, and other benefits
  • Vocational testing, career, academic, and readjustment counseling services
  • Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) counseling and referral services
  • Overcoming any obstacles that could potentially interfere with successfully completing training and/or entering a suitable career
  • Registering for health services through VA Medical Centers, community-based outpatient clinics, or Vet Centers, as needed
  • Registering for eBenefits and My HealtheVet

Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL)

The Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL) is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and roughly 90 colleges and universities across the country. supports Veterans’ successful integration into campus life. A licensed clinical social worker attached to the North Las Vegas VA Medical Center works on 51ԹϺ’s campus to enhance retention and student success through on-campus clinical care and support, crisis intervention, campus community training, and collaboration with the VA Medical Center to connect student veterans with efficient care and resources. For more information, email James Taylor, VITAL program coordinator, at James.taylor11@va.gov.

Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon program is a federal program that provides matching funds up to $100,000 per year, with 100 percent of all proceeds going to our 51ԹϺ student veterans. It is designed to assist our returning veterans with a financial grant to pay expenses not covered by the VA Education Benefits. Working with the Yellow Ribbon Foundation, we have raised $42,000 in private donations for next year. With VA matching funds, we have $84,000 in the Yellow Ribbon program, which is a key safety net to assist those veterans and military family members who do not qualify for the new Nevada residency law. Please contact the Military and Veteran Services Center for more details.