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Military Veterans to attend Warrior-Scholar Project Academic Boot Camp at UNC-Chapel Hill
Intensive program helps enlisted veterans transition to four-year higher education opportunities
(Chapel Hill, N.C.—May 31, 2016) – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will participate in the Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) that is designed to help military veterans transition from the service and head back to school. To help ease the transition, the WSP is hosting a one-week academic boot camp at Carolina beginning Sunday, June 5, and running through Saturday, June 11.
WSP attendees are enlisted veterans and transitioning service members who are enrolled or planning to enroll in or transfer into a four-year undergraduate program. The program, which is conducted at 11 top national universities including Carolina, is designed to help military veterans develop or rediscover the skills and confidence necessary to successfully complete higher education opportunities.
At Carolina, 20 participants will be guided through the intensive syllabus composed of both classic and modern scholarly works by a team of student veterans. Classes, seminars and discussions will be led by university professors and graduate students who volunteered for this opportunity. A key goal is to help the WSP participants learn how to frame their ideas in an academic context, think critically and formulate scholarly arguments.
“This is a full-immersion opportunity because the week at Carolina is packed for these enlisted veterans, from early reveille to late-night lights out,” said Zach Johnson, WSP Coordinator at UNC-Chapel Hill. “These veterans are non-traditional students with unique experiences distinguishing them from their college peers, and this boot camp is designed to help them prepare for the emotional and cultural adaptations needed to succeed in a higher education environment.”
The WSP launched its first program at Yale University in 2012 with nine participants. Carolina is participating in the program for the second time.
“We are proud to host a Warrior-Scholar Project Academic boot camp at the University of North Carolina for the second year,” said Dr. Sidney Ellington, Executive Director of WSP. “The program at Carolina will tap into the immense potential of Post-9/11 veterans and reduce obstacles to success, addressing veterans’ misperceptions about college and building their confidence through an intense academic reorientation.”
WSP funders and private donors cover the entire cost of the program for participants, excluding travel. Student veterans attending UNC-Chapel Hill’s boot camp will reside in campus housing and attend lectures in various classrooms. Participation in the WSP is another way that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supports the military and its veterans.
To learn more about the program, visit www.warrior-scholar.org.
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About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 113 master’s, 68 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty – including two Nobel laureates – staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 308,000 alumni live in all 50 states and 150 countries. More than 167,000 live in North Carolina.
Communications and Public Affairs contact: Michael John, (919) 445-8555, michael.john@unc.edu