University of Michigan’s Military Support Programs and Networks (M-SPAN) & Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation
University of Michigan’s Military Support Programs and Networks (M-SPAN)
University of Michigan’s Military Support Programs and Networks (M-SPAN) will receive $848,870 over two years for their project Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (P.A.V.E) to develop a replicable and scalable version of the earlier funded version of the P.A.V.E model, a peer to-peer program connecting student veterans on participating college campuses with peer advisors.
Need
Universities and community colleges are seeing a large influx of student Veterans due, in part, to the implementation of the post-9/11 GI Bill. Studies have demonstrated that support services can be beneficial for helping student veterans adjust to college and achieve their academic goals, which helps improve retention. Providing Veteran peer-facilitate connection to needed resources can foster a sense of connectedness and belonging for student veterans.
Project
The second iteration of the PAVE program, will expand to 40 universities nationwide deploying the peer-to-peer program that connects student Veterans with peers on campus who can help them navigate college life, identify challenges and refer them to the appropriate resources on or off campus when needed.
Project Leader
Jane Spinner, jspinner@med.umich.edu