Veterans  Education Project	Veterans in the Classroom Award-winning programs for high schools, middle schools and teenage youth groups © Courtesy of Springfield Union News, 11/8/99 Veterans sharing their stories challenging youth to confront violence and develop critical thinking and respect
A Valuable Educational Resource VEP’s Programs       Oral History       Understanding Violence       Program for Girls Ways You Can Help VEP Veteran Storytellers Teens Say VEP Rocks How to Contact VEP

Men and women veterans trained in our innovative Storytelling Approach share personal stories about their military service that teach young people important life lessons.

VEP’s Storytelling Approach has been successfully applied throughout western Massachusetts to complement a variety of classroom, guidance department, law enforcement and youth group programs.

VEP VETERANS’ PRESENTATIONS:
	Enrich the academic study of history, civics or literature
	Address important youth issues such as violence, peer pressure and sexual harassment
	Promote critical thinking, respect and self esteem
	Encourage tolerance and leadership
	Provide positive adult role models

VEP’s approaches to addressing youth violence have won recognition from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency and from the Congressional Black Caucus of the U.S. Congress.

VEP’s methods for teaching lessons about history and addressing issues related to violence are included in a national curriculum on the Vietnam War produced by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

First hand experiential accounts engage students and bring history to life. VEP veterans impart a personal perspective, helping students to understand dramatic historic events and to grasp their relevance for today. They are trained to share their stories in ways that teach meaningful life lessons.

© Courtesy of Springfield Union News, 1/10/2000	VETERANS’ ORAL HISTORIES:
		Educate and inform about events such as Balkan peacekeeping missions, Desert Storm, the Vietnam War, the Korean War and WWII
		Promote critical thinking about historical events and political decisions
		Illuminate the study of history and literature such as The Red Badge of Courage, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Things They Carried, etc.

VEP veterans draw parallels between teenage violence and the experiences and lessons of the battlefield. Honest and thoughtful reflections on surviving violence and coping with its aftershocks often earn the trust and respect of even aloof, hard-to-reach teens, including those in programs for delinquent youth.

UNDERSTANDING VIOLENCE PROGRAMS:
	De-glorify war and violence
	Illustrate the lasting emotional and physical costs of violence and trauma (both for victim and perpetrator)
	Reveal underlying motivations for teen violence and substance abuse; for example, "going along with the gang," earning respect, fear, alienation, etc.
	Promote the building of positive peer relations, respecting differences, managing one’s anger, avoiding violence when possible, etc.
	Help counselors to address issues such as bullying, gang involvement, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, racism and sexual harassment
	Offer multi-session programs
	Offer Community Voices Against Violence: non-veteran community members share first-hand accounts of surviving domestic abuse, overcoming alcohol/drug addiction, or coping with the aftershocks of violence

WOMEN VETERANS’ STORIES:
	Promote discussion about choices and consequences girls need to consider
	Look at the impact of power and violence, helping girls find a personal balance amid society’s conflicting messages
	Reach out to boys as well, expanding their understanding and influencing their choices

Given the contradictory messages girls and women hear all around them (Be strong, but not too strong. Be powerful, but feminine. Be independent, but submissive.), how does a young woman find the right balance for herself?

Women in the military strongly experience all these contradictions. Performing at the highest levels of physical and emotional difficulty, they challenge women’s exclusion from any sector of society, including combat. Still, they are confronted more frequently than in civilian life with sexual aggression and double standards. Their stories of navigating these challenges open the way for rich sharing and provide invaluable guidance for girls today.

© Courtesy of Springfield Union News, 7/16/97	VETERANS:
		Attend a VEP speakers training
		Become a speaker with VEP
		Support other veterans as they develop their stories
		Go to a veteran’s presentation as a friend
		Tell other veterans about VEP
	Educators & Youth Workers:
		Invite VEP speakers to your classroom or program
		Work with staff to tailor a VEP presentation to the specific needs of your group

SUPPORTERS:
	Make a financial contribution
	Tell men and women veterans about VEP
	Encourage teachers to invite VEP speakers to their classes
	Volunteer in the office

Men and women veterans volunteer to tell their stories to teens. Combat and non-combat veterans alike work with VEP. Sharing many kinds of stories from war, boot camp and non-combat experiences, VEP veterans provide teenagers with first-hand historical perspectives and practical life lessons.

Sharing personal stories can be challenging and difficult work, yet speaking to teens gives veterans an opportunity to positively influence a younger generation. Our vets find working with VEP and teenagers to be a validating and satisfying experience.

Training and Support
VEP provides training in our unique Storytelling Approach. Veterans learn how to construct stories that share positive values without "preaching," give class presentations, lead discussions and answer tough questions. Our staff and experienced speakers support new speakers in working with teenagers and in honing their storytelling craft.