Our Veterans: Supporting the Next Generation of STEM Leaders

The U.S. military has long understood the importance of how science, engineering, technology and math (STEM) play in any successful mission. Members of the military are skilled in STEM, and companies are taking note by recognizing the invaluable skills that military veterans bring to these professions.

We at Operation Honor believe that America’s military veterans are both critical to our nation’s workforce and can play an important role in getting the next generation of employees engaged and interested in STEM. That’s why we created Veterans Engaged Teaching Students (VETS), a mobile education program that connects veterans to teaching and mentoring opportunities with students who show an interest in STEM. By working collaboratively with engineers and school administrators at Owen County High School in Kentucky, we will train veterans to mentor underserved students in rural communities through this curriculum.

Recently, VETS was selected to participate in the Congressional Medal of Honor Character Development Program, allowing us to integrate the important principles of the Medal of Honor — including courage, sacrifice, patriotism, citizenship, integrity and commitment — into our curriculum. So in addition to in-demand STEM skills, VETS students also have the opportunity to develop the values that make for dedicated, engaged Americans.

Thanks to support from AT&T, Operation Honor will now be able to train and compensate the veteran mentors who are the backbone of the VETS program. We’ll also be able to upgrade equipment that will give students the hands-on learning opportunities they need to power their career skills.

Additionally, this Veterans Day, local employees from AT&T will have the opportunity to #ThankOurHeroes by joining Operation Honor in presenting burial flag cases built by disabled veterans at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. We are proud to collaborate with AT&T on programs like these which enhance the lives of veterans while unlocking the potential of our younger generations.

To learn more about Operation Honor and how you can help, visit www.operationhonor.org.

To hear more about what AT&T is doing this Veteran’s Day, click here.