Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
Providence, RI – The transition back to civilian life can be challenging for some veterans. In an effort to provide support to these veterans and offer innovative educational opportunities, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced that the Providence Clemente Veterans’ Initiative (PCVI) is being awarded a $99,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
This federal funding, awarded through the NEH ‘Dialogues on the Experience of War’ grant program, will help support PCVI’s free, accredited college course serving veterans who feel challenged by the return to civilian life. The program encourages participants to become engaged with their peers through the exploration of humanities with college-level courses in history, art, philosophy and literature.
“The work being done by the Providence Clemente Veterans’ Initiative is enriching the lives of so many veterans and families. With this grant award, PCVI will be able to develop new materials, partnerships, courses, and opportunities to strengthen their program and services for years to come.” said Senator Reed, a U.S. Army veteran and Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I am grateful for PCVI and proud that I could support their application for this grant.”
Participants in PCVI’s program build critical reading, writing, and decision-making skills in preparation for college, work, and civic life. By creating a safe and accessible setting, the program encourages veterans to take other college courses and puts them on the path to get their Associate or Bachelor degrees.
“The PCVI is premised on the idea that guided discussion of humanities texts and images can enable veterans to thread new meaning through the years that follow their return home,” said Dr. Mark Santow, the PCVI’s Academic Director. “The course offers local veterans an opportunity to come together with their peers, and to develop a set of intellectual tools to make sense of their experiences, and to communicate them. We are honored that the NEH has chosen to support our work, and grateful to our partners for helping us to make the PCVI a meaningful experience for Rhode Island’s veterans.
PCVI received a $99,000 NEH grant award in 2019, which helped to advance their courses and offer new opportunities for local veterans. PCVI also won the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities 2020 Innovation in the Humanities award. Partnering organizations for this initiative include Bard College, which allows for transfer of credits earned in PCVI courses; the Clemente Course in the Humanities; professors from the University of Rhode Island’s College of Arts and Science; Trinity Repertory Company, which helps to host courses; and Operation Stand Down RI, which helps to recruit veterans that can benefit from PCVI’s innovative program.