> TEACHERS
The BCEx, Broward College Entrepreneurial Experience, team has provided me an opportunity to bring to life an idea that was embraced based on many years of research related to military veteran students in higher education. A virtual platform comprised with support resources for military veteran students is highly beneficial for our student veteran population. As we move into the future, we will rely more on technology and less on personnel in every industry. The idea of a virtual “One-Stop Shop” app was designed with the intention to provide support resources to veterans on and off campus. It’s a virtual place where students can find pertinent information related to benefits, networking, scholarships, peer-to-peer support, and veteran community engagement. I am grateful for the value creation process and the BCEx team in making this idea come to life.
What problem do you want to solve?
The app intends to specifically support student veterans in their transitional journey into college. Veterans need support services that help them with a seamless transition from military life to a student in college. Based on research at our institution five themes were identified as a priority among student veterans.
- Military veteran students prefer a location where they can gather and meet other veterans.
- Networking opportunities is essential for their professional growth.
- A support group organization specifically for veterans is vital.
- Dissemination of clear information provided specifically for military student veterans is important.
- A designated veteran staff member on each campus was important. Military cultural awareness is imperative to facilitate increased understanding to better help our veterans transitioning into our institution.
The app is intended as a live and active location where students are provided support to enable success in their academic journeys. Students surveyed for this project shared that they used their cell phones 80% more than any other electronic device to access information online. Students use a variety of apps, 60% social media – Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, etc., 40% personal apps – weather, banks, google, etc.
Students use 65% cell phone, 20% laptops, 10% desktops, and 5% tablets. Students shared that a cell phone is the technology that is overall mostly used daily for seeking information – Internet and text is used more than phone calls. We hope that a virtual “One-Stop Shop” app will provide our military veteran student population with the necessary resources leading to a productive and successful college experience. We are moving forward in the value creation process & piloting our app for availability soon.
– Mario Vasquez, Academic Advisor & Professor
