mtvU Elevates the Voices of Student Vets
May 18 2010
mtvU , MTV’s 24-hour college network, continues to support our newest generation of veterans by premiering two new short-form specials giving veterans a platform to make their voices heard by college students around the country.
With MTV research revealing that 74 percent of young people ages 18-29 personally know someone who has fought in Iraq or Afghanistan, this new programming focuses on a topic that hits home for many young people. Both features focus on the difficult transition these men and women face as they come home to civilian life:
“Voices of Vets”
Since the Post 9-11 GI bill was passed in 2008, more veterans than ever are furthering their education and enrolling in college. From feelings of isolation to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the transition from the battlefield to the classroom can be very difficult. Developed as part of the “Half of Us” campaign, which takes its name from research showing that nearly half of all college students say they have been so depressed they couldn’t function at some point, “Voices of Vets ” seeks to shatter stereotypes and create a mutual understanding between veterans and civilians by giving viewers a look inside life as a Millennial veteran returning to life on campus. This short collection of self-shot video footage focuses in on eight young veterans as they share their accomplishments, struggles and experiences with the audience.
As part of “Half of Us,” mtvU has aired a number of public service announcements, short-form features and resources in an ongoing commitment to support Millennial generation veterans. In “Today’s Student Vets: From Combat to College ,” the college network followed young veterans as they made the challenging transition back into college life, delving into the emotional struggles they face, and demonstrating how civilians can play a role in helping them adjust back into life after active-duty. Additionally, mtvU and the Jed Foundation have developed multiple PSAs, in partnership with the Bob Woodruff Foundation, addressing the emotional struggles college veterans face when returning to campus and how students can help ease that transition.
“Beyond the Welcome Home”
100 young veterans from across the country recently gathered together in Los Angeles for the “Beyond the Welcome Home” summit, a 3-day event hosted by Mobilize.org, ServiceNation: Mission Serve, the Goldhirsh Foundation, the McCormick Foundation and MTV, with additional support provided by The Home Depot Foundation, The Home Depot Arena and Bank of America.
During the summit, veterans debated, discussed and collaborated on veteran-led, veteran benefited projects in America’s communities and had the chance to win thousands of dollars to turn their ideas into reality. Civilians were encouraged to participate in the conversation via social media and online live streaming provided by The Case Foundation. Five proposals were selected to receive grant money and a year of mentoring, with a broad range of innovative concepts ranging from a green small business incubator designed to combat unemployment and promote sustainable energy to a software tool aimed at sparking a national online dialogue on the most pressing issues facing veterans.
The short-form segment, made possible by the support of the McCormick Foundation, features excerpts from the summit, giving young veterans a platform to share their ideas with the college audience. From the special, viewers are directed to Brave.MTV.com to learn more about how to support the winning ideas and other veterans’ initiatives in their local communities.
For more information, veterans and civilians can head to Brave.MTV.com or access the “Half of Us” veterans’ resource center at www.halfofus.com/veterans.
About “Half of Us”
mtvU and The Jed Foundation launched the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated “Half of Us” campaign in November 2006 to fight the stigma around mental health and encourage help-seeking among college students across the country. The campaign includes on-air, online and on campus elements. The backbone of the campaign is www.HalfofUs.com where students can access a variety of programming and resources, including videos featuring a diverse group of students and artists like Mary J. Blige, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and Brittany Snow, speaking candidly about their personal struggles with serious mental health issues. The centerpiece of the site is an anonymous self-evaluator screening tool – developed by the Duke University Medical Center – which helps users understand more about their state of mind and access campus-specific resources. The site also features an action center where students can become advocates on issues related to college mental health and suicide prevention.
The “Half of Us” campaign was built on original research that showed most students would not seek help for emotional issues due to embarrassment or a lack of information about available resources (visit www.HalfofUs.com/press.aspx to view the findings of the “mtvU College Mental Health Study: Stress, Depression, Stigma & Students“).
