Caltech: Caltech Partners with Warrior-Scholar Project to Help Veterans Prepare for Higher Education
To help student veterans acclimate to civilian life and earn undergraduate degrees, Caltech once again partnered with the national nonprofit Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) to host a STEM Academic Boot Camp August 6-13. The intensive curriculum was designed to help veterans prepare for an academic environment while learning strategies to become better students.
“Caltech is proud to host Warrior-Scholar Project for the third year in a row and for the first time in person. We are once again excited to introduce another cohort of enlisted service members and veterans to one of our nation’s best science and technology institutions, and hope each participant finds the experience rewarding and motivating,” said Kenneth Hargreaves, assistant vice president of strategy implementation and external relations officer at Caltech.
During the WSP-Caltech Academic Boot Camp, 10 participants learned from Caltech faculty, received mentoring from other student veterans, and adjusted to a formal learning environment. They were among the estimated 115,000 veterans who separate from the military each year who decide to pursue higher education.
Because transitioning from military life to that of a college student can be challenging, especially after years spent away from the classroom, WSP offers intensive one- to two-week academic boot camps so participants can gain skills required for success as well as to help them navigate the cultural shift from the military to higher education at top-tier schools.
Support from Caltech and other donors covers the cost of the program for participants, including an accessibility stipend of up to $500 for travel, childcare, and other expenses. Since the partnership began in 2020, 29 veterans have attended the WSP-Caltech Academic Boot Camp.
WSP’s free resident education programs traditionally house students on campuses, affording them the ability to engage in challenging discussions with accomplished professors, receiving instruction on skills such as analytical reading and college-level writing.