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November 11, 2009

OU Outreach seeks mentors for returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan

Transcript Staff

Those who would like to observe Veterans Day by honoring those who have served their country can volunteer as a mentor with University of Oklahoma Outreach and American Corporate Partners.

OU is the first university selected to participate in this effort that supports a nationwide career mentoring program for veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ACP, a New York-based nonprofit, provides a career development opportunity for veterans, from former enlisted members and officers to current Reservists and National Guard members, who have served on active duty after 2001.

ACP is not a jobs program, but is designed to assist veterans in their career development. Also welcome in the program are the spouses of service members who have been severely wounded.

"I don't believe there is another program like this in the country," ACP founder Sid Goodfriend said. "You don't have to be an expert or possess a particular skill set to be a mentor. What we are looking for are mentors who care and are willing to put the time in with the veterans."

Employees from each company or university volunteer to mentor veterans in one-on-one partnerships four hours a month for one year. Mentors in the program assume a number of roles including communicator, coach, navigator, developer and advisor to their assigned veteran prot?g?.

Mentors are chosen by ACP staff and ideally are at least 35 years old with significant corporate or academic experience. Once matched, the mentor and prot?g? have regular contact with ACP staff who will track the progress of the relationship.

OU joins a growing list of U.S. corporate partners including IBM, Campbell Soup, Energy Future Holdings, General Electric, The Home Depot, MacAndrews and Forbes, Morgan Stanley, News Corporation, PepsiCo, URS Corporation, and Verizon Communications. In addition to OU, one other university, the University of Texas, has also signed on.

"We welcome the opportunity to offer this mentoring initiative and work with ACP," said Dr. James Pappas, vice president of University Outreach. "With our experience in working with diverse groups of people, and our long history with military education, OU is perfectly positioned as we coordinate this program on the OU campus."

ACP is accepting applications from qualified veterans from the Oklahoma City metro and Tulsa areas who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. To apply visit: www.acp-usa.org.

University of Oklahoma Outreach, which is managing the program, is a lifelong learning organization for nontraditional and adult students. It is comprised of the College of Continuing Education and the College of Liberal Studies on the OU Norman campus.

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