Training Program Plan

Justin “Jay” Stutz

AET/570 Program Development in Adult Education

Professor Gregory Dlabach

April 3, 2017

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Background Information

For over 50 years, Colorado Springs, Colorado has been an epicenter for military activity.

The Rocky Mountains create a nearly impenetrable shield for the Armed Forces’ top radar and

command centers. With such a strong emphasis on America’s defense systems, came the

creation of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a myriad of military bases. As the bases were being

built, it was followed by some of the largest aerospace and aircraft manufacturers in the world,

who all compete for the government’s defense dollars. But the only way to stay competitive in

this technical and engineering market is by educating a workforce with the skills needed to keep

these company’s innovative and pushing the boundaries of military defense. This makes this an

ideal place for military personnel to end their careers, as high-ranking officers can connect with

these top-notch businesses to provide consultation and inside information about what the military

really needs.

Colorado colleges and universities have tried to properly provide an educated workforce

by offering some of the best engineering and aerospace degrees needed to compete in this field.

But like many technical fields, companies are finding that there are not enough qualified

graduates to fill these specialized positions. As a result, lots of research and studies have been

composed to determine why there are not more workplace ready engineers, especially out of the

military, who can help end this drought in these areas.

The conclusion is that most retired soldiers who leave the military have non-transferable

skills and it is creating a learning gap that prevents them from being successful in a civilian

environment. Many enlist in the military before they graduate from high school, leaving some

with a long and decorated career, but very little to put on a job application under “Education.”

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So some soldiers leave with the opportunity to use their G.I. Bill benefits, but have not obtained

the educational pre-requisites to go to college.

Even beyond the serviceperson’s career choices, their families also need to be considered.

Military spouses have almost become a cliché of having limited career possibilities and little

chance of improved education because they are always on the move with their partner, who are

often reassigned to different posts or deployed all together, leaving the spouse as a single-parent

for the household. Children also suffer, as they develop a lifetime of moving from school to

school, but needing to learn how to stick-it-out to attend a 4 year college or university. The truth

is that the highest price that someone in the military pays for a life of service and sacrifice to

their country is that they need education and skills to become successful, but need additional

services to make that dream into a reality.

Peterson Family Education Center

Peterson Air Force Base already has an Education Center. But a March 23rd, 2017,

interview with Education Center volunteer Sandra Bloomquist revealed that the Center is

“underfunded and underutilized,” (Bloomquist, 2017). A simple look at their website

(https://www.21fss.com/about/education-center/) proves that the center itself actually provides

very little in the way of educational services. For the most part, they offer informational Q&A

sessions, a career pathways class, and their biggest focus seems to be on scholarship and grant

opportunities for military families. While these are great services, they should not be the only

functions of a base-wide education center!

This proposal would call for a revamping of the Education Center to the “Peterson

Family Education Center.” The main idea would be that the Center could start providing actual

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educational services for the military personnel who are preparing to re-enter the workforce, for

educating spouses who can use on-base resources to help further their education and work place

skills, and as a place that young adults can find G.E.D. programs and college assistance

opportunities to keep them on a path of lifelong learning.

To create the Peterson Family Education Center, Colorado Springs School District-11

and Peterson Air Force Base would create a partnership together that would benefit both

organizations. Peterson has incredible facilities, access to Department of Defense educational

grant opportunities, and a population of adults who could use adult education services and

workplace assistance for vets and their families. District-11 is the biggest school district in

Colorado Springs, who already employs quality educators who could help get this program off

the ground and would like to continue to improve the lives of the military soldiers and their

families within our community. So the marriage of these two organizations would be mutually

beneficial, providing educational resources to soldiers and their families.

Scope of Program

To expand the functionality of the current Education Center, it will take a three-tiered

approach. First, it will provide G.E.D. prep courses in the subjects of English, Math, Science,

and Social Studies. Some of the soldiers, who may have enlisted prior to high school graduation,

will need to earn their G.E.D. This is often a discounted group, who might be more willing to

use their G.I. Bill for continuing higher levels of education, but have not yet earned the requisites

to attend a post-secondary institution. A 2014 poll from The Washington Post reveals that less

than 50% of American soldiers have fully taken advantage of their G.I. Bill since 9/11 and of

that 50%, it is unclear how many have simply passed the Bill down to an eligible family member

instead of using it themselves, (Treseder, W., 2014). It will provide an opportunity for spouses

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and young adults to consider varying careers because they will have access to a wide range of

learning prospects. And if nothing else, it provides a chance for lifelong learners to continue to

challenge themselves with academic coursework.

The second tier for the Education Center will be workplace preparation classes.

Especially for military spouses who continue to move across the country following their military

wife/husband, they often have to take entry-level positions when they join a new company or

organization. It can often be frustrating making meager wages, being trained at a new job,

knowing that within months it might be time to move and start over again. Instead of only being

able to apply for entry-level positions, it would be much more satisfying to have earned

certifications or experience that enables the spouse to apply for more challenging and higher

paying positions. Even for veterans or those considering leaving the military, it can be difficult

to re-enter the workforce having only the specific technical skills the military provides. By

offering classes on basic computer use or software training, these adults can earn the confidence

of creating effective resumes or highlighting skills that companies are looking for.

In the third tier, we continue the current Education Center’s emphasis on post-secondary

education. As military families prepare for their student’s future college plans, it would be

helpful to provide financial options and advice that would support their future aspirations. This

information would also be critical for military personnel who are weighing their options on how

to utilize their G.I. Bill, if there was an organized space they could go to consider their collegiate

options, talk with a counselor, and find literature about schools from across the country, it would

be extremely helpful.

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Intended Audience for Peterson Family Education Center

The target audience will be active and inactive military personnel and the families of

these soldiers. It is intended to help individuals who need a G.E.D., workplace certifications, or

who are planning for post-secondary education destinations.

Program Goals

The primary goal for this program is to provide useful adult coursework that will make

adults associated with the military, and their families, more marketable in the workplace and

better prepared for post-secondary education. In achieving the above goal, the Education Center

hopes to provide better stability for military families, create an increased respect and passion for

learning, and to make Peterson a more appealing post to potential recruits.

Program Objectives

The Peterson Family Education Center will provide rigorous and academically

challenging courses that can help participants earn their G.E.D.

The Peterson Family Education Center will offer various courses on professional

technology use and software specific tutorials.

The Peterson Family Education Center will develop a dedicated college-readiness office,

with counseling services, financial aid seminars, and information about different post-

secondary options for higher education institutions.

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Needs Analysis

While there are numerous techniques that can be used to identify the needs for such a

program, there are several key areas that were focused on for this proposal. As mentioned

above, there was an informal conversation with Sandra Bloomquist, a volunteer at the current

Education Center, who mentioned that the Center was, “underfunded and underutilized,”

(Bloomquist, 2017). It was also mentioned earlier that it was the topic of a Washington Post poll

about how G.I. Bills were not being used.

Another informal conversation was with Mrs. Ramiyah Walkes, the wife of an airman at

Peterson Air Force Base and dedicated volunteer at McAuliffe Elementary. When asked why

she volunteered so much as the school where her children attend, she responded with,

I love being with kids and would love to become a teacher one day! But between my husband’s career and taking care of our children, I don’t feel like I have the time to invest in a career of my own. I would love to take classes, but the nearest school is on the north side of town [Mrs. Walkes is referring to Pikes Peak Community College]! And working is hard because I have been a stay-at-home mom for so long that I wouldn’t know what to do, (Walkes, R., 2017)

Even this stay-at-home, mother of two is struggling with her own identity when it comes to how

to spend her time. She doesn’t feel like she is marketable in today’s workforce and she is

frustrated that she cannot find an appropriate learning environment to push herself.

Finally, a 2017 USA Today College article by Matthew Wilson also concludes that

without more support services, military veterans are experiencing higher college dropout rates

than ever before. The article has information from the National Center for Education Statistics

that reports that, “…[military veterans] struggle to connect with campus, which can lead to

higher dropout rates. In 2011, only 51.7% of veteran students graduated from college,” (Wilson,

M., 2017). The article continues that, “military-connected students are at a higher risk of

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dropping out because they are typically older, have to work while in college, have family

responsibilities or have health conditions incurred during service.” Which leads to a natural

conclusion that if these active and inactive soldiers had better educational resources earlier in

their careers and if these services were more easily accessible to the families on base, then it can

only increase the chances of academic success later in life.

Budget

For the purposes of this proposal, the Peterson Family Education Center is only going to

consider the initial startup of what it would take to get this program off the ground. First of all,

the facility itself is already built and created, in that there is already an office created on Peterson

Air Force Base. One of the strongest draws to this program is that it will be centrally located on

Base, making it a short jaunt for any of the adults who wish to attend classes. The space is not

huge, but it does have an office and a small classroom. As the objectives state that there will be

a dedicated space for a college planning area, it might take a small redecorating budget of no

more than $500 to reimagine this space.

The key to this program will be getting licensed educators to teach the classes.

Fortunately, this is an area the school district already has plenty of resources with and could

easily find talented and qualified educators to teach these classes. The initial plan for the

P.F.E.C. would be to offer 10-week long, evening classes, just to see how well it is embraced

within the community. The vision is to have a different class each night of the week, (i.e.

Monday evenings would be Math, Tuesdays - English, Wednesdays - Science, Thursdays -

Social Studies, Fridays – Technology. As the year progresses, these days can rotate). This

would require a highly qualified instructor only one night per week for a 2-hour class, which

could be ideal for a teacher who is willing to do this type of work on a part-time basis. So 5

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licensed instructors per week, for ten weeks, and additional prep time for creating their courses

would begin at $500 per class. That would be $2,500 per 10-week session and if done for four

sessions per year, would be an annual budget of $10,000 for instructors.

Perhaps the most difficult part of this will be providing the technology needed for these

courses. The Education Center does not currently have the resources to provide computers or

laptops to its students, so that might be a long-term purchase to consider later. For the time

being, students will need to arrive to class with a personal device or there are smaller computer

labs around the base that we could reserve for our class for occasional use.

One of the strongest pieces of this program is that in educational vernacular, it is rich in

areas for grants and scholarship opportunities. It is specifically designed to help military

families, making it an ideal place to invest for the military. It helps educate their soldiers, keeps

their families happy and driven, provides support to children of military families who are

considering post-secondary education, and actively guides troops to utilize their G.I. Bills. By

teaching workplace skills and encouraging lifelong learning, this would also be a worthwhile

outlet for Veteran’s Affairs services. On the flipside, adult education is trending in this country

and the school district could find incredible grants to support outward-bound programs, G.E.D.

preparation, and technology funding for armed service representatives. Specifically, we will

target the Department of Defense Education Activity Fund (D.o.D.E.A.) which already has

created a partnership with McAuliffe Elementary and their heavily impacted military school

(D.o.D.E.A grant information site, n.d.). Another great resource would be the D-11

Foundation’s “Inspiring Creativity” Education Grant, which encourages D-11 educators to think

beyond the walls of our schools to try and make a bigger impact on our community (The

Foundation for School District-11 site, n.d.).

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Participants can also be expected to help pay for the services, after all they are the ones

reaping the benefits of these classes. However, early in the program it will be important to keep

prices low to encourage adults to utilize our resources, so for now it will kept at $50 per 10-week

session (eventually we will offer technology classes that earn certifications and they will incur

additional costs). Finally, with the introduction of such a proposal, it would be encouraging if

both organizations would be willing to “chip-in” for the initial 2-3 years. By splitting the cost

and making a financial investment in the program, both organizations will want to see the

program flourish and be successful, enticing both groups to do what they could do market,

endorse, and encourage teachers and adults in the military community to support the endeavor.

Staffing

There is already a director of the Education Center on base and in calling their

organization, it is clear that they have at least one volunteer who answers their phones. As the

Center only runs a few classes and they are only offered during a small window of the day, it can

be assumed that the Director is only a part-time position. However, that means there are already

some established employees who can help in the marketing and could help make the P.F.E.C.

dream a reality. The most important hires will be the instructors who will teach the courses. The

Center would require instructors who were highly qualified to teach in the state of Colorado,

with secondary licensure in their respective subject field. They will need to be background

checked and in addition, need to earn clearance to get on to Peterson Air Force Base, which

requires additional checks. While there will be multiple educators, each instructor will only need

to be available for their individual class one night per week, for approximately 2 hours. At the

beginning of the program, there might need to be some introductory meetings and planning

sessions for those instructors.

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In addition to the director’s normal duties, it would be helpful if they could also become

the college-readiness counselor for the Center. He/she would only have to be available perhaps

over weekends and some evenings, but it would be a waste of resources if the director were at

the Center 40+ hours per week. Also, the counselor would better serve the Center by being more

of a traveling counselor, who could talk to military teams, spouse support groups, and nearby

schools to market the Center and its programs.

One of the most difficult areas to consider will be the evaluation portion of the instructors

and employees at the Center. As it will be a combination of organizations involved, each with

their respective reputations on the line, it will be important that both groups are satisfied with the

Center’s direction and progress. The director is already in place and should be evaluated by the

administration of Peterson. They will be evaluated by the overall success and growth of the

Center, having gained sufficient funds to run the Center through grant writing and donations, and

with feedback from the students and staff of the Center. Evaluations for the teachers will be

done by management from the school district, similar to their regular classroom teachers, with

scheduled observations, impromptu walkthroughs, and performance rubrics (the district currently

uses a state-wide program, called RANDA for their online evaluations for teachers). Instructors

will also be evaluated on post-instruction surveys from their students about performance,

delivery of materials, and overall effectiveness.

Stakeholders

With any successful training program, all stakeholders should be identified and

considered during the creation process. For instance, by looking at the organizations involved

and what they can gain/contribute to the process, a clearer and more accurate picture of our

needs can determined. By looking at the target audience and assessing their needs from the

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program, planners can provide the best resources, design an effective program, and create a well-

conceived plan on how to deliver the program efficiently.

Stakeholders Partnership goal Ways to build support

Military personnel – active or retired

Helps soldiers to transition from military format to civilian organizations, improve utilization of G.I. Bill, improve retention and promotion of enlisted soldiers

Education Center is right on base, near their homes and work, so there are no long commutes to class or lengthy time commitments away from family. As soldiers are transitioning away from military life, this would be a great place for them to visit to weigh out their options. Make connections through Veterans Affairs office.

Military spouses and family members

Spouses can earn certifications and additional education to make themselves more marketable to potential employers. Family members can get help preparing for G.E.D. or counseling on how to prepare for post-secondary education.

On base, there are military spouse support groups, who could use these types of organizations for personal growth or could volunteer to help the Center thrive. College counselor could have “College Night” at some of the local high schools and provide students with access to the Center’s resources. The base also has a youth center, where new parents could take their kids for daycare, a library, and several computer labs that could be marketing centers for the programs.

Peterson Air Force Base

One of the loudest complaints about the military is how well the soldiers are taken care of when active, but quickly forgotten when they are not. This would actively provide a training center for retiring and inactive soldiers. The base would become a hub for military families who are trying to improve themselves academically. The base can continue to bridge strong bonds with the city, as they hire on civilian educators to support this initiative.

The base can help with finding additional funding that can help the program to get started. Encourage the marketing and commitment to education through base newsletters, bulletin boards, and Veteran’s Affairs office. Support soldiers who are willing to continue their education with leniency for soldiers who are going to school on leaving work early to attend and active promotion of soldiers willing to improve themselves.

Colorado Springs School District-11

Peterson Air Force Base is on the edge of three major school districts in the city and by strengthening that relationship, continues to keep those students (and the funding that goes

Encourage teachers to consider this teaching opportunity. Provide support with time or additional resources (extra copies, borrowing district technology, time to get on-base after school to take part in the program. As choice

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with them) in district. As other Mill Levy Overrides come up for election, D-11 can argue that they are strong supporters of the community, proven with their partnership with Peterson. Provides additional income opportunities for teachers wanting to earn some extra money. Gives back to the community at large, providing education well beyond K-12.

continues to be a growing concern in our country about where students can go to school, this creates a strong reputation for the D-11 school district. The city and county can encourage these types of partnerships with tax credits, efforts to expand the program later, and by pushing it in public libraries, government buildings, and in museums around town.

Instructors

Allows educators to consider adult education and training as a future profession. Earn additional income, with a small time commitment. Expand their skillsets, allowing them to put on their resumes that they have taught adult learners, as well. Give back to the community, especially if they are former military members, who can see the value of such programs.

They bring with them their time commitment, highly-qualified and licensed educators with experience in teaching their individual subjects. As teachers in nearby schools, they can encourage parents who live on base to attend classes and to utilize the college readiness office for themselves and for their children.

Communication Plan

There are an incredible amount of benefits that would come along with creating this

program at Peterson. First and foremost, the Center will provide educational resources to

military personnel, who are sacrificing so much of themselves in the service of our country. It is

a fact that college educated soldiers are more likely to be promoted through the ranks than

soldiers who do not. At some point, they will most likely transition out of the military service

and into a role as a civilian leader. To better their opportunities and prepare them for life after

the military, it is essential that they receive solid workplace training and skills. Even after their

time is up in the military, veterans continue to struggle with the shift to life outside of the

military and having a place to offer them academic opportunities is extremely valuable.

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While the military family member has that sense of duty and purpose, that they are

sacrificing a “normal” life to serve their country, their spouses and children are often struggling

with their lot in life. The constant moving, missing family members who are deployed or on

extended trainings, or dealing with their loved one’s disabilities makes it difficult to cultivate a

career or an education for themselves. It can feel impossible to establish oneself in a stable

career or to consider long-term educational opportunities when the family could have to move

soon after.

So we use these general feelings of military members, and their families, to establish this

Education Center. It is crucial that we point out that there will be life beyond the military for

these people and that they need to start preparing now! Despite being a service for people in the

Armed Services, our biggest target audience will most likely be the spouses of service members,

frustrated with their lack of employment prospects and academic possibilities. And if we are

truly going to serve the needs of the whole family, as the name suggests, then we must also

consider the educational careers of military students, who have probably changed schools quite

often throughout their experience. Trying to encourage someone to plant roots firmly in their

education, who has never had them before, are huge steps for any young person and we will be

there to help counsel and guide those young adults to long-term success.

The great part about these two organizations is that the Center will have many avenues

for solid communication and marketing for our target audience. Within the base itself, we can

easily market our programs because we are part of the community. Through the Base website,

Veteran’s Affairs office, military spouse support groups, and even the D-X (shopping center) can

be easy places to push the programs with flyers and advertisements. Even inviting neighboring

military facilities like Shriever Air Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Fort

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Carson, and the U.S. Air Force Academy could have endless families who could use our services

(and perhaps could be the home of future Education Centers across Colorado Springs!). By

being partnered with Colorado Springs School District-11, there are even more marketing areas

to consider. By talking to students at each of the high schools, primarily students who have

families in the Armed Services, we could encourage them to use the Center. And with such a

huge partnership between two of the largest organizations in Colorado Springs, we could also

encourage the city, county, and state to market these programs to the 400,000+ veterans who live

across Colorado, (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2009). We have even created some initial

marketing fact sheets that we could use for promoting the Center, see Flyer 1 below.

Program Evaluation

As mentioned above, Peterson Air Force Base will have primary oversight for the

Peterson Family Education Center. It will require repurposing of their current Education Center

and it will likely redefine the role and responsibilities of their Director of the Education Center.

And most importantly, the Center is going to provide this resource to help the military families

who live on base, so they key will be determining if these proposed changes are making a

positive impact on the military community, primarily living on Peterson. While it would be

important for the Director to collect and manage the data collected and to share their finding with

the instructors and administrators of Peterson, it might be less biased if it was collected by a

third-party who is not directly affiliated with Peterson or District-11. Often there are civilian

facilitators who could provide some outside analysis about the Center’s overall progress and

success.

For short term evaluation, some simple feedback from participants would be helpful. A

pre- and post-survey about our clients’ educational backgrounds and history could help provide

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information about how to better serve clients with our class selection. Recruitment and retention

of students would also be helpful data to analyze, to determine how the effectiveness of

marketing is working and the usefulness of our courses due to return business. Lastly, if both

organizations are willing to help with the initial and funding startup for the Center, then it would

give a buffer for the Director to locate long-term and sustainable funding through grants,

donations, and fundraising. However, that too could be a determining factor in the overall

success of the Center, so it should be noted that finding the money to stand on its own within 2-3

years will be critical. Perhaps interviews with students and informal conversations about their

motivations for attending our classes would also give us valuable input about how to approach

other potential clients.

Looking to the long term and overall success of the program would require some more

in-depth planning. Interviews with commanding officers who have students in their company

could provide information about the overall performance and drive of our students. Perhaps

doing multi-year case studies about our students can show how our programs effected their

employment opportunities, income benefits, and chances at promotions.

Another key program evaluation will be to check on the rigor and performance of the

instructors. As it is a part-time position initially, educators might not understand the challenges

in creating adult education programs, especially if they teach in the K-12 field. By having the

school district administrators checking on the appropriate levels of resources and curricula their

instructors are providing will be key to program success. Also, the instructors can use

Colorado’s RANDA evaluation program to create long term goals for themselves and ensure that

they are taking the position seriously.

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Lastly, let the numbers speak for themselves. Analyze the number of students who take

our G.E.D. prep classes and successfully earn their G.E.D. Identify the students who took

advantage of the college-readiness office and calculate how many students successfully were

accepted into a post-secondary education program. Of the students accepted, how many

successfully graduated or earned their certification? Look at the long-term enrollment of our

classes and look for growth trends. Get more information from the people who only took one

class and dropped out of the program. What happened? Was there something the Center could

have done to improve your experience? How well do you get along with the instructors? The

program will not win over and appeal to everyone, but the negative feedback can often be even

more important in starting a new program than just the success stories.

Conclusion

The Peterson Family Education Center would be an incredible change on the Peterson

Air Force Base that could have tremendous benefits to the military families who live there. The

number one excuse as to why most adults do not pursue higher education is because they are

non-traditional students who cannot spare the time commitment away from their families and

careers to attend classes. But we are stripping away that excuse, by providing them with

opportunities right where they live and work, so that they can continue their goals of lifelong

education. Especially military spouses and children, who feel nomadic in their lifestyle, struggle

with finding educational and certification opportunities, so our Center will provide them with the

chance to better themselves before their next move. Bringing together the largest military

installation in the county with the biggest school district in the city is also a homerun! It shows a

dedication to education and adult training for one of the greatest underserved populations in our

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country, and will continue to strengthen the moral fabric of the Colorado Springs community for

years to come.

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Peterson Family Education Center“They taught you to fly. We will teach you to fly higher”

Building 1411Colorado Springs, CO

(719) 556-4064

Did you know…??Bad News Good News

Less than 25,000 soldiers are taking full advantage of their Post 9/11 G.I. Bill Benefits. That is less than 30% of Colorado’s military population! (National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, 2014)

The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill is stronger than ever! No out of state costs for vets at most universities gives us options. The Yellow Ribbon Program can also provide housing allowances, book stipends, and income supplements

while you go to school!(U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2017).

Military spouses have an unemployment rate of 26%, 3 times higher than the national rate!

(National Military Family Association, 2017).

82.8% of U.S. military officers had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2010. So higher education means you can

earn promotions faster!(Huffington Post, 2012)

Approximately 10% of enlisted recruits have not yet earned their high school diploma, making it more

difficult to earn promotions and harder to transition back to civilian life.

(Sherk, J. & Watkins, S., 2008)

With the introduction of the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, more Armed Forces personnel are taking advantage of their educational opportunities, up 67% from 2009-2012.

(Kirkwood, L., 2014)

The loss of income tax, increased unemployment, and mounting health care costs of unemployed and

underemployed military spouses could be costing the US government $710 million to $1 billion dollars.

(Jowers, K., 2016)

More colleges and universities are recognizing that active and inactive military are an underserved

population. Many institutions are creating clubs and support groups to help non-traditional students to earn

their degree faster.(Kirkwood, L., 2014)

As of 2014, there were 49,933 homeless veterans in the United States. They receive pensions and

disability checks, but find it insufficient to acquire a home.

(Shaw, J., 2015)

Even if you are not planning on completing a degree program, you can take classes that you will find helpful for skills and workplace training. While the G.I. Bill only covers a portion of these courses, the Top-Up Program can help fill any gaps in tuition assistance.

(Military.com, n.d.)

Are you looking to earn your G.E.D.?

Do you need help transferring your military training into workplace skills?

Are you a military spouse, looking to improve your marketability for a real job?

Are you, or someone in your family, planning on going to college soon?

Stop by the Peterson Family Education Center and learn more about our classes available to you HERE ON BASE!

(719) 556-4064 or visit https://www.21fss.com/about/education-center

Flyer 1

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References

21st Force Support Squadron - Education Center website, (n.d.). Visited on March 23, 2017.

Retrieved from https://www.21fss.com/about/education-center/.

Bloomquist, Sandra, (2017, March 23). Telephone interview with Peterson Education Center

volunteer.

Department of Veterans Affairs, (2009, November). Colorado and the U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs State Summary. Retrieved from

https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets/ss_colorado.pdf.

D.o.D.E.A. grant information site, (n.d.). Department of Defense Education Activity page,

visited on March 24, 2017. Retrieved from http://www.dodea.edu/Partnership/FY-2017-

DoDEA-Grants-RFP-Now-Available.cfm.

Huffington Post, (2012, September 11). Fact Of The Day #44: U.S. Military Better Educated Than

Populace It Protects. The Huffington Post: US Edition: Politics. Retrieved from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/11/military-education-infographic_n_1873842.html.

Jowers, Karen, (2016, May 25). Report: Military spouse unemployment could cost U.S. $1B.

Retrieved from http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2016/05/25/report-military-

spouse-unemployment-may-costing-us-up-1-billion/84868330/.

Kirkwood, Lauren, (2014, March 17). More veterans taking advantage of Post-9/11 GI Bill.

McLatchey – DC Bureau. Retrieved from http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-

world/national/article24765316.html.

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National Center of for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, (2014, January). Education Program

Beneficiaries. Retrieved from

https://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/QuickFacts/Education_Beneficiaries.PDF.

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