Post-9/11 Veterans, Mental Health Awareness Month, Plant-a-Vine May 3 in Clarkdale, Human Organ Chip

Video Highlight: Who are Our Post-9/11 Veterans?  Every generation of Veterans has some different characteristics.  Learn more about the characteristics and strengths of this generation of Veterans at: http://youtu.be/S3myN34yM2M

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – here are some shareable resources for individuals and communities who want to learn more:  http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may

This weekend, Yavapai College Verde Valley campus will host a Plant-a-Vine event beginning May 3 at 8 a.m, where you can help plant new varieties of grapes in the educational vineyard.  For more information and directions to the event, see: http://www.yc.edu/v5content/yavapai-college-foundation/plant-vine.htm

If you are interested in new developments in health and science, here is an interesting TED Talk that suggests we now have the capability to skip human and animal drug trials (and the time/expense) and test them on a computer chip that simulates human organs.  Wow.  See it at: http://www.ted.com/talks/geraldine_hamilton_body_parts_on_a_chip.html

Managing Information Overload, Value of Higher Education, Verde Birding Festival, College Programs for Animal Lovers

Photo credit: jpuglisillc.blogspot.com

TMI (too much information)?  Best blogs for military or veterans are reviewed at “Best of the Web” here: http://blogs.botw.org/Society/Military/Veterans/  Because too much information/opinion can be overwhelming, choose a few that you like to bookmark.  You can also create your own ‘news aggregator’ at: http://paper.li/ - this is like having an assistant scour through your selected sources to deliver only the topics you are interested in!  You just choose your topics, either pick your sources or choose ‘all’ and your e-mailed news comes to you, for free!

Is higher education ‘worth it?’  Here’s a PBS article on the financial aspects of higher education (although there are other reasons to keep learning): http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/will-your-college-degree-pay-for-itself-in-20-years/  Disclaimer: Note that those who attend community colleges pay significantly less for their tuition and there’s no mention of Student Veterans who receive Educational Benefits, so that is likely to make that ‘investment’ much smaller and the ‘payback’ much higher/quicker.  Check this tool out to see if Yavapai College might be a better return on your investment of time and money: http://www.yc.edu/webtools/forms/netpricecalc/

Looking for a fun outdoor family event this weekend?  Check out the Verde Valley Birding Festival at: http://birdyverde.org/ with free exhibits, and pre-registration/fees for guided birding walks.  This popular event is held annually at Dead Horse Ranch State Park (http://azstateparks.com/Parks/DEHO/)  Not sure what is going on in your area?  Bookmark your local newspaper, city, or Chamber of Commerce Facebook or websites to stay informed.

Yavapai College Program Highlight for animal lovers:  "Talk to me, goose." Marnee Zazueta, YC professor of Aquaculture Science and Zoo & Domestic Animal Behavior, at the Chino Valley campus. Learn more about the Agriculture Technology program at YC: http://bit.ly/RFpO4T

NAU Wins Student Veterans Contest, Healthy Living Inspiration, Boston Strong from Afghanistan, Earth Day TED Talks

Congratulations to Northern Arizona University for being one of the 11 winners of the Student Veterans of America and Home Depot’s Student Veteran Center competition!  "The quality effort demonstrated in these submissions speaks to student veterans' commitment to their individual success and that of their peer community," said SVA President and CEO, D. Wayne Robinson. "We look forward to seeing these projects develop, and to current and future generations of veterans benefiting from the solid foundation of progress laid by our chapters, their campuses and our partners at The Home Depot Foundation."  See more at: http://youtu.be/M_6BD-mqZkQ

Here is a great story of a military couple who took control of their health when faced with a brain cancer diagnosis – an inspiration!  See it at: http://www.stripes.com/news/us/army-couple-responds-to-brain-cancer-diagnosis-with-a-new-commitment-to-healthful-living-1.279062

Another inspiring story: Supporting Boston and the Marathon bombing victims, from Afghanistan, in a shadow marathon: http://www.stripes.com/nearly-600-run-shadow-boston-marathon-in-afghanistan-1.278970

Earth Day is this week (4/22) – here are some timely videos from TED Talks for your viewing pleasure!  See them at: http://blog.ed.ted.com/2014/04/21/from-earth-day-to-every-day-4-ted-ed-lessons-to-help-you-save-the-world/

"Happy" Friday Videos, Careercast for Veterans, Family Caregivers, Veterans Fire Corps Summer Jobs

Happy Friday, here’s the worldwide “Happy” video compilation: http://youtu.be/2MDReKsP3sQ  And here's an article featuring one with Scottish soldiers in Afghanistan, if you prefer a 'military version': http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2535913/Scottish

Job Talk: Here’s a website worth bookmarking if you are looking for a job or a new career: http://veteran.careercast.com/ Here’s their take on the ‘Best Jobs for Veterans in 2014’ at: http://veteran.careercast.com/article/best-jobs-veterans-2014

Family caregivers for wounded warriors are discussed in this article, which gives some additional resources and links: http://www.militaryonesource.mil/wounded-warrior?content_id=276551

Veterans Interested in Fire Fighting: The Veterans Fire Corps provides participants with essential training, credentials, and experience to competitively pursue a career in wildland fire and forestry.  See: http://www.thesca.org/serve/program/veterans-opportunities Participants will work in teams in South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona, where members build camaraderie with other veterans and emerging conservation professionals who share a passion for service.  Projects may include participation on prescribed fires, fuels reduction, fire effects monitoring, and pre-fire preparation of burn units. Positions begin May 25, 2014.  See more at: http://youtu.be/rSFLef6KqSI

VA e-Benefits Portal Tour, Growing Careers for Veterans, Links for Veterans Interested in Agriculture

The VA e-Benefits portal has been improved, and a new video explains the changes at: http://youtu.be/_IFq_r3Nu4g

Focus on Food Production:  The May issue of National Geographic magazine has a very informative article on five steps we can take to improve our ability to feed the world at: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/feeding-9-billion/  Those five steps, according to the article, are: freeze the amount of land used for agriculture, grow more on existing farms, use resources more effectively, shift diets, and reduce waste.

The Nat Geo article also mentions the aging of our nation’s farmers, which the USDA discussed on their blog, along with encouraging Veterans into the agricultural industry: http://www.outreach.usda.gov/veterans.htm

And the benefits for healing through ‘hands in dirt’ is discussed here: http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/hands-on-healing-for-military-veterans-1113131

Veterans interested in agriculture, here are a few good links for you:
* http://www.farmvetco.org/archives/2872
* http://www.start2farm.gov/usda/programs
* http://www.startgrants.com/options-on-farm-grants-for-veterans-programs.php
* http://veteranstofarmers.org/
* http://www.beginningfarmers.org/beginning-farmer-training-programs/military-veteran-farmer-training/
* And for Agriculture and Viticulture programs and classes at Yavapai College, see: https://www.yc.edu/v5content/academics/divisions/ctec/agriculture.htm or http://viticulture.yc.edu/
* If you’re a Northern Arizona Veteran, don’t forget the free services of our Veterans Upward Bound program can help you get set for success with finding your new career and educational programs.  Contact us at 928-717-7686 or www.yc.edu/vub

Here's another video about the Viticulture and Enology (grape growing and wine making) programs at Yavapai College's Verde Valley campus: http://youtu.be/CvYUXylpC3U

National Native American Games, Native Women Warriors, Internet Favorites, Manufacturing Career Webinar, Veteran Mentoring Program

The Lori Piestewa National Native American Games will be held in July, see more at: http://www.gcsg.org/events/nativegames/   Indian Country magazine featured a great article about Native American Women Warriors at: http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/04/03/warriors-heart-some-native-women-who-served-military-154298  Arizona’s hero, Lori Piestewa was mentioned in the article.

Finding your Favorites: Whether you are a ‘pro’ at surfing the internet or a novice, there is an overwhelming amount of material out there.  You can make it more manageable by bookmarking your favorite sites, so you don't get lost.  TED Talks are short videos by experts in a variety of subjects – you can search for just what you want to hear about at: https://www.ted.com/talks/browse?sort=newest by topic.  You can even create a free account to manage all your favorites or talks you’d like to watch later.  Some other favorites are BBC Nature at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/ if you like learning about nature, animals, or the environment, or http://www.pbs.org/ to see PBS shows.

On April 21 at 11 a.m. Arizona time, “hang out” (online) with Gary Sinise and discuss how veterans are rebuilding America post-service by training for and entering careers in advanced manufacturing. Gary has been heavily involved in Get Skills to Work, an initiative co-founded by GE, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Alcoa, and The Manufacturing Institute, focused on training and hiring veterans to bridge the skills gap in advanced manufacturing. Get Skills to Work seeks to leverage highly skilled and adept veterans to revitalize a resurgent US manufacturing sector and contribute to the advanced manufacturing industry.
Gary and industry experts will discuss the program, its goals for the country and the industry, and how veterans can identify and pursue education and careers related to advanced manufacturing.  See more at: https://plus.google.com/events/co4jdjo4ocstnfipe9sn71dafhs And if this webinar spurs your interest in the manufacturing field, check out the Career & Technical Certificate and Degree programs at Yavapai College at: www.yc.edu/ctec

Got Career Questions?  You can find out more about a Veteran Mentoring Program at: http://www.acp-usa.org/  You can be a mentor, or ask questions of the many folks from top businesses across the country.

Aviation Careers for Veterans, Job Fair, Money Tools, Helping Veterans Become Students, Pat Tillman Run 4/26

The Prescott Job/Career Fair got a lift from Guidance Helicopter as it highlighted the flight school with a dramatic entrance at: http://youtu.be/oJJ1JVDAt1o  Yavapai College has several aviation-related programs (Pilot, Aviation Operations, Unmanned Aircraft) that are popular with Veterans – see more at: www.yc.edu/aviation  Reminder: The Verde Valley Job Fair is this Wednesday, 4/9 from 9-2 at the Verde Valley Fairgrounds in Cottonwood.

Money Tools: Not everyone has learned how to budget, make credit decisions, or make a long-term financial plan, but there is help!  “Feed the Pig” is an organization dedicated to providing free tools to help us increase our piggy bank (savings) – see more at: http://www.feedthepig.org/  This is especially helpful if you are a college student, or have plans to buy/rent a home or car, or have some credit problems/no credit history, or dream of retiring but aren’t sure how to afford it.

Many schools are making it easier for Veterans to navigate their websites and prepare for applying to the university and for their educational benefits.  Here are a few examples of ‘Veteran-friendly landing pages’ at NAU (http://nau.edu/Military-Veteran-Education/), ASU (https://veterans.asu.edu/), ODU (http://odu.edu/military/students/veterans-services), and Yavapai College (www.yc.edu/veterans)  Not sure how to get started?  The Veterans Upward Bound program can help you learn the ropes so you can start college confidently!  Contact us at www.yc.edu/vub or 928-717-7686.

The Pat Tillman Run is coming up on April 26th – runners, volunteers, and supporters can check out the details at: http://pattillmanfoundation.org/pats-run/ or view: http://youtu.be/a3OsR33xaeo

Verde Valley Job Fair April 9, Small Business Services in Yavapai County, Soldier Suicide Report, Soldier's Best Friend Presentation April 9, Vietnam Veterans Day Riders

Verde Valley Job, Career & Education Fair is next Wednesday, April 9 from 9:00-2:00, at the Verde Valley Fairgrounds at 12th & Cherry Streets in Cottonwood.  The Fair is once again being offered through the combined efforts of the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce, DES Employment Services, NACOG, and Yavapai College – and over 50 employers and educational programs will be there to accept job applications or chat about careers.  Bring your resume and dress in interview clothes to make a good first impression.

Free services for local small businesses throughout Yavapai County are highlighted by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Director Kurt Haskell.  "The entrepreneurial spirit in the Verde is exceptional," added Haskell. "Working with the Chambers, SCORE, Cottonwood Economic Development Council, Spur Ventures, and other partners we will create a supportive environment for business." Verde Valley businesses seeking assistance are advised to contact the Yavapai Small Business Development Center at 928-776-2008, www.yc.edu/sbdc or the Cottonwood Business Assistance Center at 928-340-2740.  Services are also provided in the Prescott/quad-cities area.  See more at: https://www.yc.edu/articles/YC-Increases-Business-Assistance-in-the-Verde-Valley/3505

Dr. Daniel Amen reports on a recent study of soldier suicides on his blog at: http://www.amenclinics.com/dr-amen/blog/2014/03/soldier-suicides-massive-study-sheds-light-on-vulnerability-risk/  Key findings that may contribute to the suicide risk factors include: Approximately 25% of soldiers shared behaviors that may be characterized as depression, anxiety, PTS; and 11% had explosive anger issues (9% higher than civilian population.)

Soldier's Best Friend is an Arizona based non-profit organization dedicated to providing veterans living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with a trained Service or Therapeutic Companion Dog; many of these dogs are rescued from local shelters. "Soldier's Best Friend - Helping Our Veterans and Shelter Dogs" will be the topic at Keep Sedona Beautiful, Inc.'s meeting on Wednesday, April 9 at 5:45 p.m.. Starr Ladehoff, professional dog trainer, will be the presenter.  For more information about Keep Sedona Beautiful, please call (928) 282.4938, or visit http://www.keepsedonabeautiful.org/

On March 30, the American Legion Post 93 and the American Legion Riders Post 93 sponsored the third annual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. This year's event was held at Fort Verde State Park, with a full color guard and an impressive motorcycle procession from Sedona through Cottonwood and on to Fort Verde for the event.