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PROJECT REBIRTH: CREATING PURPOSE-DRIVEN VETERAN COMMUNITIES BY AARON LEONARD B uilding on the legacy of our resilience in the face of the 9/11 attacks, Project Rebirth works with Active Duty and Veteran military communities to inspire hope, foster healing and build resilience in scalable programs built on research and participant input. Their Project Cohort initiative creates communities of Veterans that support each other’s efforts to build successful and fulfilling post-military lives. Many of these communities, or cohorts, are being built for universities with Veteran populations, including Pace and Georgetown Universities, Texas State and Felician College. These cohorts help Veterans best utilize career counseling and mental health services with the support of classmates who have also served, providing the camaraderie and sense of common purpose that Veterans cite as the aspect of military life they most miss. Cohorts perform community service missions as a team with our partners at HEART9/11 - projects that have a visible and positive impact on communities in need. Each participant finds support with their cohort, working together building the lives and careers they deserve while helping others rebuild theirs. Project Rebirth has also created cohort models for Veterans who aren’t part of a college community and programs focused on the challenges faced by Women Veterans. All Project Cohort programs share a commitment to creating purpose-driven communities of Veterans working together to seize opportunities and build upon their considerable strengths. LEARN MORE: www.projectrebirth.org NOVEMBER 11, 2015 25