College of Integrative Sciences and Arts

Veteran Imagination Project (VIP)

Veteran Imagination Project (VIP)

Learn more about your impact

A successful military transition to civilian life requires imagination. Without the opportunity to imagine different futures for themselves, highly trained men and women are relegated to unfulfilling jobs unsuited to their experience and abilities, leading to an array of negative impacts, from lost wages to depression. And by failing to imagine a veteran's potential, employers and the public at large do a disservice to those who volunteered to serve our nation. We aim to bridge this divide through the Veteran Imagination Project, which will build on traditional and proven transition services like career counseling and art therapy and infuse them with future-oriented insights to create a holistic intervention for career-readiness.

Participants spend six weeks discovering possible futures through foresight, interviews, speculative storytelling and collaborative imagination. They work with professional mentors and concept artists to explore and create informed visions of positive workplace futures and their places in them. At the culmination of this project, their visions will be shared through publications, online platforms, in-person exhibitions and special events. Your gift helps fund this initiative and supports veterans struggling to imagine positive, meaningful futures. You also help inform a better understanding of their challenges and aspirations among employers, local communities and the general public.

The transition from military service to the civilian workplace is rife with possibility, but navigating this broad and undefined space can be daunting. Inviting veterans to think deeply about the future and imagine their place in it is a vital step in developing a post-service identity, and it sets the stage for a fulfilling and rewarding career."

Bob Beard, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and ASU alum

Impact of Donor Support

Community enrichment and the arts flourish. ASU Gammage donors support arts education for more than 30,000 students and teachers and positively impact more than 19,000 underserved children.

I believe ASU is a major life force in our community and I want to do my part to help it thrive.”

ASU donor Jeremy Meek

'09 construction management

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