2021 – 22 Brandeis Intern Program
BRAVE is achieving its mission with the unselfish assistance of volunteers whom we gratefully call Friends of the BRAVE. They are professional volunteers, student interns and colleagues in the veterans’ community in Massachusetts, and our nation’s capitol. In our twelve year existence, we have received a Massachusetts State Capacity Building Grant for 50K, and additional support in donations from co-founders of time as in-kind contributions with a value totaling in excess of 1 million dollars to date.
BRAVE collaborates with the Massachusetts State Legislature and other affiliate organizations in the Veterans Ecosystem in Massachusetts, providing thought leadership on the issues and problems confronting veterans and their families, today and beyond.
BRAVE has a special reputation of “knowing what veterans need before Veterans know they need it.” The co-founders have established themselves among the thought leadership on the subject in the Commonwealth and among US Army military leadership in Washington, DC.
BRAVE’s success to date has enhanced the well-being of the MA Veterans’ community in three important ways by:
a. Pioneering the concept of “whole-person” case management that evolved to “wraparound services”
b. Contributing to the development of domestic resiliency protocols, post-deployment, and
c. Successfully lobbying for new law and the expansion of Academic Credit for Prior Learning Credits in state funded colleges and universities, allowing for the re-purpose of some GI Bill education benefits. Intent is to create law to expand to private universities.
• Post COVID-19 Labor Economics for Transitioning and Transitioned American Military Service Members (SMs) and Veterans
• Public Policy Considerations for American Military Veterans
• Grassroots Business Development for Transitioning Service Member Workforce Needs and Entrepreneurship
Although intern positions are unpaid at this time, BRAVE successfully supports students of distinction with recommendations to graduate schools and post-grad employment.
BRAVE Skills needed overview: Analytics (Quantitative & Qualitative; Economics & Corporate level) —- Survey Research Marketing — Graphic Design (website design) — Advanced Software Coding (to build a job search match engine — on a map geographically matching jobs locations with candidates’ interests) — Financial Modeling — Data Visualization — Business plan writing/packaging for investors. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Coursework in finance or economics a plus.
BRANDEIS STUDENT INTERNSHIP NEEDS AND PROJECTS FALL 2022 – SPRING 2023
| PROJECT | SUBJECT AREA | LEVEL | IMPACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Plan Update (Post COVID) | Non-profit expansion | Graduate | Greater BRAVE Good |
| Legislative Initiatives; Statehouse Internships, Earned Income Tax Cred. | Economics/Public Policy | Graduate | Veterans Purchasing Power |
| Valor Act I & II Review | Education/Public Policy | Undergrad/grad | More Efficient Use of PLCs* |
| Servicemember Work Transition (TTR) | Labor Workforce Policy | Undergrad/grad | Vet Workforce Support |
| TTR Private Veterans Retirement Fund | Economics/Public Policy | Graduate | Improved Retirees Financial Security |
| Web Management | Demonstrated Skill | Undergrad | Brand Messaging |
