Veterans to visit more schools, thanks to new state law
Assemblyman Bill Colton got the idea when he attended a Career Day event at PS 226 in Bensonhurst. One of the speakers was a military veteran who talked to the students about his experiences. Colton saw how enraptured the kids were with the veteran’s speech and how much they learned from someone who had seen war first-hand. The event gave the lawmaker the idea to make appearances by veterans a regular part of the school year for youngsters all over the state.
What started out as an idea in Colton’s head is now a state law. Last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into a bill Colton (D-Gravesend-Bensonhurst) sponsored to mandate that the New York State Department of Veterans Affairs develop a veteran speaker educational program for schools.
As part of this educational program, the Dept. of Veterans Affairs is now required to establish and distribute a list of veterans who are willing to volunteer to visit schools, and speak about their experiences in the military to students. In addition, the agency will also be required to issue pamphlets to school districts which describe the veteran speaker program with a general overview, as well as the names and contact information of local veterans who are available to visit schools.