Congratulations to the Coming Home Project!
Last December, WILL Interactive launched its $500,000 Simulate a Better World Challenge to change the world using interactive simulations. The organization or individual with the best idea would have the opportunity to work with WILL in developing an interactive simulation that address an important social issue. Hundreds of organizations and individuals responded to the call with a long list of inspiring ideas for tackling today's societal challenges. From that long list, WILL's selection committee carefully chose four finalists.
With input from an esteemed panel of judges that consisted of veteran journalist Tom Brokaw, media mogul Gerry Byrne, author Wes Moore, and former ambassador and former Congresswoman Connie Morella, WILL's selection committee and public voting considered the potential reach and impact a finished simulation would have on the intended population.We are proud to announce San Francisco-based nonprofit the Coming Home Project as the winner of the Challenge and the recipient of an interactive simulation valued at $500,000.
The Coming Home Project and WILL Interactive will now work closely together to develop an interactive simulation that helps employers, veterans, and families face the challenges of transitioning from active-duty service to meaningful civilian employment. Veterans face an unemployment rate that is 50% higher than the national average and the completed simulation will be able to help these deserving individuals and their families in a myriad of ways.
Creating a VEILR® simulation is a unique, inspiring, exciting process. We invite you to take this journey with us as we create a game that can enable veterans to better understand the opportunities and advantages they bring to the workplace. Likewise, we hope to provide loved ones with new skills for supporting their veterans in this sometimes frustrating transition back to a civilian lifestyle and workplace.
Visit this site frequently as we update it with blog posts, photos, raw footage, script excerpts and more from this process.