UNF unveils Veterans Museum Kiosk

The University of North Florida and the Veterans Museum joined together Wednesday to unveil a Veterans Museum Kiosk that will share the stories of military veterans and their families with the campus community and visitors.

The Veterans Museum is a nonprofit, virtual museum based in Jacksonville that's committed to preserving the legacy of U.S. veterans and their families. The interactive kiosk is located at the entrance of the newly opened Allen Lastinger Center for Florida History housed within the Thomas G. Carpenter Library. Other kiosks are located throughout Jacksonville and other parts of Florida.

At the unveiling ceremony, UNF President Moez Limayem expressed his gratitude to the Veterans Museum for providing UNF with an interactive digital kiosk that shares the rich oral histories of those who served.

"This kiosk will be where today's students - and all of us - can learn from the service and sacrifice of generations past," Limayem said.

The touchscreen kiosk includes access to video interviews and personal stories from veterans throughout the country who share their experiences in the armed forces. Videos are organized by military branch and users can search for videos through keyword and metadata entry. The kiosk also provides resources for veterans and allows them to sign up to share their stories.

Consistently recognized by Military Friendly® as one of the nation's top institutions for military-connected students - with more than 13% of its student body holding ties to the U.S. Military - it's only fitting that UNF now boasts a digital kiosk celebrating the legacy of veterans who devoted their lives to serving our country. This year, UNF was also designated in the Top Ten Military Spouse schools out of more than 8,800 institutions.

Bill Cousins, director of UNF's Military and Veterans Resource Center (MVRC), shared how the Veterans Museum Kiosk is a great resource for the UNF campus.

"It brings more visibility to the accomplishments and sacrifices of our local veterans," Cousins said.

William Harrell, founder of the Veterans Museum and a retired U.S. Navy officer, shared his desire to partner with UNF while speaking at the kiosk unveiling.

"This university brings extraordinary value to our community, and one of its important aspects is that it serves veterans," said Harrell. "That led us to approach UNF about adding a kiosk on campus."

This new partnership, aided by UNF's Office of Community Engagement and Partnerships, is a groundbreaking collaboration for the Veterans Museum.

"This is the first university kiosk that we have," said Scott Mythen, CEO of the Veterans Museum. "To be here at the University of North Florida where there are so many military-connected people is a perfect spot for us."

Learn more about the Veterans Museumby visiting the website.