The first thing your high school student needs to know about the Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corp (JROTC) is that participating in the program in high school does not mean you’ve joined the military. JROTC is there to recruit for military service; it is there to motivate young men and women to become better citizens. Should any participants decide they want to pursue a military career, the JROTC experience will provide many advantages. If a young man or woman decides not to enter the military, those same advantages will put them ahead of the game of college, career pursuit, family and citizenship.
How Can JROTC Help With High School?
Students entering high school are faced with a huge transition. This is a time in their lives when they are exploring possibilities, a time for forging relationships and testing boundaries. JROTC provides a place away from home and family that they can depend on, a place that can be a haven for them when they need it. JROTC provides structure and rules in a disciplinary system they can accept. It helps them discover and set goals for their coming years and engages them mentally and physically while providing support from instructors and peers.
What About College?
One of the most influential benefits of JROTC is the recognition it garners from colleges and prospective employers. The leadership building capabilities of the JROTC program are considered most desirable when listed on a college application or employment resume. For those college bound, a military scholarship can be worth up to $60,000. Employers will choose JROTC high school graduates over others, looking to the leadership training, dependability and integrity cultivated in JROTC participants. The JROTC program can provide a student with the discipline and the maturity he or she needs to be a successful member of society.
JROTC Can Be Fun
Simply put, the JROTC program means active and fun programs offered in a high school. There may be campouts at any time during the year, drill exercising and marksmanship competitions, and field trips. JROTC programs engage students in learning through exploring, such as cave adventures, kayaking and rappelling. The activities are all optional so no child has to participate in any adventure he or she does not want to attend.
Friendships That Last a Lifetime.
The JROTC family welcomes all new students. Participation in the program fosters leadership potential in the individual students and helps them learn to live and work cooperatively with others. JROTC emphasizes and teaches principles of tolerance and understanding. JROTC students are all about teamwork; there is a job for every student and every job contributes to the success of the group.
Students are encouraged to assist each other and mentor the younger and incoming cadets. By giving students an opportunity to build self-confidence and self-esteem, JROTC can help them transition through their teen years – undeniably the most difficult years in a lifetime. From homework assistance to sharing personal problems, from conflict resolution to peer counseling based on sound advice, the friendships formed in JROTC develop bonds that can last a lifetime.
All things considered, JROTC can be a win-win for many students who choose to join its ranks.