Introduction

The JROTC program is designed to teach high school students the value of citizenship, leadership, service to the community, personal responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment, while instilling in them self-esteem, teamwork, and self-discipline.

 Purpose of JROTC

The U.S. Army’s JROTC Training Corps is designed to teach high school students the value of citizenship, leadership, service to the community, personal responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment, while instilling in them self-esteem, teamwork, and self-discipline. Its focus is reflected in its mission statement: “To motivate young people to be better citizens.” It prepares high school students for responsible leadership roles while making them aware of their rights, responsibilities, and privileges as American citizens. The program is a stimulus for promoting graduation from high school, and it provides instruction and rewarding opportunities that will benefit the student, community, and nation.

 The JROTC program teaches cadets to:

• Appreciate the ethical values and principles that underlie good citizenship.
• Develop leadership potential while living and working cooperatively with others.
• Be able to think logically and to communicate effectively with others, both orally and in writing.
• Appreciate the importance of physical fitness in maintaining good health.
• Understand the importance of high school graduation for a successful future and learn about college and other advanced education and employment opportunities.
• Develop mental management abilities.
• Become familiar with military history as it relates to America’s culture and understand the history, purpose, and structure of the military services.
• Develop the skills necessary to work effectively as a member of a team.

 College Opportunities

With assistance from an organization working independently of JROTC, the College Options Foundation can help Cadets locate colleges offering credits for completing JROTC. Additionally, Army ROTC (not JROTC) offers college scholarships to Cadets who qualify for their scholarship program. For more information, visit www.collegeoptionsfoundation.net or www.goarmy.com/rotc/high-school-students.html.

National Impact

Arguably, JROTC is one of the most successful and significantly impactful youth-oriented programs in American history. As educators and others measure success, we have identified five Quality Indicators used to measure the effectiveness of the program in high schools. These five Quality Indicators are attendance, graduation, indiscipline, drop-out rate, and GPA. JROTC exceeds schools’ averages in each of these categories:

 Quality Indicators