JROTC Information

WHY JOIN POLY ARMY JROTC?

Something amazing happens when students enter POLY's Army Junior ROTC program. Whatever they do, they begin doing it a little better. You can actually see them standing a little taller, looking a little more sure of themselves, greeting life with a little more enthusiasm. You see them taking a little more pride in how they look, in how they carry themselves, in how they speak and behave. You see them doing better in school, taking on more responsibility, getting involved in their local community. Our cadets are under NO obligation to enter the military. In fact, their only obligation is to themselves. We try to help them make their own positive choices in life; find their own direction, work towards their own personal growth and goals. We teach students to improve themselves.

POLY's Army JROTC program is the single most comprehensive course in high school. Students are taught a broad spectrum of subjects, including American history, how government works, our constitution, life skills, critical thinking and decision making, leadership, effective communication, teamwork and character building. Most students get involved in extracurricular activities like color guard, drill team, air rifle Team, and Raider Challenge. Many of our cadets enjoy a stay at JROTC Cadet Leadership Camp in the summer, where they play team sports, train on confidence course, learn water safety techniques, learn land navigation, and they are put in leadership positions as well as learning how to be a member of a team. POLY's Army JROTC program prepares students to do their best in school, academics, in life, and we develop their confidence, self-esteem, and self-discipline.

Perhaps the most unusual part of POLY's Army JROTC program is the fact that we don’t just teach in a classroom. We also train and have hands on learning.

We train our students in personal skills like how to study effectively, taking tests, develop winning habits, job interviewing, overcoming fears of failure, and setting positive goals for themselves.

We train them in leadership skills like how to motivate others, making decisions, planning, speaking and writing effectively, working as a member of a team, critical thinking and problem solving. The results are higher levels of success with grades and graduation. In some cases, cadets graduate at a rate that 20% higher than other seniors not in JROTC. When they enter the working world or higher education, they have a distinct advantage over other applicants. Employers and educators know they are getting a person with strong motivation and a good citizen who’s eager and willing to work hard.

Students are taught about the freedoms all Americans enjoy, as well as about the responsibilities we have as citizens. We increase their interest in their country and their community. POLY Army JROTC cadets help assist with Red Cross blood drives, lend a hand in homes for the elderly, help out at the local food bank and place flags at veterans graves on Memorial Day. When there’s a parade or civil event, POLY's Army JROTC color guard’s march, cadets serve as ushers, and our drill teams perform with awe-inspiring precision.

The service POLY JROTC cadets offer has a wonderful effect on the local community – and an even better effect on the students themselves. They take great pride in knowing that they’ve made a difference in the world and that they really matter.

One of the ways the POLY Army JROTC program teaches is by example. The example set by our instructors. It’s a kind of apprenticeship where the instructor is a positive role model for young people seeking direction, guidance and values for their lives. POLY's JROTC instructors lead by example and model the behavior they expect their cadets to emulate and follow. What students learn from instructors they admire can’t be taught in books. It can’t be taught with words. They learn values and inner strengths that can be only be adopted voluntarily, by opening their minds and hearts. They learn strengths like integrity, honor, dependability, and self-discipline and values like commitment, respect and loyalty. Our cadets might learn from finishing an obstacle course to be confident of their physical prowess. But the inner confidence, the assuredness about who and what they are, is learned from the strength and decency of their instructors.

The teenage years are one of the most difficult times in a young person’s life. It’s a time of exploring, a time of challenging the old rules and relationships, and therefore a time of great uncertainty and, for some - Aimlessness. Now more than ever, young people need structure, purpose, and direction. They need to belong to something that supports their explorations while setting reasonable limits. POLY Army JROTC gives them something important to belong to.

The POLY Army JROTC program gives them something outside their families and themselves they can depend on and feel at home with. It gives them solid ground they can stand on and grow from. It gives them rules and expectations that they can accept, goals they’re willing to pursue, and interests that engage their minds and spirits. And all the support they need, both instructors and peers. POLY JROTC works for the simple but profound reason that our students have chosen it for themselves.

POLY ARMY JROTC – Step up to the challenge!!!!!

For more information call 817-814-0046/0047 OR Stop by the Army JROTC Office located on the

Polytechnic High School campus – Room 013

 “Motivate young people to be better citizens”

JROTC Data