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Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC)

Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC)

Overview

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The goal of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) within Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) is designed to provide students with the opportunity to become informed, responsible citizens prepared for the many challenges and opportunities that await them upon graduation. As part of the Career and Technical Education Programs for PGCPS, each of the military branches structures its curriculum for success within and beyond high school. Cadets learn to develop leadership skills and apply military courtesies and customs as they complete each year of the JROTC program. Leadership, character and community service are the core tenets of high school Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs. These values are at the heart of the JROTC Cadet Creed which emphasizes working to better the Cadet's family, school and country.

JROTC coursework fosters the demonstration of discipline, honor, self-respect, and commitment beginning in the freshman year. Cadets gain increasing responsibilities within their respective programs that can provide tremendous advantages for post-secondary opportunities and workforce readiness. Students who participate in JROTC are not required to join the military after high school. Though the program is not a military preparation program of study, it provides all the benefits of a CTE program.

Requirements to Enroll and Complete Program: Be in good academic standing with an overall GPA of 2.0 and agree to adhere to the military grooming and uniform wear standards.

Learn more about possible certifications

 

Did You Know?

  • 1/3 of CTE Students can earn college credit and/or industry certification through CTE1
  • CTE Graduates earn significantly more than those who majored in academic fields2
  • 6 in 10 Students plan to pursue a career related to the CTE area they explored in high school.3
  • CTE Graduates with technical or applied science associates degrees out-earn bachelor’s degree holders by $11,000.4

Structure and Organization

The JROTC in PGCPS consists of programs from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Each of the 19 participating high schools sponsors a particular branch of the military. These military branches bring specific customs and esprit de corps, with all programs embracing a shared set of values and characteristics. JROTC programs are taught by retired Officer’s and Non Commissioned Officer’s. Course work includes military history and customs – which is typically branch-specific and students are required to wear a uniform that mirrors what military personnel wear in their respective military branches.

Program Features

Students enrolled in JROTC attend field trips to historic military sites and institutions; visit colleges, universities, and military service academies to increase awareness and college and career opportunities. JROTC cadets may participate in one or more of the various extracurricular teams. These opportunities include, but are not limited to, Drill teams, Color Guard, Saber, Raider, JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl (JLAB), and CyberPatriot, which often includes travel to neighboring counties, states, and competitions held nationwide. A defining and integral feature of the JROTC program for every cadet is the completion of civic action projects and community service. Such experiences afford students with opportunities to earn college scholarships and prepare students for Military Academy appointments.

The JROTC curriculum for all three military branches addresses national academic standards through coursework and co-curricular activities on leadership, civics, geography and global awareness, health, and wellness, language arts, life skills, and U.S. history. The curriculum is based on the principles of performance-based, learner-centered education. It promotes the development of core abilities: a capacity for life-long learning, communication, responsibility for actions and choices, good citizenship, respectful treatment of others, and critical thinking techniques. Students engage in meaningful, purposeful activities that lead them to demonstrate success through a portfolio of accomplishments.

Locations 

Partnerships

FEMA Coprs Digital Flyer

FEMA Corps Postcard

 

Possible Certifications

To be eligible for a completion certificate, cadets must receive passing grades in every credit-granting academic period.

  • Advanced Enlistment.  Cadets may be eligible for enlistment at a higher grade;  
  • ROTC Course Credit.  A student completing at least two years of JROTC may be entitled to a credit in the Senior ROTC college/ university program.   
  • Service Academy Nominations/ ROTC Scholarships.  Cadets can compete for Service Academy nominations and 3-4 year ROTC scholarships through their JROTC instructors. 
  • Completer Credit. JROTC is a Maryland State Department of Education High School graduation completer. Cadets must complete 3 years of JROTC to receive Career and Technical Education completer credit.

Program Contact Information

John McDaniel, Acting Instructional Supervisor
john.mcdaniel@pgcps.org

Department of Career and Technical Education
2215 Chadwick Street
Temple Hills, MD 20748

Phone: (301) 669-6012
Fax: (301) 669-6090

1 Source: My College Options®/ACTE research study (2016). National sample includes 40,192 high school CTE students., 2 Jacobson and Mokher, Florida Study of Career and Technical Education, 2014, as cited in the 2014 National Assessment of CTE Final Report, 3 NRCCUA® and ACTE 2016, 4 Schneider 2013, College Measures