BETHEL, Ohio — Bethel-Tate High School has launched an Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program this school year, enrolling 38 students in a curriculum more than a decade in the making, the district said in a Facebook post.
The program combines classroom instruction with hands-on exercises designed to build leadership, citizenship, communication, teamwork and decision-making skills, according to the district. It is led by Senior Army Instructor Lt. Col. Shane Harlor.
Cadets have already begun competing in Raider competitions, events that test physical fitness, problem-solving and teamwork against other JROTC units, the district said.
Army JROTC programs operate under the U.S. Army Cadet Command and are authorized by federal law to instill citizenship, service, personal responsibility and leadership in secondary school students. The curriculum pairs classroom leadership theory with physical training and community service, and cadets advance through a student chain of command as they progress through the program.
Bethel-Tate High School, home of the Tigers, is the only high school in the Bethel-Tate Local School District and serves grades 9 through 12 along State Route 125 in Bethel.
The district said the new program is another way it is helping students build confidence and prepare for life after graduation.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Bethel-Tate Local Schools.