Mission
Develop citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community.

 

Cadet Honor Code
I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do.

Program Goals
Instill values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.

Personnel and Resources
There are approximately 870 AFJROTC units with more than 125,000 cadets in high schools across the United States and selected Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Europe, the Pacific, Puerto Rico and Guam.  The program at Shadow Ridge High School began in 2006 and currently has over 250 cadets.

Organization
AFJROTC provides citizenship training and an aerospace science program for high school students. Secondary school students who enroll in the AFJROTC program are offered a wide variety of curricular and co-curricular activities. The program explores the historic and scientific aspects of aerospace technology and teaches high school students self-reliance, self-discipline, and other leadership characteristics. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts are also an important part of this world-class program. By Title 10 United States Code, the program is a citizenship program and not chartered as a recruiting program for the military services and those students who participate in AFJROTC do not incur any obligation to the Air Force.

AFJROTC objectives are to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship and life skills; promote community service; instill a sense of responsibility; and develop character, leadership, and self-discipline through education and instruction in air and space fundamentals and the Air Force’s core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do.

Curriculum
Curriculum is comprised of aerospace science (40 %), leadership education (40 %) and health and wellness studies (20 %). Students who successfully complete the classes are granted credit toward graduation. Aerospace science includes the heritage of flight, principles of aircraft flight and navigation, human requirements of flight, development of aerospace power, aerospace vehicles, rocketry, space and technology programs, aerospace industry, cultural studies of major world regions and cyber technology. STEM curriculum is introduced to help students better understand science-and math-related curriculum, improve critical-thinking skills, and prepare cadets to be more competitive in the 21st century. Leadership education introduces students to military customs and courtesies, character education, citizenship in the United States, first aid, wellness, health and fitness, basic drill and ceremonies, critical thinking, effective communications, management, human relations and college and career readiness, preparing students for life after high school. AFJROTC units complement the curriculum through cooperation and resources of organizations such as NASA and Civil Air Patrol.

Leadership Development Requirements
To reinforce personal growth through academic advancement, team building and leadership skills sets, cadets are encouraged to participate in activities outside the classroom, called Leadership Development Requirements. Common LDRs include STEM-related activities such as unmanned aircraft systems, CyberPatriot, StellarXplorers, rocketry, academic bowl and robotics. Other activities include marksmanship, drill team, middle-school mentoring teams, color guard and many others. LDRs vary by unit but all share the common theme of being led, managed and organized by cadets. Through these activities, cadets continue to refine their leadership and followership skills while bringing credit to themselves and their units, schools and communities.

CSAF Flight Academy Scholarship Program
Through the Flight Academy Program, AFJROTC cadets are competitively selected to attend a summer aviation program at an accredited university. This program is approximately eight weeks long and cadets can earn their private pilot's certification while receiving college credit. 2018 was the inaugural year of the Flight Academy and is projected to expand over the upcoming years.

Instructors
All AFJROTC instructors are retired Air Force commissioned and noncommissioned officers. The instructors maintain Air Force standards and are trained through the AFJROTC Junior Instructor Certification Course. They are full-time faculty members of the participating high school and are employed by the local school board to teach AFJROTC classes. There are nearly 1,900 instructors serving in approximately 870 units around the world.

Community service
Community service is a major part of the cadet experience and helps instill a sense of civic pride and citizenship. Each year, AFJROTC cadets contribute more than 1.6 million hours of community service. Projects range from working with national organizations such as: the March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy, the National Red Ribbon Campaign and Special Olympics, to participating in local community projects such as cleaning and refurbishing cemeteries and building parks.

Scholarships and other benefits
Cadets who choose to continue their education may receive special consideration for Air Force ROTC scholarships. Many of these scholarships will pay for two, three, or four years of tuition, books and fees at numerous universities and colleges and allow cadets to pursue studies in various technical and non-technical majors.

In addition, cadets electing to enter the military immediately after graduating from high school are eligible to enlist in the services at one to two pay grades higher than other enlistees. Students completing three years in AFJROTC are eligible to enter the Air Force two pay grades higher than other enlistees and are automatically enrolled into the Community College of the Air Force to receive college credit toward their associate’s degree.