Boca Raton High Navy Junior ROTC ‘one of the best’
July 13th 2008
By Constance Scotchel-Gross
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
Boca Raton Community High School’s Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) program began at the school in August 1994.
During the past 13 years, the class was awarded the Naval Service Training Command Distinguished Unit Award recognized it as one of the Best NJROTC units in the nation.
During the past three years, the Boca High NJROTC program has placed second at the Navy’s National Academic, Athletic and Drill Competition held in Pensacola.
Boca High NJROTC is not a military recruiting program. Rather, it is designed to instill citizenship and leadership into the students in the program. It provides an academic course, Naval Science, as well as a place where students can become involved in social, community service and extra-curricular activities with many leadership opportunities.
The Naval Science class instruction includes a number of short units on subjects related to the sea, the Navy, health, science, and the nation. In Naval Science I, there are units on U.S. maritime history, navigation, leadership, world geography, naval customs, drill, seamanship, health science and a number of other topics.
In Naval Science II and III, the curriculum continues with oceanography, first aid, astronomy, navigation, meteorology and a continuation of some of the topics of previous years. Naval Science IV offers a choice of basic electricity and electronics, or advanced Naval science and leadership. A student is able to take one course each year during high school.
The NJROTC is the only program in Boca Raton High that has formal instruction in leadership. Students get to practice what they learn by running the extra-curricular groups and being in charge of many aspects of the NJROTC program.
This opportunity to be "in charge" is a popular part of the program. School officials say many people in business go out of their way to hire cadets and former cadets because of the leadership skill they have developed while in the NJROTC program at Boca Raton High School.
The NJROTC teachers -- Lieutenant Commander Ken Bingham and Chief Edwin Morales each have more than 20 years of experience in the Navy. They are both certified by the Navy to teach Naval Science.
For more information on the NJROTC program at Boca Raton High School, contact Lieutenant Commander Bingham or Chief Morales at 561-338-1400.
Constance Scotchel-Gross is manager of career education for the School District of Palm Beach County.
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