Inner-city areas have a bad rap for everything from violence and drug abuse, to poor education systems and lack of employment opportunities. And whether all of those factors are true in a given area or not, one thing rings true for the youth in most of these areas--they are at risk.
But providing students safe activities, positive instruction and life skills that will see them past the risk points is something that Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) instructors have placed high on their priority list.
Thanks to instructors like retired Lt. Col. John Wargo, senior Army JROTC instructor at Hubbard High School in Chicago, at-risk-teens have a better chance at success because his program teaches youth necessary life-skills, and he holds them accountable for what they learn and what they do.
"At Hubbard High School we have a graduation rate of 96 percent, in comparison to the schools overall rate of 81 percent--we make them work," he explained. "The reason that statistic is important is because young people need to graduate high school to have a better chance at a successful job, and have a good jump on life."
Studies have also shown a direct link between youth joblessness and a boost in crime rates. For example, a study released from the University of Chicago Crime Lab in 2013 showed that youth who participated in a city-sponsored summer program that offered employment opportunities, mentoring and therapy were half as likely to be arrested for violent crimes.
But these same studies show that education improves the employment prospects for young adults. Wargo said he thinks that teaching his Cadets skills that will make them successful in whatever they do after high school is an important element in that formula.
"Through JROTC we can teach them discipline, and hard work, how to make good decisions, get them connected in the community, and teach them other life skills they will need in the job place and in college," he explained.
Wargo added that some places in Chicago are not easy for youth to grow up in, and JROTC provides them with some sense of purpose and guidance. When they graduate, and most of his Cadets will graduate, they leave his program with confidence and honor, knowing what hard work is and what success feels like.
According to retired Maj. Ray Moss, and retired Sgt 1st Class Frank Varner, Army JROTC instructors at Renaissance High School in Detroit, there are 19 high school JROTC programs with approximately 4,000 students in the Detroit public school system. And from the class of 2013, the JROTC program graduated 92.8 percent compared to the Detroit public schools rate of 65.5 percent.
Through JROTC programs like the drill competition teams, they said their Cadets learn skills like hard work and discipline and with the success of their efforts they know what hard work will lead to.
"Drill is important in many ways," Varner explained. "First, it is the key to discipline. We always tell a Cadet: before you can help others control themselves you have to first learn to control yourself. Therefore you have to learn how to acquire self-control in every aspect of your life - when to move and when to speak out loud."
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