In recent years, the military and its supporters have been promoting the idea of a substantial increase in the number of high schools with JROTC—up to 6,000 in one proposal. In the context of this possible expansion of the program, Project YANO felt it was time to take a look at textbooks that are currently being used in JROTC classes. To accomplish this, a team of 15 volunteer reviewers was recruited. The reviewers have backgrounds in either classroom teaching or education activism, or special knowledge of subjects that JROTC claims to address in its curriculum (examples are U.S. and world history, geography, civil rights, violence prevention, sexual assault, leadership methods, etc.). The team included current and retired high school teachers, a documentary film producer, military veterans, and several educators with PhD credentials.

The bulk of this report consists of a compilation of selected excerpts from Army, Navy and Marine Corps JROTC textbooks, along with reviewer comments. Eleven textbooks were reviewed, three of which were being used by the Army in digital format for remote instruction during the pandemic-affected 2020-2021 school year.

En cooperación con la campaña Desinversión de la máquina de guerra de Codepink, The National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth contribuye con esta guía para desmilitarizar nuestras escuelas del alcance de una disposición de la Ley de éxito de todos los niños que permite el acceso sin restricciones a reclutadores militares en nuestras escuelas . Esta guía instruye a los activistas sobre cómo presionar a los distritos escolares para que sigan las pautas de igualdad de acceso y para organizar comunidades, padres, maestros y estudiantes para limitar el acceso de los reclutadores a sus escuelas.

Gran parte del contenido de esta Guía de campaña de desinversión se toma prestada con el permiso de la Red Nacional de Oposición a la Militarización de la Juventud (NNOMY), la Coalición Nacional para Proteger la Privacidad de los Estudiantes, Dejar de Reclutar Niños y Guardar la Educación Civil. Les estamos extremadamente agradecidos por contribuir con su visión y experiencia a este movimiento. Para obtener más información sobre el trabajo de NNOMY, visite http://nnomy.org/index.php/en/. Para proteger el trabajo de la privacidad del estudiante, visite http://www.studentprivacy.org/. Para obtener más información sobre Stop Recruiting Kids, visite: http://srkcampaign.org/. Para obtener más información sobre el trabajo de Save Civilian Education, visite http://savecivilianeducation.org/.

The National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth (NNOMY), in collaboration with Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities - Project YANO,, has developed a new resource called, Guide to Removing Marksmanship Training from High Schools. This guide documents the process and strategies learned by the Education Not Arms Coalition comprised of students, teachers, and parents that successfully lobbied the San Diego California City school board for the removal of Shooting Ranges from eleven high schools in 2009 and adopting a zero-tolerance policy for marksmanship training in their school district. 

NNOMY recommends this proven strategy for organizing a campaign for the removal of marksmanship training on a school district level thus accomplishing an important aspect of school demilitarization.

Here are some of the accomplishments of the Education Not Arms Coalition strategy:

• School Board Votes to End Weapons Training in their school district.
  
• Marine Corps JROTC at one San Diego school fell so low that the unit was eventually forced to leave.
• Shooting ranges from eleven high schools in the San Diego school  district were closed in 2009

The Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or JROTC, is a federal program sponsored by the US Armed Forces in high schools and some middle schools across the nation and at US military bases globally. It currently teaches its lessons to more than half a million students in approximately 3,400 high schools nationwide.

In recent years, the military and its supporters have been promoting the idea of a significant increase in the number of high schools with JROTC—one proposal calls for expanding up to 6,000. Because of this, one nonprofit decided it was time to examine the textbooks used in JROTC classes to see what they are teaching.

The Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities, or Project YANO, is a counter-recruitment organization founded in 1984 and based in San Diego country. It released its findings in early July. Their reviewers have backgrounds in classroom teaching or education activists, or special knowledge of subjects JROTC claims to address, such as civil rights, violence prevention, leadership methods, and world history. Team members included current and retired high school teachers, military veterans, and a documentary film producer.

Guest – Rick Jahnkow, a co-founder and board member of Project YANO. Rick worked for 34 years as the organization’s full-time program coordinator. He has researched and organized around the issues of military recruiting, high school Jr. ROTC, and the general militarization of K-12 schools.

Are you troubled by frequent recruiter visits, ASVAB testing or JROTC in your schools? Are you having difficulty gaining equal school access to counter military recruiting? This workshop covers ways that activists have successfully approached these problems at the policy level. It’s been done in some of the largest school districts in the country (e.g., NY City, L.A., Chicago, San Diego), and at the state level in some cases. The policy approach is another powerful tool that can be useful for having an impact beyond individual school visits. The presentation reviews successful methods as well as some of the challenges organizers have encountered.