CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
First Lady Cathy Justice and West Virginia Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, visited the student body at Westside High School as a part of the Communities in Schools program April 3, 2019. As a part of their visit, Hoyer announced an initiative from the West Virginia National Guard to implement a Future Leaders Program in the school, which are being planned to be introduced in Wyoming, Putnam, Logan and Mineral Counties in the fall, pending memorandum of agreement signings.
The Future Leaders Program is designed to assist high schools in providing military and leadership-based curriculum, mentorship, and guidance to high school students that aid in character and leadership development. The program is similar to the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) programs throughout the nation, but is tailored to the needs and requests of the schools in West Virginia. Some schools in the state have been unable to establish JROTC programs and had reached out to the WVNG for assistance in developing similar curriculum in their high schools.
“The primary goal of the Future Leaders Program is to help student’s succeed not only in high school, but to provide them the tools and skills to be successful in life, to be contributing members of our communities and Nation, and to teach them the importance of making smart decisions in life,” said West Virginia Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. James Hoyer. “While we are always looking for dedicated, passionate young people to join the Guard, this program goes beyond the Guard and speaks to the long-term individual success of each student, and through them our local communities and the state as a whole.”
Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, the Future Leaders Program is expected to be piloted in four counties within the state: Wyoming, Logan, Putnam and Mineral Counties. The program will be available to all students, whether or not they have any interest in eventually joining the military.
Curriculum in the program will include areas such as: physical fitness, leadership, citizenship, first aid, career direction, drug education, resume building, and communication skills. As with a JROTC program, each Future Leaders school will have a full-time military instructor from the West Virginia National Guard’s Military Authority who will teach curriculum and serve as a mentor to students.
Expansion of the program to other schools around the state will be evaluated after the first year of execution.