JROTC Cadets from all eight JPS high schools joined cadets from other schools across the state for the 2012 JPS JROTC Summer Leadership Challenge held June 11-16, 2012, in Fort Knox, KY. Twenty-nine instructors and ten chaperones rounded out the cadre making the eight-hour trip to Fort Knox.
Sergeant Major Michael Thompson, Operations Sergeant Major, 1st Brigade, U.S. Army Cadet Command, welcomed the cadets during an opening ceremony.
Adventure training activities are key components of the leadership challenge. For three days, cadets rappelled a 50-foot tower, jumped blindfolded from a diving board into a swimming pool, constructed rope bridges and maneuvered across a stream, negotiated a high ropes course at a climbing complex, and navigated rafts during a water exercise. The course is designed to help develop cadet’s leadership skills and appreciation for teamwork.
This year's challenge included its first basketball tournament. Students also benefitted from access to the army's interactive education display and mentorship from recently commissioned army officers.
Cadets were recognized during a closing ceremony and were each awarded an identification tag, certificate, and other memorabilia from the experience. Before returning home, the cadets spent some recreation time at attractions, like the General George C. Patton Museum in Fort Knox, the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, and Holiday World Amusement Park in Santa Claus, Indiana.