The New Jersey School Boards Association, along with the other major education groups in the state, including the N.J. Association of School Administrators; the N.J. Education Association, the N.J. Principals and Supervisors Association; the N.J. Association of School Business Officials; and the N.J. PTA recently sent a letter to superintendents and board presidents urging public schools to institute an annual “Military Opportunities Day,” between September and November, beginning this year. The New Jersey Department of Education, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, and the U.S. Army, America’s Navy, the United States Marine Corps, the U.S. Air Force, and the Army National Guard join the groups in supporting this effort.
“Unfortunately, too many New Jersey students and parents are unaware of what military service entails today and the opportunities it offers for post-secondary education and career training,” noted the letter. “Often the lack of awareness results from widespread misconceptions about military service and limited information available through schools…Military Opportunities Day can be an integral part of a school’s annual effort to help juniors and seniors prepare for a post-secondary pathway: work, college, or the military.
The letter includes a list of military recruiting agencies that can help schools develop a Military Opportunities Day. The list can be found here.