Militarism in Schools
What is Militarism in Schools?
In the US, public schools are frequent targets of military
advertising, military youth programs, and visits by military recruiters.
The No Child Left Behind Act guarantees recruiters the right to private
contact information for all secondary school students, so that students
may also be contacted at home. Many school administrators and teachers
are unaware of, or turn a blind eye to recruiter abuses of their privileges.
Recruiters employ a variety of ways to get personal
contact information, including student lists from schools, JRTOC, marketing
databases, the ASVAB test and other standardized tests like the SATs.
SPEAK FOR PEACE TOUR 2008
"Creating The Way Forward"
American Friends Service Committee sponsored "Speak For Peace Tour." Speakers featured in these video segments are: Tyler Zabel (a soldier currently in the Army National Guard who recently applied for conscientious objector status), Patty McCann (former member of the National Guard, after serving in Iraq for 15 months, she has become active in various anti-war movements), and Raed Jarrar (Iraqi Political Analyst who has worked with grassroots organizations to help rebuild life for Iraqis).
Click Here To View Video and Photos of This Event
IT'S MY LIFE!
Are you almost out of high school? Have you been out for awhile but still not figured out what to do with your life? You're not sure what's next, but you know you're in for some changes — a temporary job, different school, even taking a year off from college or a career to explore. You may even be thinking about the military. Whatever you're thinking about doing, each choice means a choice NOT to do something else. So it's a good idea to get a big picture of the options you have before making any decisions.
"It's My Life" has information on what it feels like to make a big change, what you might consider doing as your next step and how you can start thinking "outside of the box".
REMEMBER! You have choices, you can take some time, and you don't have to feel pressured to leap into something you're not sure about
Download Postcard on It's My Life (pdf)
Are You A Youth Between the ages of 13 and 25? Click Here For Info On How To Get Your Free "It's My Life" Book
I don't want my child contacted by military
recruiters. What can I do?
OPT-OUT
By opting-out you can reduce the chance of personal contact information
falling into the hands of recruiters.
Contact your school to find out how to opt-out of the
student lists given to recruiters. Schools are obligated by law to remove
your name if you request it. Download
our Opt-Out kit for use in public schools (pdf)
Why You Need to Opt Out
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 contains a little-known
provision that threatens the federal funding of any school refusing
to turn over all students' personal contact information to military
recruiters upon demand. More
>
A video by Telequest,
Inc. in partnership with Veterans for Peace and the American Friends
Service Committee. View
the video here :
Alternatives to Military Service
The Pentagon spends billions of dollars every year targeting youth for enlistment in the military. With more and more demand for new enlistees, recruiters are targeting a wide array of people, and are misleading potential candidates to convince them that it’s in their best interest to enlist in the Armed Forces.
In response, the Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), in collaboration with our National Youth and Militarism Program, has developed an alternatives to the military handbook called “Making the Connection.” This resource provides information to help young people explore their options to finding jobs, internships, apprenticeships, skills training, GED prep, scholarships, grants, and financial aid that is non-violent and specific to Ohio. “Making the Connection” seeks to encourage young people to follow their dreams without feeling pressure to join the military under false pretenses.
Our goal is to make this booklet readily available to young people throughout Ohio, especially those who are most targeted by military recruiters. We need people willing to help contact schools, provide donations to cover the cost of printing, or circulate booklets to other interested organizations or groups. If you’re interested in helping, please contact Serena-Claire Hanna at the Northeast Ohio AFSC at 330-928-2301 or email shanna@afsc.org.
The "Making the Connection" handbook features 42 pages filled with many
local and national career opportunities: peaceful jobs and careers that
offer what the military promises—without giving up your rights and
supporting the war machine.
The booklet also includes career planning, personal growth, youth leadership
and independent living.
View and download the "Making The Connection" handbook here (pdf)
For Updated Information On Making the Connection Click Here
