JROTC Program
Celebrate Freedom Foundation:
JROTC Award for Excellence in Academics
The Celebrate Freedom Foundation (CFF) is proud to announce the launch of its 2025–2026 National JROTC Award for Excellence in Academics Program, beginning September 1.
This prestigious program honors exceptional cadets in grades 9–12—including home-schooled students—who are enrolled in U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard JROTC programs across the United States and overseas.
Program Highlights
Recognizes academic excellence among JROTC cadets
Open to students in grades 9–12 (including homeschool participants)
Available to all branches of JROTC nationwide and abroad
Includes an optional essay contest
Due to popular demand, the essay component returns this year. In the previous cycle, more than 300 cadets were nominated, with three receiving special recognition for outstanding essays.
Our Mission
The Celebrate Freedom Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to:
Educating children
Promoting lasting patriotism
Honoring the military—past, present, and future
The JROTC Award for Excellence in Academics Program directly supports this mission by recognizing and encouraging student achievement.
Nomination Information
JROTC instructors may nominate one or more cadets who demonstrate outstanding academic performance. Multiple nominations are encouraged when warranted.
Nomination Fees:
$20 for a single nomination
$15 per cadet for two or more nominations
Each nomination includes:
An official award ribbon
A high-quality, presentation-ready certificate suitable for framing
Get Involved
Support the mission of the Celebrate Freedom Foundation by recognizing deserving cadets in your program. Your participation helps promote academic excellence, leadership, and patriotism among the next generation.
Cadets, nominated for this award, must demonstrate the following personal characteristics to be eligible for nomination:
*Outstanding personal appearance (uniform and grooming)
*Display personal attributes such as initiative, judgment, and self-confidence.
*Courteous demeanor (promptness, obedience, and respect for customs)
*Growth potential (capacity for responsibility, high productivity, and adaptability to change)
*The highest personal and ethical standards and strong positive convictions
*The potential and desire to pursue a military career.
*Rank in the top 5 percent in his/her AS class with a grade average of A or numerical equivalent rank in the top 15 percent of his/her academic class
*A positive attitude (toward JROTC and school)
For Additional Recognition
Celebrate Freedom Foundation has added a highly-successful new component – Essay Contest – to the JROTC Award for Excellence in Academics Program.
For this year’s program, the Blue Star Mothers of South Carolina will again evaluate the 450-word essays on a specific topic written and submitted before May 1, 2026 by the cadets on“The Importance of Ethics and Accountability as Artificial Intelligence Advances.”. Judges will then select three cadets who have written the best essays to receive the JROTC Award for Excellence in Academics with “Distinction”. They will then select the cadet who has written the top essay - the best of all essays – to receive the CFF award with “Highest Distinction”. At the judge’s discretion they will also select other cadets who have written essays to receive the Award with “Merit”.
All winners of the 2023 JROTC Award for Excellence in Academics will be identified in a special section on the Celebrate Freedom Foundation’s website. CFF can provide, if requested, a news release template that will allow JROTC Instructors to announce their award winners.
Nominations MUST be submitted no later than May 15,2026. Nominations also will be confirmed by e-mail AFTER forms and fees have been received. Incomplete nomination forms will be rejected, and fees refunded.
CFF will mail the certificate and ribbons at our earliest convivence.
To email completed form or for questions to JROTC@GOCFF.ORG
-or-
Fill out the form below for electronic submission.
You will need to fill out a separate form for each Nominee.
One (1) cadet nomination @ $20.00. Two or more cadet nominations @$15.00 each
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