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By Carol Zieres, COL USA (Ret)
Photo credit: Carol Zieres
The MOAA Tampa Chapter sponsored a JROTC Compass Retreat held at My Warriors Place in Punta Gorda, Florida on 10 -12 April 2026. The program was fully funded using MOAA Foundation Community grant funds. I participated as a Chaperone for the event and would like to share a few notes about the curriculum and my observations throughout the weekend:
- Seventeen Junior ROTC Cadets attended the Retreat (Eleven cadets from Freedom High School and Six cadets from Boca Ciega High School).
- Purpose and Expected Outcomes: This was an interactive program with a blend of workshops, seminars, group projects, and experiential learning activities guided by experienced professionals with backgrounds in leadership training and youth development.
- Cadets learned leadership skills through interactive workshops and real-world scenarios to build confidence and resiliency.
- Training sessions focused on understanding personality types, enhancing verbal and non-verbal communication, active listening, and effective feedback
- Mechanisms.
- Team building included collaborative exercises that build trust and cooperation with their peers and the understanding of diverse perspectives within a team setting.
This program significantly contributed to the holistic development of the JROTC cadets preparing them to excel in their future endeavors. My Warrior’s Place has traditionally offered a “Forever Warrior” program to Veterans, but until now, has never been able to offer a similar program to Junior ROTC Cadets. The MOAA grant funding afforded the opportunity to make modifications and tailor the program for those who have never served, specifically youth, ages 13 to 18. This 3-day program was hence renamed, “JROTC Compass program” and the curriculum is designed to make the Junior ROTC cadets better citizens and inspire future leaders whether they go on to serve in the US military or pursue a civilian career.
It was a privilege for me to be involved in the planning and execution of this 3-day retreat as well as observe the Cadets during a variety of confidence-building exercises in a relaxed, picturesque setting on the Peace River. I saw first-hand the bond of friendships that emerged as Cadets sat around the campfire, “chattering,” while roasting S’mores in the evening and learning new balance techniques during the group activity, Tai Chi. Graduation was held on Sunday afternoon and parents of the cadets were invited to attend. Cadets received a JROTC Compass coin and pin along with their diploma documenting their proud achievement and then all enjoyed a baked lasagna dinner complete with graduation cake.
A special thank you to Ms. Kelly Kowall, Founder and CEO of My Warriors Place, who worked tirelessly to put this program together, not only developing the curriculum for the program, but also teaching and demonstrating each module as a primary instructor! Kelly is always looking for individuals to volunteer at My Warriors Place and given sufficient funding, is hopeful that the JROTC Compass Retreat can be offered again next year.
