Time spent in the Joshua NJROTC unit is never a dull moment for its cadets. The cadets and instructors are constantly on their toes, making sure everything stays in order and operating smoothly.

The unit is constantly moving, whether it be for an Adopt a Highway Event, Formal Inspections, Guest Speakers, Birthday Balls, or traveling for a competition or a semester trip.

In the fall, 50 cadets travelled to Houston to tour NASA. 

The Cadets were given the opportunity to explore the facility before the tour began. Cadets and chaperones took advantage of this time to view the different exhibits and interactive activities stationed around the facility. 

After the cadets were given time to explore, they were greeted by a NASA employee to begin the tour. The students were given an educational walk-through of the history of the space race, information on shuttles, and background information about NASA.

The kids were able to walk through a model of a shuttle and touch an actual piece of the moon.

After the tour was over the students were provided a healthy dinner and time to ask questions. The students finished dinner and broke off into two groups, to begin some activities. 

The first activity was to program a robot to go through an obstacle course. To complete their mission, the cadets broke into pairs and began work. They had to make structured decisions on how to code their robot.

The students were given ten minutes to code their robot to maneuver the course and change colors when it touched the blue blocks on the course. Once the time ended, they put the bots to the test. 

Although faced with a challenge, the cadets were able to gain learning experience and teamwork. 

“Although I have never done something like this before, I enjoyed the challenge,” one cadet said.

The second activity of the night was to build a shield that would keep an egg from cracking and burning when a flame was lit. Cadets were given a choice of miscellaneous materials to choose from but with a limit of four items and 30 centimeters of tape. 

Once the shields were built the cadets were given safety glasses and taken outside to conduct the activity. The students were supportive of each other’s creations and able to enjoy time together in a new way.

After they finished the activities for the night, the students were allowed to roam around outside to view Christmas lights and drink hot chocolate.

The next day of the trip the cadets traveled to Galveston to tour the A&M campus. When they arrived, they were greeted by a former cadet and instructors. The tour consisted of the training ships, as well as the buildings around campus. 

The instructors gave a presentation over the campus and what they have to offer.

They made one last stop before making the journey home. The students were taken to ride the ferry. During the ferry ride, the cadets took in the scenery and enjoyed dolphins swimming alongside the ferry. All the cadets on the trip earned their sea cruise ribbon.

“I enjoyed the time I got to spend with my second family and the opportunities we were provided,” one cadet said.

After time well spent, the students made their way back home to enjoy Thanksgiving break with their families.