About the Competition:
The International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Youth Action Campaign is an American Red Cross program that helps youth and young adults to learn about the rules of armed conflict and empowers them to explore IHL and spread awareness about the humanitarian protections it provides through student designed, student led peer-to-peer campaigns within their communities. This competition is a great and rewarding way to fulfill your service learning project requirement. Since 2020, the Youth Action Campaign and JROTC cadet volunteers have helped educate more than 250,000 people about IHL, while reaching more than 500,000 via social media efforts.
U.S. Army JROTC has partnered with the American Red Cross to provide an outstanding Service Learning Project opportunity for cadets and to help in the nationwide effort to raise awareness and understanding on this important topic. Youth IHL Advocates focus their efforts around a theme each year, which connects to a specific area of IHL. Past themes have included education in armed conflict and the protection of cultural property. We are excited to announce that the 2023-2024 theme will focus on nuclear weapons and armed conflict, including how IHL helps protect against the destructive effects of these weapons.
The JROTC Competition gives students a chance to compete against fellow cadets from across the globe, including from Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps JROTC programs. Cadets form teams at their school, work together to complete the Youth Action Campaign training, and then design and implement their own custom awareness campaigns. Cadets are encouraged to get creative in their campaigns. Past JROTC teams have conducted everything from lunch table events to art competitions, movie nights, local comic book competitions, and social media campaigns as part of the Competition.
At the end of the school year, the best JROTC teams will be recognized by the American Red Cross. One school will be selected as the JROTC International Champions and will be rewarded with a trip to Washington, D.C. in July 2023 to take part in the prestigious annual Youth Action Campaign Summit.
Benefits of Participating:
- Take part in a fun and unique experience that satisfies your Service Learning Project requirement.
- Gain invaluable experience and hone a variety of skills, including public speaking, advocacy, project management, creative design, and more.
- Compete to win a trip to Washington, D.C. and take part in the life-changing Youth Action Campaign Summit.
- Become a better citizen and make a real difference in your community by helping educate others about the lifesaving protections IHL gives to the innocent, helping reduce suffering in conflicts around the world.
- Be a meaningful part of a larger humanitarian effort and connect with others who share your passion.
Past JROTC International Champions:
- 2022-2023: Grainger High School Army JROTC (Rutledge, TN)
- 2021-2022: Lowdnes High School Air Force JROTC (Valdosta, GA)
- 2020-2021: Ansbach Middle High School Army JROTC (Ansbach, Germany)
Information & Registration:
- Learn more about the IHL Youth Action Campaign Program
- JROTC Informational Page
- JROTC Brochure: Nuclear Weapons and Armed Conflict (English) (.pdf)
- JROTC Brochure: IHL & Environmental Protection (Spanish) (.pdf)
Competition Informational Video:
Learn more about the Army JROTC International Humanitarian Law competition in this short video. It covers the basics of the competition, including its purpose, the value for cadets, and how the competition directly contributes to the JROTC program’s overall mission.
