Activities

STEM

Our program was formed on the basis of a lot of concepts, but one of the most important is STEM. Whether it is in or out of the meeting times, STEM is one of the main components of our squadron. There are activities that take place during the meetings, such as demonstrations, lessons, flying sUAS, Biology with Aerospace, Chemistry with Aerospace, Aerospace Sciences and Engineering and Computer Science. A cadet can choose the path he/she wants to pursue and achieve their goals. However, for the cadets who are much more passionate about STEM, there are activities that span much farther than just the once a week meetings. These are commitments that the cadets are willing to take that can cover as much time as a school club. Things like Model Rocketry, Cyber Patriot, StellarXplorers, and much more can be done both inside and outside of meetings.

Leadership

We also provide leadership opportunities for both cadets and Senior Members. Some of our most important members who dedicate a lot of their time to CAP are our senior members. They help plan activities that are both fun and educational, lead the cadets while the activities are going on, and act as mentors, ensuring a cadet’s success in the program. However, it is not just the senior members who lead cadets. Higher ranking cadets can become NCOs, who perform flight duties to ensure that the activities planned are being executed in an organized manner. They dedicate a lot of time to leading cadets and meet both inside and outside of meetings to ensure as much gets done as possible. However, you do not need to be high ranking to be a leader within the squadron. Some cadets chose to be support staff, who are leaders within specific areas of the squadron. Cadets are support staff for a wide array of topics, ranging from public affairs, STEM, historians, emergency services personnel, and much more. This allows cadets to lead in what they are good at, while at the same time having all available help from experienced senior members every step of the way. 

Outreach

Public outreach is an essential part of our squadron as we see it as an embodiment of our core value of volunteer service. We participate in parades, help local schools with recreational nights, and be members of our community. Last year, we went to two parades during the Memorial Day weekend. Cadets got to march in uniform in the parade, being lead by experienced cadets who had done parades before. This year, we will be going to a school in Scotch Plains and helping with their STEM night.