Matthew Clark Schopfer, a junior at Cherry Hill High School West, has been selected to attend the Trooper Youth Week 2011 at the New Jersey State Police Training Center in Sea Girt, which runs Aug. 1 through Aug. 5.
Trooper Youth Week is a residential youth education program developed by the New Jersey State Police. This program presents simulated law enforcement programs for students who have completed their junior year and are entering their senior year of High School.
The week’s activities include lectures and presentations covering many facets of police work and criminal justice. To qualify for the program an applicant must be of good reputation and sound moral character; must be recommended; must be in good academic standing; must be able to participate in physical fitness activities; must be able to participate in a structured well disciplined program.
The first Trooper Youth Week summer program was initiated on June 28, 1965 at the New Jersey State Police Training Academy. The New Jersey State Police saw an opportunity to develop a summer program to attract high school students to the New Jersey State Police.
This summer program continues to attract competent, dedicated, moral, and diverse applicants from all areas of New Jersey. The mission of the New Jersey State Police has grown immensely since the initial Trooper Youth Week summer program in 1965. The format of the Trooper Youth Week summer program has been expanded to adequately reflect these same substantive changes.
The typical summer week long residential program is inclusive of a disciplined quasi-military environment supervised by the enlisted members of the New Jersey State Police. This program’s daily block schedule of military drill, structured fast–moving classroom programs, practical exercises and physical training serves to simulate a true recruit training experience. The program’s core values emphasize integrity, honesty, courtesy, professionalism, human dignity and respect, and teamwork.
