GREAT FALLS — Montana Junior Police Leadership Academy (JPLA) applications are open, so if you are a high school student and you want to see if you have what it takes to be a member of law enforcement, now is your chance to get some hands-on experience.
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Great Falls Police Department Detective Cara Guderian went through the JPLA as a student. Now, she teaches it.
Guderian said, “It's just ultimately to show these students…kind of what, what a law enforcement officer would go through in their training at the academy.”
The free, week-long academy takes place in Helena from July 20-26 and is open to sophomores through seniors in high school. The program teaches students about driving, shooting, crime scene investigations, and other law enforcement duties.
Guderian said, “It's a blast. You have a lot of fun. You learn a lot about law enforcement leadership in general. You meet great people. There's really no reasons not to.”
Taking part in JPLA with Guderian was Sean Schoenfelder, who is now a lead instructor for the academy.
Schoenfelder, a corporal for the Helena Police Department, said, “We're really dedicated, along with the other instructors to make sure that this is a good week for kids.”
He noted that the week is not only designed for those interested in law enforcement, but people looking to hone their leadership and team-building skills as well.
Schoenfelder said, “What we find is those kids that are kind of hesitant about it by the end of the week, they have some of the biggest smiles on their faces, and they're really glad that they did it, because it does kind of help them come out of their shell a little bit.”
Applications are open until May 1st; click here to apply or for more information.
