Carson Long Military Academy, located in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania, is the oldest preparatory boarding school and military academy in the United States that features military training for young men grades 6-12. The maximum student capacity is 180 cadets.
School history
Carson Long Military Academy is a direct descendant of Bloomfield Academy which was founded in 1836. It was started by Robert Finley in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania as a Latin Grammar school with only six students. In 1840 the school was moved two blocks up the hill to its present location. The first building of the original school was built in the same year and is still in use as a reception hall and a museum. In 1842 the trustees decided to make the Academy a coeducational boarding school. For a short period of time in the early 1850s, the school was purchased and operated by the Perry County Commissioners. During the second half of the 19th century, the Latin Grammar academy added a Normal School, which was a training school for teachers. In 1914 the school was purchased by Theodore K. Long, who graduated from Bloomfield Academy and Yale, and who became a prominent Chicago lawyer and city councilman. In 1916 he renamed the school Carson Long Institute as a living memorial to his son, William Carson Long, who died at an early age. It has been a nonprofit corporation since 1920 and is governed by a 15-member Board of Trustees.
Carson Long Military Academy has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools since 1929. It is a member of the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States, the National Association of Independent Schools and the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools.
Academics
Most students go on to college and some join the armed services. All students in the graduating Class of 2009 were accepted to college.
The cadets of Carson Long Military Academy are required to complete 21 credits for graduation: English (4 units), mathematics (3 units), science (3 units), social studies (3 units), arts or humanities (2 units), computer science (1 unit) health and physical education (1 unit), and four electives. Electives include such courses as the Bible, speech, and political geography. The average class size is 13 cadets and the ratio of teachers to students is 1:9. Students and parents receive report cards every six weeks. Cadets have supervised evening study hall in their classrooms each evening, Monday through Friday, with one teacher for every 15 boys.
Physical education and JROTC training are required for all cadets. Cadets are assigned a military rank and higher ranking boys are the leaders of their peers. The ranking system provides inspiration, allowing other boys to aspire to leadership positions. The cadet corps is organized into a battalion of three companies. The cadet officers, under guidance of faculty, are responsible for the performance of their companies, including discipline, appearance and performance at formations, parades and ceremonies. This peer leadership, along with faculty serving as role models, is intended to help all cadets succeed at Carson Long. The Corps of Cadets has been designated an Honor School with Distinction (the highest award a JROTC school can receive) by the Department of the Army.
Carson Long offers subjects such as advanced placement math, science, and foreign language courses. Glee club, academic bowl team, music lessons, "Drum Beats" (the campus newspaper), and "Carsonian" (yearbook) are just a few of the many extracurricular activities available to cadets. Cadets can participate in soccer, football, baseball, basketball, tennis, track, rifle teams, wrestling, and hockey.
Athletics
Carson Long Military Academy offers many Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Club athletics opportunities for their students. Carson Long teams compete under the team name "Warriors", and compete in relevant local athletics organizations. Varsity teams compete in the PIAA Class A division, against other top school teams from around the state. Carson Long operates a cooperative co-ed athletics program with West Perry High School, allowing members of each school to compete in events not offered by their respective schools, as well. Athletics opportunities offered include:
Varsity Sports
- Boys Soccer
- Boys Wrestling
- Boys Basketball
- Boys Golf
- Boys Tennis
- Boys Track & Field
Junior Varsity & Middle School Sports
- Boys Soccer
- Boys Basketball
- Boys Wrestling
CO-ED Sports
- Cross Country
References
External links
- Official website
- Alumni Association