Counter-recruitment and the Campaign to Demilitarize Public Schools

This book illustrates how a diverse group of individuals are challenging the militarization of schools in the United States. It depicts the growing military presence - especially military recruiters - in public schools and the military's need to enlist more than 100,000 new recruits every year. This militarization of educational space has spawned a little-noticed grassroots resistance: the small, but sophisticated, counter-recruitment movement. The various forms of counter-recruitment are illustrated through the words of activists and case studies of successful organizing and advocacy. Counter-recruiters visit schools to challenge recruiters' messages with information on non-military career options; activists work to make it harder for the military to operate in public schools; they conduct lobbying campaigns for policies that protect students' private information from military recruiters; and, counter-recruiters mentor youth to become involved in these activities. While attracting little attention, counter-recruitment has nonetheless been described as "the military recruiter's greatest obstacle" by a Marine Corps official.

Scott Harding is Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, USA. He has extensive advocacy and organizing experience on issues of homelessness, affordable housing, welfare, community development, and transnational labor solidarity. He was Executive Director and Policy Coordinator for the California Homeless Housing Coalition, USA. He is a Board Representative of the Association for Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA), a Board Member of Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS), and former Editor ofThe Journal of Community Practice.


Seth Kershner is Reference Librarian at Northwestern Connecticut Community College, USA. He is the author of several articles and book chapters on the counter-recruitment movement. Kershner's research on United States military involvement in public education has also appeared in Rethinking Schools, Sojourners, and Fellowship, among other magazines.