✦ CADET FOUNDRY

For JROTC instructors

Run your whole class
from one laptop.

Cadets join from their phones by scanning a QR code. You press Start class and teach — lessons, leadership votes, live questions and videos, all from one screen. No accounts. No internet. Free during the pilot.

⬇ DownloadSee a class day →
Windows laptop · works with any phone, tablet or Chromebook · everything stays in your classroom
The instructor's Today's class screen: a lesson, two scenarios, two live questions and a video, each with its own button A Cadet voting on a leadership scenario on their phone

A class day

Three steps. That's the whole thing.

1

Press Start class and pick today's plan

Tick a lesson, a leadership scenario or two, a few live questions and a video. Cadet Foundry turns it into a run sheet — one button for each thing, in order.

The instructor's Home screen with a big Start class button
2

Cadets scan the code on the projector

Put the Join screen up. Cadets point their phone camera at it, type their name and a PIN, and they're in — placed in your class automatically. About 30 seconds.

The Join screen: a large QR code, the address to type, and the class join code
3

Teach. Everyone answers.

Put a leadership scenario on the projector and every Cadet votes from their seat — anonymously, so the quiet ones answer too. Reveal the discussion guidance when you're ready. Ask a live question and see who's got it in real time.

A leadership scenario on the projector with live vote counts

Built for the classroom

No internet required.

Cadet Foundry runs on your laptop. Cadets connect to it over your classroom Wi-Fi — that Wi-Fi doesn't need to reach the internet.

📶

Works offline

Everything you need for class runs with no internet connection at all.

☁️

No student accounts in the cloud

Cadets sign in with a name and a PIN on your laptop. Nothing to sign up for, nothing stored online.

🚫

No ads, no tracking

No advertising, no analytics and no data sent to us. We never see your Cadets' work.

🎓

Instructor-controlled

You decide what Cadets get, when class opens to phones, and when it closes.

Why instructors use it

Less prep. More of your Cadets talking.

⏱️

Plan class in two minutes

Start with 12 ready-made lessons and 20 leadership scenarios with debrief notes — or write your own once and reuse it every year.

🙋

Every Cadet participates

Anonymous votes and live questions on their own phones. You see the whole room's answer, not just the front row's.

🔒

Private by design

Everything stays on your laptop. No cloud, no accounts, no ads, no tracking. Each Cadet's work is locked with their own PIN.

📶

No internet needed

Works in a classroom with no internet at all. Cadets only need to be on the same Wi-Fi as your laptop.

📘

Every branch, official sources

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force study cards — each one names the official manual or page it comes from.

💲

Free during the pilot

Nothing for your school to buy while we pilot Cadet Foundry with JROTC programs. Your laptop is the whole system — no server, no subscription to manage.

What's inside

Everything a Cadet needs, on their phone.

Cadets get their own Home screen: what's due, a Daily 10 quiz, and anything you start in class. They study every branch of service, take quizzes Cadet Foundry grades for them, and keep a leadership log.

A Cadet's Home screen
A Cadet's Home
Learn: assignments and study sections for every branch
Learn: every branch
Voting on a scenario
Class vote
A live question with the answers revealed
Live questions — results stay hidden until you reveal them.
An official military training video playing
Official military videos that play with no internet.
📋

Lessons and assignments

Write a lesson once, assign it to a class, see who finished.

🧭

Leadership scenarios

Real situations a Cadet leader meets, with discussion guidance for you.

🎯

ASVAB practice and jobs

Practice tests with exact scoring and a jobs explorer for every service.

📈

Progress and portfolio

Growth over time, service hours you verify, and a portfolio a Cadet can print.

Set up

Ready in about five minutes.

No admin password on most laptops. Nothing for Cadets to install. (If your school manages your laptop, IT may need to approve new software first.)

  1. Download Cadet Foundry and double-click it.

    Click Next until it's done. A Cadet Foundry icon appears on your desktop. If Windows shows a blue box that says "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway.

  2. Open Cadet Foundry and make your Class PIN.

    Just looking? Choose See a sample class to explore a finished class with made-up Cadets first. When you're ready, tick the box to agree to the Terms of use and Privacy notice, choose "I'm the instructor", pick your JROTC program, and make two PINs: a Class PIN that opens your class, and your own PIN. Write down the backup code it shows you.

  3. On class day, press "Open class to phones".

    It's on your Home screen in Cadet Foundry. The Join screen with the QR code is one tap away — put it on the projector, then press ▶ Start class. Your Home screen walks you through anything left to do.

If Cadets' phones can't connect: some school Wi-Fi blocks devices from talking to each other. Ask IT to allow it, or bring a small travel router (about $30 — it doesn't need internet) and have everyone join that instead. For a handful of Cadets, your laptop's own hotspot works too.

Privacy, in plain words

Your Cadets' work never leaves your classroom.

Privacy notice → · Privacy and security details → · Terms of use →

Questions

Good to know

Does it cost anything?

Not during the pilot. Cadet Foundry is free to download and use while we pilot it with JROTC programs.

Does it need the internet?

No. Your laptop runs everything. Cadets only need to join the same Wi-Fi as your laptop — that Wi-Fi doesn't need internet.

What do Cadets need?

Any phone, tablet, Chromebook or school computer with a web browser. Nothing to install and no accounts to make — a name and a PIN.

What computer do I need?

A Windows laptop. (It also runs on Linux and a Raspberry Pi.) No special hardware.

Can Cadets study at home?

Yes. Cadet Foundry can run from a USB flash drive with no installation, and each Cadet can have their own drive. Their work stays on the drive, locked with their PIN.

Is this an official JROTC product?

No. Cadet Foundry is designed to support JROTC instruction, but it isn't an official JROTC, military or school product, and it doesn't replace your program's curriculum. Study material comes from official public sources, and each card says which one.

Who makes Cadet Foundry?

Cadet Foundry is a free community project — the Cadet Foundry project. It isn't a company product. Questions, problems, or a copy for another instructor: support@cadetfoundry.org.

Can I try it without setting anything up?

Yes. On Cadet Foundry's first screen, choose See a sample class. It opens a separate copy with eight made-up Cadets, lessons, scenarios and a pilot in progress. Leave it and nothing of yours has changed.

What if a Cadet forgets their PIN?

When they make their PIN, Cadet Foundry shows a one-time backup code. With it they can choose a new PIN — their work stays protected the whole time.

Try it with your next class.

Download Cadet Foundry, set your Class PIN, and press Start class. If it doesn't make your day easier, uninstall it — nothing to cancel.

⬇ Download Cadet Foundry for Windows

Free during the pilot · version 0.2.5 · 24 MB · other downloads (zip for a USB drive, Linux, Raspberry Pi)

SHA-256 of the installer: 90c8ddc8377ca40cf1ade4c11d5c67461299429c42a7c55218f9fe41f121f6d4