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Welcome to Education and Training
The CAP Senior Member Education and Training Program prepares members to serve their units, their communities, and their nation.
Chief of Education and Training - Col Bryan Cooper
Education and Training Organizational Chart
About Us:
Civil Air Patrol Education and Training provides a continuum of professional education for our members
through a deliberate and collaborative effort. Our program intentionally develops individual
competencies if knowledge, skills, behaviors, and aptitude by developing self, others, ideas, and our
organization as a whole.
CAP needs an informed, active senior membership trained in leadership, management, and functional
tasks. The CAP Senior Member Education and Training Program prepares members to serve their units,
their communities, and their nation.
We provide our Education and Training in four distinct yet collaborative ways:
Volunteer University
Mentoring Program
Specialty Track Program
Continuing Education
However you choose to engage with Education and Training, our supportive all-volunteer team will
always be available to offer advice, counsel, and support.
Leadership Reading Groups (New!!!)
It’s often said that great leaders must first lead themselves to lead other people and lead organizations. These skills may come naturally to some, but there are always additional opportunities for growth. Books are a great way to expand your horizons, learn a new model or technique, and ultimately become a better leader. We have carefully chosen the following titles to help you and, by extension, our organization grow.
If you are interested in participating in or leading a reading group, please fill out this Interest Form
Volunteer University:
Volunteer University provides the structure for the implementation of the Senior Member Education and
Training Program. By engaging with Volunteer University, you will find the right format that fit your needs
depending on where you are in life. Our flexible, module-based education is offered both in a traditional
classroom format - onsite at the local unit level, and an online format designed to meet the needs for
busy professionals and adult learners.
Volunteer University Learning Formats:
Onsite Education: A True Collaborative Experience.
Volunteer University collaborates with local education and training directors and officers to
offer our module-based education onsite with classes following a number of flexible time
formats that can occur based upon the needs of members. For example, our level education
was designed to be flexible, and can be offered in one setting over multiple days, or spread-out
over longer periods. Additionally, we sponsor a Virtual-In-Residence model of education that
offers module education for Levels 2, 3, 4, and our Command electives virtually via online
collaborative platforms like TEAMS™ and ZOOM™. Our ViR program has a predictable schedule
that follows a prescribed schedule. Classroom-based learning encourages the critical thinking,
communication and problems solving skills that embrace our shared core values and mission of
the Civil Air Patrol.
Online: Learn Your Way, at your own pace.
In addition to traditional onsite education, VolU also offers a wide array of online module
education designed for our members who are working professionals or for our members who
want to engage outside of the traditional onsite program. We deliver online education via a
Cohort model. The cohort model is popular in adult education programs that are accelerated
for the flexibility of the participants. Cohorts are groups that share an experience during a time
span. Another word for a cohort is a learning community. Cohorts are normally 10-25 people.
Most Cohorts follow a pre-determined recommended schedule with a blend of moderated and
self-paced modules held online in the evenings, weekends or even during the week. Programs
start monthly, meaning you can begin your level education when you're ready and complete it
in a timeframe that works for you – including participating in level education both onsite and
online, guaranteeing that flexibility mindset.
Our Online Learning Philosophy
Volunteer University is a pioneer in volunteer non-profit online education.
VolU Online students are a diverse community of Civil Air Patrol members, including many
working professionals who are trying to better their CAP opportunities through continuing their
level education. Onsite, face-to-face education will never go away, but the online classroom has become a vital
complement to our member’s level education options. We know that online learning may be
new for many, and are committed to helping our members succeed while helping them take
advantage of the flexibility and convenience of the online format.
Mentoring Program:
Our mentoring program is built around deliberate relationships in which knowledge and skills are shared
between members in a way in which everyone benefits. Often a more senior person is mentoring a
junior person, but mentorship can happen between any two individuals. Mentoring will help our
members discover their strengths by achieving their full potential through a structured, trusting
mentoring relationship. Additionally, the mentoring team offers targeted seminars to help grow our
future leaders, which our members earn VolU module credit in our elective programs - Squadron
Commanders Course (SCC), Region Commander Course (RCC), in addition to various overall level credit.
Specialty Track Program
The Specialty Track program is an integral part of CAP Education Efforts, it’s tactical, task based training to
ensure our members are most prepared to execute their CAP duty position – currently we are editing
the tracks and making administrative edits as we look to the future and revamp the program.
Continuing Education Program
The Continuing Education Program seeks to empower CAP members through an accessible impactful
and holistic education that positions us for success. We do so by offering engagements via a certificate
program, a speaker’s series, and reading list.
Certificate Program
Speakers Series
National Commanders Reading List
CAP Education and Training Documents
