Petty Officer Leadership Academy
Petty Officer Leadership Academy (POLA) is designed for Sea Cadet E-3s and E-4s who are rising leaders within the Sea Cadet Program.
Cadets will have the rare and unique opportunity to learn from the U.S. Navy's finest Senior and Master Chief Petty Officers at the U.S. Navy's Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA). These individuals prepare our Navy’s Enlisted Sailors for the most demanding at-sea and on-shore leadership assignments. Cadets are treated like U.S. Navy sailors and are expected to act like it! As a result, our POLA at NAVSTA Newport sets the standard and is cutting edge in methods of training new Sea Cadet Petty Officers.
POLA is academically intense, rigorous, fast-paced, involves regular participation in lectures and small group discussions, requires nearly 100 pages of reading per night, and is both reflective and theory-based. While we hope all our students will graduate POLA, we do not lower our standards to ensure that everyone passes. Typically, 5-10% of our students fail, and they tend to be the youngest. Be prepared to be challenged!
At POLA, Cadets will have the opportunity to lead a Division of Cadets that will test their leadership skills hands-on. Cadets will receive a comprehensive written evaluation that will provide individualized feedback on strengths, areas for improvement, etc.
Leadership can be taught and we teach it!
Cadets will have the rare and unique opportunity to learn from the U.S. Navy's finest Senior and Master Chief Petty Officers at the U.S. Navy's Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA). These individuals prepare our Navy’s Enlisted Sailors for the most demanding at-sea and on-shore leadership assignments. Cadets are treated like U.S. Navy sailors and are expected to act like it! As a result, our POLA at NAVSTA Newport sets the standard and is cutting edge in methods of training new Sea Cadet Petty Officers.
POLA is academically intense, rigorous, fast-paced, involves regular participation in lectures and small group discussions, requires nearly 100 pages of reading per night, and is both reflective and theory-based. While we hope all our students will graduate POLA, we do not lower our standards to ensure that everyone passes. Typically, 5-10% of our students fail, and they tend to be the youngest. Be prepared to be challenged!
At POLA, Cadets will have the opportunity to lead a Division of Cadets that will test their leadership skills hands-on. Cadets will receive a comprehensive written evaluation that will provide individualized feedback on strengths, areas for improvement, etc.
Leadership can be taught and we teach it!
