Over 600 DPS students will attend the 111th annual military ball hosted by the Denver Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) at 7 p.m. today at the Hyatt Regency Tech Center, 7800 E. Tufts Ave., in the Grand Mesa Ballroom.

With students from over 10 Denver high schools, the ball rivals any prom, said LTC Perry Roberts, Director of Military Science for DPS. “It’s the highlight of the social season. Cadets wear their uniforms and the ladies wear gowns.” A military ball queen also will be crowned tonight after being selected from a list of nominees.

There are 1,750 students from DPS enrolled in the JROTC program. LTC Roberts said the program teaches citizen and leadership skills as well as history and civics. Students also can participate in the drill and rifle teams and the color guard.

LTC Roberts said that after the students complete the program, they could go on into the military and finish basic training at a higher rank and receive higher pay. The JROTC training also helps students with college scholarships.

For more information, contact LTC Perry Roberts, Director of Military Science for DPS, at 303-394-8411.