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CONTACT: Melanie Pipkin
202-414-0778
Jul 18, 2006
THOUSANDS OF HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS BEGIN NATIONAL GUARD PROGRAM THIS MONTH
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National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program Offers At-Risk Teens Second Chance
WASHINGTON – This month, in 23 states around the country, thousands of high school dropouts will hear the screams of drill sergeants, don PT outfits and live the Spartan life in barracks as part of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, a voluntary intervention program aimed at getting dropouts back on track through education, physical fitness, volunteerism and life skills training. With about one in three students dropping out of high school each year, this program reaches out to nearly 7,000 dropouts per year nationwide with a cost-free alternative to a life of crime, gangs, physical abuse, unwanted pregnancy and the many other consequences facing today’s high school dropouts.
Pre-ChalleNGe is the initial and most restrictive two weeks in the 17-month program. Applicants give up their independent lives to live under the ChalleNGe rules: wake before dawn, speak when spoken to and lose the attitude. These two weeks give the applicants the opportunity to adjust to the program’s physical, mental and social discipline and focus on teamwork, close order drill, code of conduct, leadership and physical fitness. Applicants can leave at any time, but those who successfully complete this phase will earn the distinction of becoming full-fledged corps members.
The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program is helping solve the national dropout crisis by offering an alternative to the students left behind. After Pre-ChalleNGe, cadets continue the remaining 20 weeks of the program’s Residential Phase, an endeavor that many of the teens feel is their last chance at having a better life. At the end of the 22 weeks, most of the students go on to earn their GED, return to school, enter the workforce, begin college or join the military. During the year after the Residential Phase, carefully chosen mentors guide the students through a “life plan” they drafted at the program. This intense mentorship helps ensure the students stay on track and continue to succeed.
Students in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming will begin the program in their states this month. The program conducts two cycles of classes per year. The classes beginning this month will conclude in December and the next cycle will begin in January. The other programs that make up the 30 sites nationwide operate on a similar rolling schedule.
About the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program:
The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program is a 17-month, co-ed program for high school dropouts aged 16-18. Program participants are offered the opportunity to enhance their life skills, earn their GED, pursue higher education, improve their employment potential and broaden their chances at success. For more information about the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, go to http://www.ngycp.org.
About the National Guard Youth Foundation:
The National Guard Youth Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization formed to support the work of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program through public awareness, scholarships, higher education assistance, mentoring and job development programs for graduates. The Foundation also works to expand the number of states and sites per state to accommodate growing demand for the program. The Honorary Board of Directors is co-chaired by President George H. W. Bush and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.). For more information about the National Guard Youth Foundation, please visit http://www.ngyouthfoundation.org.
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Media notes: To visit one of the 30 programs nationwide or to talk to cadets/graduates in your area or other representatives of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, please contact Melanie Pipkin at 202-414-0778 or .
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