History


The National Guard

The National Guard has two roles - one as part of the naton's military force, protecting our freedom and way of life, and the provide individual states with emergency response and community support missions.

Weather working to improve the natural enviropment, safeguarding our states from illegal drug traffic, educating America's youth, or connecting with families and employers, the National Guard is and makes an impact.


Program Authorization

In the early 1990's, Congress recognized the inherent community strenths of the Guard as well as its ability to train, lead, and mentor young people in a caring yet disciplined environment. The National Guard Youth Challenge Program was authorize by Congress in the 1993 Defence Authorization Bill  as a pilot program.

The goal of the program was to determine wheather life skills, education levels, and employment potenial of youths who drop out of secondary school could be significantly improved through quasi-military assisted training. Administered and managed by the National Guard Bureau, and under the auspices of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Reserve Affairs, agreements to conduct this program were entered into between the National Guard Bureau and the state Governors and Adjustants General.

The original agreements allowed ten selected states to identify a targeted number of diverse at-risk youth and to conduct a seventeen-month Challenge Program.


Program Design

The program was designed around a model identified by the center for strategic and international studies and consisted of three phases: a two week pre-challenge residential phase, a twenty-week residential phase, and a twelve month post residential phase.

A quasi-military environment was defined for the 22 week residental phase.

An intervention model of eight core components was design to improve individual skills and enhance the holistic growth of the participants. The post-Residential phase was structured for long term follow up with individual mentors being assigned to each student.

Start to Present 

By 1995, fifteen states were participating in the Yourh Challenge Program with another twenty-three states on awaiting list for a program. In 1998, Congress permanently authorized the program 60% federal funding, 40% state funding. At this time there are 30 Challenge programs in 25 states and Puerto Rico.