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Reclaiming the lives of at-risk youth, producing program graduates with the values, life skills, education and self-discipline to succeed as productive citizens.
Youth Challenge is an alternative program which offers youth, who have dropped out of school or are not progressing, the opportunity to change their future. Participants looking for a way to succeed outside of a traditional school setting learn self discipline, leadership, and responsibility while working to obtain their high school diploma or equivalency.
Our Program
The National Guard Youth Challenge Program, a preventive rather than remedial at-risk youth program, targets voluntary participants, 16 to 18 years of age, who have dropped out of school or are not satisfactorily progressing, are unemployed or under employed, drug-free, and crime-free.
The National Guard Youth Challenge Program is a community-based program that leads, trains and mentors 16-18 year old so that they may become productive citizens in America’s future.
The Challenge Experience
- The Challenge experience has transformed the lives of over 179,000 youth to date.
- The changes are powerful, from the inside out, and the outside in!
- The positive results not only impact the graduates, but also their families and community.
Core Components
- The National Guard Youth Challenge Program is one of the most successful alternative education programs designed for high school dropouts or youth that are not progressing in a traditional high school setting.
- Over 179,000 cadets have graduated since 1993. Remarkably, over 60% of these graduates–former wayward high school dropouts–have earned their GED or high school diploma while in the program.
- This percentage is nearly double the average reported pass rate of 41% for the same target age group.
Eligibility Requirements
For selection into the program, the applicant must be:
- 16-18 years of age at the time of entry into the program.
- A high school dropout or not progressing in traditional high school setting.
- A citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States.
- Unemployed, or underemployed.
- Not currently on parole or probation and not accused or convicted of a crime that would be considered a felony if they were an adult.
- Free from use of illegal drugs or substances.
- Physically and mentally capable to participate in the program.
Quasi-Military
For cadets at a National Guard Youth Challenge Program, marching is an everyday part of life at the academy where a military-style environment is used to create structure and build discipline among cadets.
The National Guard’s Youth Challenge program follow a quasi-military program of instruction as a way to instill discipline and esprit-de-corps in cadets.
Washington Youth Challenge Academy Video Series
Part 1: Acclimation
Take a look inside the Washington Youth Academy in this four-part series that follows the cadets of class 15-1 from reception to graduation.
In this video we get to see what it’s like during the first two weeks at the academy, also known as the Acclimation Phase.
Washington Youth Challenge Academy Video Series
Part 2: The Cadets
Take a look inside the Washington Youth Academy in this four-part series that follows the cadets of class 15-1 from reception to graduation.
In this episode we meet a few cadets and hear their story on how they got to the academy. The emotions run high as the cadets greet their families for the first time in seven weeks.
Washington Youth Challenge Academy Video Series
Part 3: The Cadre
Take a look inside the Washington Youth Academy in this four-part series that follows the cadets of class 15-1 from reception to graduation.
In this episode we visit the cadets during their three-day Team Building Exercise.
We also meet members of the cadre and a couple of the teachers and hear about why they do what they do.
Washington Youth Challenge Academy Video Series
Part 4: The Academics
Take a look inside the Washington Youth Academy in this four-part series that follows the cadets of class 15-1 from reception to graduation.
The final video of the series shows us a typical day in the life of a cadet as they attend school and then the long awaited day arrives, graduation.