CAPITO, BALDWIN HONOR 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL GUARD YOUTH CHALLENGE PROGRAM

Press Release

Last week, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) introduced a resolution recognizing the 30th anniversary of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program (NGYCP). This resolution recognizes the NGYCP's thirty years of successfully mentoring at-risk youth in our communities, commends the accomplishments of the program's graduates, and reaffirms the Senate's commitment to supporting the program's work developing our nation's most at-risk youth.
"I've seen firsthand the impact that West Virginia's Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academies have had on young West Virginians," Senator Capito said. "After seeing the benefits this program brought, I was proud to help lead the effort to build a second one in West Virginia. 30 years after the establishment of the Youth ChalleNGe program, we can see measurable, significant improvements in education, job potential, and mental and physical wellbeing of Cadets who complete this program, including last year when the first Mountaineer Challenge graduate was accepted to West Point. I'm glad to see the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program growing and making a difference in communities across West Virginia and the U.S., and will continue to be a champion for this important mission."

"With more than 5,000 graduates since 1993, two Youth Challenge Program academies and a Job ChalleNGe Program operating throughout West Virginia, we have seen the incredible benefit of the NGYCP in our state. It has been a proving ground for fostering success and changing the lives of young people, while also allowing them to earn their high school diploma, gain mentorship, and most importantly help them to believe in themselves so they can forge their own success story," Maj. Gen. Bill Crane, Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, said. "As Adjutant General, it is one of my greatest honors to shake the hand of each cadet as they cross the stage upon graduation and to hear their stories of triumph over insurmountable obstacles that they have faced in their lives. We owe the youth of our state and nation every opportunity to succeed and the NGYCP is a beacon in this endeavor."

"The National Guard Youth Challenge Program is an investment in the future of our nation, one youth at a time," NGAUS president retired Brig. Gen. J. Roy Robinson said. "It is truly transforming our communities as it provides our youth with focus and the tools to succeed. We will continue to strengthen and support this program wherever possible."

"Youth ChalleNGe Academies across the country are helping thousands of the nation's youth with an opportunity to change their future. It is quite evident that this program builds on a positive youth development model and includes a wide array of activities designed to strengthen young people's preparedness for work and adult responsibilities. We will continue to support the youth that seek out help to make a difference in their life. Whether it is through continued education, learning a trade, getting a job, or serving in the military, these cadets are all critical to the future workforce and the betterment of society," the National Guard Bureau said.

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