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America is facing a crisis. With almost 50 percent of
teens dropping out of high school in some communities,
our nation is in danger of losing an entire generation
because of poor education.
Last fall, Boys & Girls Clubs of America joined ranks with
the National Guard to tackle this critical issue. The new
partnership is based on BGCA and local Clubs lending their
support and training expertise to the National Guard’s Youth
ChalleNGe, a residential mentoring and General Education
Development (GED) program that gives high school dropouts
and those severely behind in their studies a second chance
at success.
“This unique partnership goes beyond Club walls to identify
at-risk youth, prevent them from dropping out of high school
and put them on the path to productive lives,” says Tim
Richardson, vice president of Military Services for BGCA.
Through ChalleNGe programs, teens ages 16-18 spend 18
months learning positive values, self-discipline and academic
proficiency. The voluntary program is offered in 28 states, the
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and is still expanding.
Each year, nearly 200 youth per site graduate from
ChalleNGe. Ninety percent of graduates join the workforce,
and 75 percent receive their high school degree or GED. To
date, more than 70,000 young people have successfully
completed the program.
With all this success, why does ChalleNGe seek BGCA’s
help? In addition to its job training and academic
achievement curricula, the program needs local Clubs to
help identify teens who should be in the program.
Graduates would also benefit from Club mentor or
volunteer opportunities, which would help them utilize
leadership skills learned.
Currently, 20 ChalleNGe sites have affiliated with BGCA
and now use its teen-focused curricula to reinforce existing
programming. By the end of 2007, all ChalleNGe sites will
be affiliated. |
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