National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program
OVERVIEW
This residential program serves disconnected, drug-free youth not heavily involved in the justice system. The youth, ages 16 to 18, have either dropped out or been expelled from school and are unemployed. Youth ChalleNGe is a military-style program that aims to help the youth finish their education and find employment through discipline and a curriculum covering eight components that provide skills necessary to become involved in the community. Significant positive impacts have been found for education, current time use status, and crime/delinquency. Impacts were found for health status and obesity at the nine-month follow-up; but they were not significant at the 21-month or three-year follow-ups.
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM
Target Population: 16- to 18-year-olds who have dropped out or been expelled from school and are unemployed, drug-free, and not heavily involved in the justice system
National Guard Youth ChalleNGe is a military-style program that aims to help youth finish their education and find employment through discipline and a curriculum covering eight components that provide skills necessary to become involved in the community. The program has three phases: a two week Pre-ChalleNGE Phase, a 20-week Residential Phase, and a yearlong Postresidential Phase.
Pre-ChalleNGe Phase
The two week residential pre-ChalleNGe phase introduces the participants to the program’s rules, expectations, discipline, teamwork, and physical fitness training. After completing the “pre” phase, participants are referred to as “cadets,” divided into platoons and squads, and must adhere to military-style disciplinary methods. Often, the program sites are military bases. The entire residential phase involves strict supervision of the participants, who have almost no unstructured time.
Residential Phase
During the 20-week Residential phase, participants focus on a curriculum with eight components: leadership/followership, responsible citizenship, service to community, life-coping skills, physical fitness, health and hygiene, job skills, and academic excellence.
Post-Residential Phase
After the 20-week Residential program, a community-based, post-residential phase begins with a placement into a job, an educational program, or military service. Cadets are also assigned a year-long mentor, whom they choose and begin to interact with during the residential phase. The entire process occurs over about 17.5 months.
This program is administered nation-wide, with programs in 27 states and Puerto Rico. Program cost is about $14,000 per participant, making the typical annual budget for a 100-bed program about $3 million. The program evaluators report that 60 percent of the program funding has come from the federal government and 40 percent has come from states.
EVALUATIONS OF PROGRAM
Bloom, D., Gardenhire-Crooks, A., & Mandsager, C. (2009). Reengaging high school dropouts: Early results of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program evaluation. New York, NY: MDRC.
Evaluated Population: Because more people apply to participate in ChalleNGe than there are available slots, the evaluation team selected a random sample of eligible applicants to participate in the program. The eligible applicants who were not selected to be in the program serve as a control group. Together 1,507 participants (916 program and 592 control) were evaluated, and 1,196 completed the nine-month follow-up survey (736 program and 460 control).
At baseline, participants came from a variety of family structures, with about one quarter of the participants living with both biological parents. Most participants had received Cs, Ds, or Fs for their grades (88 percent) and 30 percent ever had an Individual Education Plan. Most (82 percent) had been suspended from school in the past, and one out of three had ever been arrested. Eighty-four percent of the study’s participants are male.
Approach: Both the intervention and control groups were composed of youth applying to the program. Applicants were randomly assigned to the program (intervention group) or were turned away (control group). Nine months after the start of the program, the authors measured education, current involvement, involvement with the criminal justice system, and health through a survey completed by the program participants and control group members.
Results:
Educational Attainment
After nine months, ChalleNGe participants were more likely than control group members to have earned a high school diploma or GED (46 percent versus 10), earned a high school diploma (15 percent versus 3), or earned a GED (31 percent versus 8).
Current Involvement
At the time of the nine-month interview, a higher percentage of program participants were in college courses (11 versus 3), currently working (51 versus 42), and currently working full-time (31 versus 21). A higher percentage of the control group were enrolled in high school (36 versus 16) or GED prep (21 versus 15). Program participants were marginally more likely to be in job training (14 percent versus 10).
Criminal Justice System Involvement
Positive program impacts were found for the program group on criminal justice system involvement. Twenty percent of the control group had been arrested since baseline, compared with 14 percent of the program group. Eleven percent of the control group had been convicted since baseline, compared with seven percent of the program group. Nineteen percent of the control group had been in jail, prison, or a detention center since baseline, compared with 11 percent of the program group.
Health
A higher percentage of individuals in the program group rated their own health as very good or excellent, compared with control group individuals (77 versus 68). No impacts were found for body-mass index overall or being overweight; however, a significant impact was found for obese status. More control group members were obese than program participants (13 percent versus 8). Positive impacts were found for self-efficacy and social adjustment. Eleven percent of the program group scored high on the scale for self-efficacy and social adjustment compared with seven percent of the control group, and 20 percent of the control group scored low on the scale, compared with the 11 percent of the program group.
Millenky, M., Bloom, D., & Dillon, C. (2010). Making the transition: Interim results of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe evaluation. New York, NY: MDRC.
Evaluated Population: See above study. Average age was 18.5 at this 21-month follow-up survey. One thousand one hundred and ninety-six participants (736 program and 460 control) completed the survey.
Approach: As described above, participants were randomly assigned to a control group or to the ChalleNGe group. The authors measured education, current status, crime and delinquency, and health outcomes in a self-reported 21-month follow-up survey.
Results:
Educational Attainment
The program had significant impacts on high school completion and higher-education attendance up to the 21-month interview. The program group had a higher percentage of earning a high school diploma or GED certificate (61 versus 36 percent), of earning a high school diploma (22 versus 16 percent), of earning a GED certificate (48 versus 22 percent), and of earning any college credit (25 versus 10 percent).
Current Status
At the time of the survey, a higher percentage of the program group was in college courses (12 versus 7), enlisted in any branch of the military (11 versus 6), and involved in any employment, school, GED programs, vocational training, military activities, or any residential programs (46 versus 23). While program group members were marginally more likely to be currently working (55 percent versus 50), the program group had higher average weekly earnings ($209 versus $169). A higher percentage of the control groip who reported being idle for one or more months since random assignment (52 versus 46), idle for three to 11 months since random assignment (30 versus 23), and idle for a year or more since random assignment (7 versus 3 percent). In addition, the control group had a higher percentage currently in high school (13 versus 7), and in GED prep (14 versus 10). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with regards to participating in job training.
Crime and Delinquency
A higher percentage of control group members were convicted of crimes in the past 12 months than the program participants. The control group also committed more delinquent acts (1.9 acts versus 1.6). However, there were no statistically significant differences in the percentage of program participants and control group members who were arrested in the past 12 months or who self-reported delinquency.
Health
No significant impacts were found for health. The program participants and control group were equally likely to be in good or excellent overall health, to be obese, or to have serious psychological distress.
Millenky, M., Bloom, D., Muller-Ravett, S., & Broadus, J. (2011). Staying on Course: Three-year results of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe evaluation. New York, NY: MDRC.
Evaluated Population: See above study. Average age was 20 at the time of this survey, three years after the participants entered the study.
Approach: As described above, participants were randomly assigned to a control group or to the ChalleNGe group. In a three-year follow-up survey, the authors measured educational attainment, employment history, current status, and crime and delinquency.
Results:
Educational Attainment
Three years after entering the program, program participants were significantly more likely to have earned a high school diploma or GED than the control group (72 percent versus 56). Program participants were more likely to earn a GED than the control group (57 percent versus 35), while there was no significant difference between the groups in high school graduation levels. In addition, program participants were more likely to have earned college credits (35 percent versus 19).
Current Status
Program participants were marginally more likely to be employed during the 12 months leading up to the survey (88 percent versus 85) and were significantly more likely to be working at the time of the survey (58 percent versus 51). Respondents who participated in the program were employed for more months in the past year than respondents who did not participate in the program (8.1 months versus 7.2). Participants also earned about 20 percent more money than the control group ($13,515 versus $11,248).
Program participants were significantly more likely to be working and enrolled in college courses than members of the control group. Program participants were also more likely to have a high school diploma or GED and be involved in productive activity. Meanwhile, there were no statistically significant differences in military enlistment, either current or past, enrollment in high school or GED prep classes, job training, or being involved in any productive activity (with or without having a diploma or GED) between the program participants and the control group.
Crime and Delinquency
There were no statistically significant differences in number of arrests or convictions since entering the study between the participants and control group.
SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION
Website: http://www.ngycp.org/site/
References:
Bloom, D., Gardenhire-Crooks, A., & Mandsager, C. (2009). Reengaging high school dropouts: Early results of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program evaluation. New York, NY: MDRC.
Millenky, M., Bloom, D., & Dillon, C. (2010). Making the transition: Interim results of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe evaluation. New York, NY: MDRC.
Millenky, M., Bloom, D., Muller-Ravett, S., & Broadus, J. (2011). Staying on Course: Three-year results of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe evaluation. New York, NY: MDRC.
KEYWORDS: Adolescents (12-17), Youth (16+), Young Adults (18-24), Males and Females (co-ed), High-Risk, White/Caucasian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Community-based, Mentoring, Vocational Learning, Cost Information is Available, Teen Pregnancy, Delinquency (e.g., truancy, vandalism, theft, assault, running away), Other Behavioral Problems, Other Civic Engagement, Community Service, Obesity, Employment/Earnings, Job Training/Readiness, Other Self Sufficiency, Academic Achievement/Grades, High School Completion/Dropout, College Enrollment/Preparation, Other Education, Condom Use and Contraception, Births, Anxiety Disorders/Symptoms, Alcohol Use, Marijuana/Illicit/Prescription Drugs, Other Social/Emotional Health, Health Status/Conditions.
Program information last updated on April 9, 2012.
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