Examining Career and Technical Education in National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs

Abstract

In the United States today, at-risk youth-those who are at the cusp of academic failure and might drop out of high school before completion-face challenging prospects in the job market and in transitioning into adulthood. At-risk youth are more likely to come from low-income households, can be prone to risky behaviors, and are at much higher risk of arrest and incarceration. Without an intervention, some of these youth will struggle to keep a steady job, form healthy personal relationships, and stay out of trouble with the law.The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program (henceforth called ChalleNGe), a quasi-military, 5.5-month residential program currently implemented in 39 sites across 28 states, aims to help at-risk youth ages 16-18 get their lives back on track by giving them another opportunity to earn a high school diploma or equivalency (i.e., General Educational Development [GED] certification, High School Equivalency Test [HiSET], Test Assessing Secondary Completion [TASC]) and develop the life skills necessary for successful transitions into adulthood. 1 Although all ChalleNGe sites implement initiatives that address what are called the eight core components, 1 For a more detailed description of the