WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) was joined by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) in introducing a resolution recognizing the 30th anniversary of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program (NGYCP). This resolution recognizes the NGYCP’s thirty years of successfully developing 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.

“For thirty years, the National Guard Youth Challenge Program has shaped our youth by providing them with the educational and mentorship opportunities they need to succeed and grow into responsible adults,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’ve seen the positive impact that NGYCP has made in the lives of young people across our country and at the Wisconsin ChalleNGe Academy at Fort McCoy, and I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan resolution to commemorate the incredible work this program has done to help our youth reach their full potential.”

“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.”

NGYCP offers a unique opportunity for at-risk youth between the ages of 16-18 to change their course at a critical time in their lives with free alternative education and structured discipline. NGYCP has thirty-nine Youth Challenge Program locations, including in Wisconsin and West Virginia, and has been responsible for the graduation of over 200,000 Youth Challenge and Job Challenge Program participants.

“The National Guard Youth Challenge Program is an investment in the future of our nation, one youth at a time,” said NGAUS president retired Brig. Gen. J. Roy Robinson. “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,” said the National Guard Bureau.