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The ChalleNGe program served disconnected youth (who had dropped out of school and were not employed) who were ages 16 to 18. Applicants were required to be drug-free and have no serious current or prior involvement with the criminal justice system. The study included 12 ChalleNGe program sites with stable staffing that typically received more applicants than they could serve. Most program sites served about 200 participants per year in two class cycles of 100 participants each. For each cycle that the 12 program sites operated from June 2005 to December 2006, the participating programs conducted recruitment and enrollment as usual. If a cycle included at least 25 percent more eligible applicants than there were slots available, the programs randomly assigned eligible individuals to an intervention group that was offered the ChalleNGe program services or a comparison group that was not offered services. Each of the 12 program sites conducted random assignment 0 to 3 times and contributed 0 to 3 cohorts of participants to the evaluation (10 programs contributed at least 1 cohort). In total, 2,320 youth were assigned to the intervention group and 754 to the comparison group. Participants in the first cycles received a survey nine months after random assignment. The study team also attempted to survey a random subsample of study participants about 21 and 36 months after random assignment.
Individuals were randomly assigned between June 2005 and December 2006 and followed for three years thereafter.
Funding for the evaluation came from the U.S. Department of Defense and several private foundations (The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the MCJ Foundation, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation).
The ChalleNGe program served disconnected youth (who had dropped out of or were expelled from school and were not employed) who were ages 16 to 18. Applicants were required to be drug-free and have no serious current or prior involvement with the criminal justice system. The majority of study participants (84 percent) were male. Thirty-seven percent were age 16, 52 percent were age 17, and 11 percent were age 18. The racial and ethnic composition was 40 percent Black, 41 percent White, 14 percent Hispanic, and 4 percent of another racial or ethnic background. About one-quarter (23 percent) of study participants lived with both biological parents before random assignment, and 11 percent lived without a parental figure. About one-third (30 percent) lived in a household in which any member received public assistance. The typical participant had completed the 10th grade and received mostly Cs and Ds or mostly Ds and Fs before leaving school. Eighty-two percent had ever been suspended from school, 31 percent had been arrested, and 16 percent had been convicted of a crime.
The United States National Guard
The program was developed by staff at the National Guard Bureau in the U.S. Department of Defense. A pilot program was launched in 1993, and funding became permanent in 1998.
The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program consists of three phases. The first phase (pre-ChalleNGe) is a two-week, intensive orientation and assessment period. After this initial period, individuals are formally enrolled in the program as "cadets" and move to Phase 2. Phase 2 consists of a 20-week education (focused on preparation for the GED exam) and positive youth development program. Phases 1 and 2 are residential, with participants residing on-site in a quasi-military environment. Participants who complete Phases 1 and 2 receive assistance from staff to search for and identify a placement in employment, education, or military service and engage in a one-year, post-residential phase. During this final phase, individuals participate in a structured mentoring program with mentors from their communities.
Individuals in the comparison group were not admitted to the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program at the time of random assignment. A small number enrolled in the program at a later date.
None
The program consists of 2 residential phases lasting a total of 22 weeks and a nonresidential phase lasting 1 year thereafter.
The program is jointly funded by federal and state National Guard funds.
The study took place in 10 ChalleNGe program locations across the United States, in Camp San Luis Obispo, CA; Camp Blanding, FL; Fort Gordon, GA; Rantoul, IL; Battle Creek, MI; Camp Shelby, MS; Roswell, NM; Salemburg, NC; Galveston, TX; and Fort McCoy, WI. Most programs were located on military bases.
Military activity; delinquency; criminal activity; physical health; mental health; substance use; living status; family formation; life skills; leadership; civic engagement; family relationships; self-efficacy
See Setting details.