The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
When Bob McDonnell was a state delegate representing Virginia Beach, he heard stories about the Commonwealth Challenge program at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach from his Republican colleagues.
Last year when he ran for governor, part of McDonnell's public safety plan was to expand the quasi-military program for high school dropouts.
By mid-April, McDonnell must decide whether to use his veto pen to save the program.
The General Assembly's budget for the next two years cuts $1.9 million in funding for the program, starving it of the matching grant it needs to retain federal funding in 2012.
The program costs about $14,000 per cadet, or about $4.1 million a year.
Without a line-item veto, the Challenge program will close, said retired Marine Col. Thomas Early, director of the program.
"If it wasn't for this program, I'd probably be dead," said Ryan Hayes, a Chesapeake 17-year-old in gray Challenge sweats. Less than a year ago, he was skipping school at Western Branch High School, using drugs and alcohol and getting into trouble at home.
Now, Hayes plans to become an officer in the Marines.
"If this program gets cut, it's going to be devastating," he said. "I've got friends at home who I'm absolutely sure would come here."
The 142 cadets in Class 32 will start taking their GED tests Wednesday. After graduati ng from the five-month residential phase in June, they typically would enter a one-year mentorship to make sure they don't revert to old habits.
Early said the cuts would force the program to stop accepting cadets within a year, and the post-graduation mentorship phase would take an immediate hit because he would have to cut two of four caseworkers who oversee it.
Since 1994, the program has produced more than 3,200 graduates from across Virginia. Many hail from Hampton Roads. Versions of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program exist at 33 sites throughout the country.
Early has spoken with the governor about retaining the program, reminding him of his connections with it.
And parents of former cadets are among those who have sent letters or made calls to the governor's office.
"If they cut it, it would be terrible," said Dana Hatley of Norfolk, whose son, Wesley, graduated from the program two years ago. "A lot of kids would end up going in a direction they weren't supposed to go."
Wesley completed Army boot camp a week ago. "He's grown up a lot and it started there," Hatley said. On Sunday, she sent a letter to the governor, as she did when the program was in jeopardy last year.
A McDonnell spokeswoman would say only that the governor is reviewing the budget.
"I think he's going to make the right decision," said Danielle Mercado, a 16-year-old Beach teen who was nearly put on house arrest days before she joined Class 32. She now wants to join the Air Force and become a nurse.
"After all, we are the future," she said.
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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Residential treatment programs for troubled teenagers
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The teenage years are the
The teenage years are the last stop before adulthood, and they are often very difficult to deal with. Teens can be disrespectful and defiant as they mature Thanks for sharing the information.
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My son, Jordan, is currently
My son, Jordan, is currently enrolled in ChalleNGe. When they came home on First Pass after only 7 weeks, this program had already had a significant impact on his life!
Jordan is a teenage dad. He loves his son very much, but he was failing out of high school and did not have very good prospects for the future other than a life living on welfare. ChalleNGe has helped give him discipline and a better outlook. He had his first pass to visit home and was telling us a story of a field trip they went on. Jordan told us that while they were there, he mentioned to one of the Cadre, "The field trip is nice, but we could be back at camp studying..." Both my husband and I looked at each other and joked, "Who are you and what have they done with our son??" OUR son?? Rather be studying than on a field trip?? He is now researching the auto mechanics Associate Degree Program at Central Texas College, and is looking forward to applying there for this fall.
Jordan is a drummer and recently auditioned for the ChalleNGe Program drum corps. He made it through all three cuts and was selected for the corps. I've never heard such pride and enthusiasm in his voice as when he called h
facts to consider, continued
I ran out of space so here's the rest:
* Program participants have donated well over 5 million hours of community service during the program's 16-year duration.
* Programs have awarded graduates nearly 50,000 academic credentials since 1993.
* Nearly 92,300 teens have graduated as of December 2009; Over 200,000 have applied.
States With Youth ChalleNGe Programs:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
facts to consider
This program is not unique to Virginia. It is a National Guard program that is done state by state all over the country. The students involved are not 30 year-olds who happen to be high school dropouts. They are teenagers still of high school age looking for a way to better themselves. This program provides them with not only training to help get a GED or be more successful upon their return to high school, but also the self discipline and life planning skills to support themselves and contribute to society rather than being a drain on everyone else. Mind you, many of these students would likely end up on welfare or in jail if they had nowhere to turn for help changing their lives. $14,000 now for a child to make something of him/herself or welfare and/or imprisonment... What do you think would be a greater cost to taxpayers?
Some info from the Challenge program website (ngycp.org):
Youth ChalleNGe Program Success
* Over 60% of 2008 ChalleNGe graduates received their high school diploma or GED.
* Over 50% joined the work force.
* 14% joined the military.
* Nearly 28% continued their education.
* Program participants have donated well over 5 million h
This is why we don't throw them away Cont
in his third of five years at the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, where he specializes in Urology.
Dr. Logan was named to the Dean’s List at Emory College and Gainesville College and was also named Who’s Who in American Jr. Colleges. Dr. Logan was also in the Phi Theta Kappa Honors society and was chosen as the Keynote Speaker at the National Guard Youth Challenge Program 2007 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Dr. Logan also earned 1st place at the Tidewater Urologic Annual Spring Meeting this year. He has also had two articles published in the Journal of Endourology.
Dr. Joshua Logan is here to share his story with us today, which is one of great challenges that were faced and overcome. His story will inspire us and help us to see that if we set goals and work hard, anything is possible. Dr. Logan went from a high school dropout, failing 9th grade 3 times, to a Challenge graduate and now a doctor. It is my pleasure to introduce Dr. Joshua Logan.
This is why we don't throw them away
Dr. Joshua Logan
In 1994 Joshua Logan was struggling with some tough decisions. He had failed the 9th grade three times and finally quit. What was he going to do now? Life was going to be difficult without an education. His father was in the Georgia National Guard at the time and through him he learned of the Challenge program at Ft Stewart, Georgia. He decided to give it a try and successfully completed the program in 1994 as part of the first class of the Youth Challenge Program at Fort Stewart.
From 1996-1998 Joshua Logan worked for Turner Broadcasting at the CNN Center in Atlanta, GA and then In May of 2000, he graduated from Gainesville College with an Associate of Science Degree in Biology. He furthered his education by earning his Bachelor of Biology Degree from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, graduating Summa Cum Laude, which is the highest academic honor one can earn. He decided not to stop there and enrolled in Emory University’s School of Medicine in Atlanta, where he earned his Medical Doctorate in May of 2006. After graduating from medical school, one has to perform five years as a resident in a special field so Dr. Logan is currently in his third of
Ryan. Wesley. Danielle.
Ryan. Wesley. Danielle.
I don't know you.
I'm really, really proud of you.
Keep going.
I love the headline of this
I love the headline of this story with the use of the term "quasi-military." Trust me, the Camp Pendleton program is a butt-kicker.
To the naysayers: how many of you have read stories in the paper and said to yourselves, "What that kid needed was a good swift kick in the ***."
That's what this program is, the "...good swift kick in the ***" that a lot of kids need. They may not have got4ten it when they were younger, or theymay have gotten it and it didn't register. Regardless, this is a GOOD program that needs to stay.
Maybe if we're lucky, graduates like Wesley will come back to run the program a few years down the road.
Republican priorities
The commonwealth can't afford this useful program, but can spend millions on an expensive, politically motivated, frivilous lawsuit to prevent access to healthcare. Talking about having your priorities in order.