Youth Challenge Program graduates 92 Arkansas teens

Youth Challenge Program graduates 92 Arkansas teens ~ Reigning Miss Arkansas addresses graduates on “second chance” platform

CAMP ROBINSON MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ark. – Over 22 weeks ago, 125 young Arkansans took the opportunity for a second chance in life through the Arkansas National Guard Youth Challenge Program. Today, hundreds of family, friends and supporters proudly gathered to watch 92 of those young men and women graduate and prepare for the next phase of their lives.

“This has been a long, hard, 22 weeks for your child,” said Maj. Gen. William Wofford, the adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard. “You should be proud of their accomplishments. As a parent myself, I know probably the toughest thing there is in raising a young child is teaching them how to ride a bicycle. They’re not going to learn how to ride on their own until you turn them loose. Thank you for entrusting your child to the Youth Challenge program. Thank you for giving them their wings.”

The program is designed for 16 to 18 year olds who have faced challenges or made decisions in their lives that have led them down the path to dropping out or being kicked out of high school. With the motto, “we believe in second chances,” Youth Challenge is recognized as one of the nation’s most effective and cost efficient programs for targeting youth who are at the greatest risk for substance abuse, teen pregnancy, delinquency, and criminal activity.

Although the cadets now return home with the completion of the program’s residential phase, each will leave paired with mentors for the following 12 months to help continue guiding them towards realizing their potential.

Standing on the platform “second chances through mentoring,” Kristen Glover, the reigning Miss Arkansas, served as guest speaker for the event. Glover offered examples of others who pushed past tremendous odds in their lives to find success, while ensuring the cadets they owned the same potential.

“I know that you have overcome so much in your lives and I could not be more proud of you,” said Glover. “I want to encourage you today that even though you have a mentor at this moment, there will be a time for you to pick up the baton, for you to be the next mentor, and for you to recognize that you definitely have influence among your community.”

The program is centered on teaching eight core components of life skills that help cadets become successful members of society. The eight components are:

academic excellence, physical fitness, job skills, service to the community, health and hygiene, responsible citizenship, leadership/ followership, and life coping skills.

Throughout the residential phase, the cadets completed a combined amount of

5,312 hours of community service, valued at $117, 502, according to Mr. Doug Walker, the program’s director.

Glover, a native of Stuttgart, Ark., shared her love for the program with a quote from Steven Covey, author of the “7 Habits of Effective Leadership.”

“Leadership is communicating people’s worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it themselves,” Glover quoted. “I think this is the exact program that does that. This is the program that shows you that you have potential. We see that in you. We believe in you so much that ultimately you’ll start to believe in yourself as well, and you’ll believe in your potential. That’s what I love about this program.”