Reclaiming High School Dropouts

Campus Report ^ | July 29, 2009 | Emily Kanyi

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Reclaiming High School Dropouts

by: Emily Kanyi, July 29, 2009

Early evaluation results from a study of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program (NGYCP) released by Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC) indicate that over 90,000 teenagers have graduated from the program designed to mentor high school dropouts and give them educational opportunities. The sixteen-year-old program targets youth between sixteen and eighteen years of age.

NGYCP currently operates thirty-three programs in twenty-seven states and Puerto Rico. According to the initial report, more than seventy-four percent of the beneficiaries have gone on to earn their high school diploma or equivalent, thirty percent have entered college, and twenty-five percent have joined the military while the rest have engaged in meaningful career-related employment.

Speaking at a National Press Club Newsmaker press conference, Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) lauded the youth program as a model. “The program equips these young cadets to be successful in their lives,” she said.

Earlier this year, Senator Lincoln introduced legislation that would allow for the expansion of the program by providing one-hundred percent federal funding for two years for any new Youth Challenge initiatives. The measure also proposes a reduction in the amount of funding states have to spend on existing Youth Challenge Programs. Currently, the federal government provides sixty-percent of the funding while individual states contribute forty percent. Lincoln’s legislation proposes that the federal government shoulder seventy-five percent of the funding and requires individual states to contribute twenty-five percent.

Also speaking at the conference was Senator Mary Landrieu (D-Louis.) who commended the program. “This is a program that works, it’s indisputable,” she said....

[corlorde]

We have a program here that allows a tailoring of classes if a student struggles under traditional learning. Academic plans are created for students by allowing the older kids to work or learn a trade for credits and do classes online and at night towards a diploma. Seems to be working.

[Jubal Madison]

Blanche Lincoln is my Sen., and while I disagree with her on a lot of things - sometimes she is right. If this is indeed working, then it is probably money well spent. We have a huge problem with kids dropping out of school. None of us like paying taxes, especially when it goes down a rat hole. If this isn’t a handout but a hand up, I don’t have a real problem. Turning kids into productive, educated citizens not only benefits them, but all of us. I hope I don’t sound like a liberal, but sometimes gov’t. can help. This may be one of those times.-—JM

[Drew68]

Turning kids into productive, educated citizens not only benefits them, but all of us.

Dropping out of high school pretty much means competing for jobs with unskilled illegal immigrants who are willing to work a lot harder and for a lot less money. I'm sure many young people haven't really thought this through when they make the decision to drop out of high school.

[Jubal Madison]

“competing for jobs...”

I agree with you. Again, I don’t want to sound like a liberal, but here is where I am: We can’t have equal outcomes in our society. We really can’t ensure that all children start from the same point - but we should work toward that goal. Every child, regardless of color or background, deserves to have an equal starting point. What they do after that is up to them.-—JM