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On September 14, 2002, Shondrika graduated, armed with the tools and skills to become a productive citizen within her community and a member of the working world. -Catherine Smith, Mentor |
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I am MentorMentoring is an integral part of the ChalleNGe program. The National Guard's ChalleNGe Program was launched in 1993 to address the needs of 16- to 18-year-old at-risk youth. The initial design of the program remains the same: a twenty-two-week Residential component, where mentoring begins, followed by one year of Post-Residential mentoring to encourage lifestyle changes. Matching each youth with a caring, responsible adult mentor is a critical component of ChalleNGe. Mentoring is a key strategy for successful long-term placement. Successful placement means that a ChalleNGe graduate has entered or enlisted in the military, enrolled in school, or working. ChalleNGe was designed to produce long-term post-residential success. Programs may celebrate successes along the way such as the educational or physical achievements of their cadets, but the true test of any program is its long-term impact on the lives of its target population. The primary long-term outcome for a ChalleNGe program is defined as "successful placement at the end of the Post-Residential Phase". A 1998 study on the ChalleNGe program found that over ninety percent of youths who where doing well in the post-residential phase had active and successful mentor relationships.
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