Linda Lee Ratto

We Catch Them Falling Linda Lee Ratto

Every young person lives in a unique set of circumstances. Families are not so perfect. Illness and deaths happen. Money and basic love are often lacking. And some schools do not fit some children. It can feel like a square-peg-round-hole thing. Of course we know that children are not cans of food, nor cookie cutter products, that we produce after twelve years of schooling. Rather, our children are gifted people to whom we owe honor and respect - even when society, a culture, the family, or our neighborhoods let them down. We've got to catch the children who are falling. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe (NGYC) is a program for children who are at-risk and in danger. From an inept school system to hard-working families whose homes are adultless more often than not, to drug-induced habits and love-needy children becoming pregnant, tens of thousands of our youth are in trouble. There is no one solution. Schools cannot raise our children and 9 out of 100 families cannot raise their own children very well either. What can we do? There are solutions and some of them out of the norm. Ten years ago, the National Guard established a peace-time community outreach called Youth ChalleNGe (YC) to meet the needs of almost 10 % of our children: high school drop-outs. This program is out of the box successful!               How the Book Evolved 
I had the honor of taking a tour of Georgia?s first YCA facility, which started as a C-130 cargo plane ride packed with 100 other educators, clergy, legislators, attorneys, and child advocates. On ground student-cadets, with verbal skills that rival any public speaking professional, treated us to vivid presentations about their backgrounds and YC experience. Each teen was poised, well informed, self-motivated, and not afraid to make eye contact. They spoke of their past mistakes, current achievements and future goals, and were a far cry from the confused, aimless dropouts they once were.The applause following the presentations was deafening.

A STORY FROM THE SUCCESS YOUTH CHALLENGE PROGRAM
One example of the life-altering aspects of Youth ChalleNGe is the poignant story of a cadet who is deaf and whose parents placed her in foster care when they could no longer handle her needs. After passing through a dozen foster homes and schools in her 16 years, she is now graduating from YC with a high school diploma and college courses under her belt. She will have ear surgery in the near future (paid for by YC benefactors) moving her life onto a successful track. Her achievements are a direct result of her inner strength and the safe, secure, nurturing environment the YC program has provided.
Tuition for this unique, voluntary program is free for all students, thanks to our tax dollars and private, local commitments. The cost? Far under the day cost to house a teen in a youth detention center. Sounds like a good use of that tax money to me.
Minors who have quit middle and high schools, as well as alternative and night schools, dig deep holes for themselves. With little education and no diploma, they have nowhere to go and few options. Youth ChalleNGe is a top high school dropout program in the country and has a tough, demanding, no-nonsense approach to rebuilding children?s lives. Their mission is clear: to integrate military personnel within our civilian communities and provide at-risk youth with solutions: the education and life skills they need to become healthy, fit, employable, productive members of society. Every cadet I?ve met -- several hundred in all -- is just that.
Too often, youth programs allow many to fall through the cracks, left to fend for themselves when of legal age. YC?s highly academic, community service-oriented program is a safety net our education systems need. If you know an at-risk teen who could use a new direction or second chance, please contact ngyf.org - National Guard Youth Foundation for more. Donations are tax deductable.