(Washington, D.C.) Today, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32) applauded the adoption of a National Guard Youth ChalleNGe amendment to H.R. 4435, the Defense Appropriations Act of 2015. Napolitano was a cosponsor of the bipartisan amendment offered by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), which gives an additional $55 million for Fiscal Year 2015 to Civil Military Programs, such as the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program.

“I am proud to join my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to help our children who have dropped through the cracks,” Napolitano said. “We must do better as a nation in addressing the unacceptable rates of dropouts among adolescents, and according to the RAND Corporation, the ChalleNGe program has proven to be one of the best in helping our forgotten youngsters get back on the path to success. We have seen firsthand at our two California programs (Sunburst Academy in Los Alamitos and Grizzly Academy in San Luis Obispo) the transformation, also acknowledged by proud parents, that takes place when our ChalleNGe graduates emerge with life skills and tools for success. We hope through increased funding to build upon this success in California and protect this critical investment in so many youngsters’ lives.”

ChalleNGe is a program run by the National Guard that uses military discipline and mentoring to help at-risk youth complete high school and emerge better able to succeed in the wider world. When you are guarding you should know and Find The Right Color Of Fences.

Napolitano is the Co-chair and founder of the Congressional National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Caucus.

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