What does South Carolina do with 300+ High School dropouts a year and why do I Care? Will you help giving them a second chance?

 After graduating from the Naval Academy in '72, I spent 6 years flying and landing on a carrier.  Life was grand.

Now, as someone who is 25 years old with 43 years of additional experience, I have found a way to give back to SC which has given so richly to me. It just took me 5 years to get started.

As the CFO of the National Guard, my primary goal using Linkedin is to inform citizens or friends of SC what the SC National Guard does with the SC National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academy. A free program for 300+ high school dropouts a year to be given a second chance to succeed in life. It is one of the least known programs, while being one of the most effective that we do on a day to day basis in the guard.

This program is now located at the McCrady Training Center on the back side of Fort Jackson. In this program, 150 cadets a semester go through a quasi military style boot camp for 5 months. The Youth ChalleNGe Academy is not for everyone. It’s not a summer camp…it’s tough. When you enroll, you commit to no alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs. You commit to discipline which is the critical factor in helping you build your own confidence, self-respect and physical conditioning.

 The eight core components studied during the residential phase are: Academic Excellence, Life-Coping Skills, Job Skills, Health and Hygiene, Responsible Citizenship, Service to Community, Leadership/Followership, and Physical Fitness. Check out the web site at scyouthchallenge.com and “FOLLOW” us at “SC Youth Challenge Academy” on Linkedin.

Please “Share” this with your network. From time to time, I will put out information on the program to keep you informed. South Carolina is trying to be proactive in many ways. We graduate about 114 cadets out of 150 in each class. We have continuing success with 60-70% of those who graduate staying in school, getting a job, or going into the military.

One of the best stories is now a 8th grade teacher in Roebuck, SC working on his Masters. However, we lose track of about 80 of those we start with.

One of the worst loses I’ve talked to connected with me on Linkedin. I was sitting on the beach on a Sunday afternoon, when I got his message. His comments to me caught my attention and I gave him a call. He was in a Virginia class and graduated with the best of intentions, but, went back to his old friends. Two years later, a gun was involved and a man died. This youth spent the next 13 years in prison. The cost to the State, $325,000 The good news, was that he took what he learned from ChalleNGe and started helping the young kids coming into prison with their GED and teaching them chess. At 36, he now has several IT designations and is working to get his life completely turned around. It was an interesting hour discussion.

If you have read this far, here is where I am going to be extremely different. Go to www.scyouthchallenge.com/donate/ Read up and press the “DONATE NOW” button and put an amount in the $0.00 spot and make a donation to the SC Youth Challenge Foundation. I don’t give a damn if it’s only $10.00 or if it's $200.00.  It’s our 501(c)3 Foundation to assist the Cadets after they graduate and it is tax deductible. The funds will provide scholarships and help where the Grant can’t. Here’s where I am different. If you don’t think this program is worth the effort, shoot me a message and disconnect from me now. I currently have 27,776 contacts that I have started sending this message to. If each one donated $10.00........

 I know that your time is valuable and I don’t want to waste it, but it is my passion to use the Foundation to increase the success rate of this program.

Thanks for your help and understanding and best wishes on this Thanksgiving Weekend,  Go NAVY/beat army,  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Frank