Oregon National Guard’s Youth ChalleNGe program graduates over 140 cadets at Redmond ceremony

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Youth ChalleNGe Program graduated over 150 cadets from their 22-week program at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond on Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Alan Gronewold, Adjutant General, Oregon, attended the graduation and was the guest speaker, as this OYCP graduation ceremony for Class 66 was his first as the adjutant general for the Oregon National Guard since assuming command last month.

The Oregon Youth ChalleNGe Program in Bend gives at-risk students a second chance to catch up on credits to complete high school. In addition, the program allows attendees to re-enter high school, graduate on time with their peers, or graduate from OYCP with a state-accredited high school diploma.

The stated mission of the Oregon Youth ChalleNGe Program is: To provide opportunities for personal growth, self-improvement, and academic achievement among Oregon high school dropouts, teens no longer attending, and those failing in school through a highly structured non-traditional environment, integrating training, mentoring, and diverse educational activities.

In 1999, the Oregon National Guard established the OYCP in Bend as an intervention program to reclaim the lives of Oregon teens who had dropped out of high school or were not on track to graduate. “At-risk” refers to the risk of not graduating high school. To help at-risk students, the Department of Defense invested in the OYCP-style challenge model for youth development and community outreach.

Attendees for the Oregon Youth ChalleNGe Program must be 16 to 18 years old, a legal U.S. and Oregon resident, and academically deficient (behind in high school credits) or in danger of not graduating high school. OYCP can be contacted through their website, https://www.oycp.com, or by calling 541-317-9623.