Military Youth Programs: ChalleNGe and STARBASE

98-765 F

September 11, 1998

CRS Report for Congress

Received through the CRS Web

Military Youth Programs:

ChalleNGe and STARBASE

(name redacted)

Analyst in National Defense

Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division

Summary

Military youth programs are a type of civil-military cooperation in which military

resources are used to assist young American civilians in a variety of ways. Typically, the

programs provide civilian youth with educational and leadership opportunities in order

to help them succeed as students and as adults. The programs are often targeted towards

youth populations which are considered to be at disproportionately high risk for drug

abuse, crime, academic failure, or unemployment.

The National Guard Challenge (ChalleNGe) program and the STARBASE (Science

and Technology Academies Reinforcing Basic Aviation and Space Exploration) program

are two relatively new military youth programs. ChalleNGe, currently a $48 million

program, is designed to help high school dropouts become more productive members of

society by enhancing their skills, education, and employability. A boot camp followed

by a mentored development period is used to achieve these results. STARBASE,

currently a $4 million program, is designed to stimulate interest in math, science and

technology among younger children, particularly those in fourth through sixth grade.

Hands-on educational programs, exposure to technological environments, and guidance

by positive role models are used to achieve results. Both programs are targeted

primarily, though not exclusively, towards minority and lower income youth; both use

military facilities and National Guard or Reserve personnel.

This report provides background information on civil-military cooperation and

military youth programs in general, and information on the ChalleNGe and STARBASE

programs in particular. It provides a summary of each program’s goals, curriculum,

results, and funding levels, along with points of contact for further information. This

report will not be updated.

Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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Legislative History of Recent Military Youth Programs

Military youth programs are a type of civil-military cooperation in which military

resources are used to assist young American civilians in a variety of ways.1 The main

legislative impetus for recent military youth programs came after the collapse of the Soviet

Union and the Warsaw Pact in 1990-91, which caused policy makers to reevaluate the

focus of U.S. military activities. Senator Sam Nunn, then chairman of the Senate Armed

Services Committee, was particularly supportive of an effort to utilize some military

resources in addressing the domestic needs of the nation. He argued that “our society

faces numerous domestic challenges that in many respects are as daunting as any potential

foreign threat to our national security. While the Soviet threat is gone, we are still battling

drugs, poverty, urban decay, lack of self esteem, unemployment, and racism...I am

convinced that there is a proper and important role the Armed Forces can play in

addressing many of these issues.”2

Congressional support for this concept led to the inclusion of several provisions in

the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1993 which expanded the authority of the

Department of Defense to use military resources to help meet domestic needs.3 One

provision in the bill authorized the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, working in

conjunction with the governors of up to 10 states, to establish a pilot program known as

the National Guard Civilian Youth Opportunities Program.4 The purpose of the program

was to “evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of military based training to improve the

life skills and employability of high school dropouts.”5

After the 1994 elections, the new Republican majority in Congress took another look

at civil-military cooperative programs. Arguing that scarce military dollars were being

used for several social, health, and other civilian programs that did not directly contribute

to the military’s warfighting mission, they scaled civil-military cooperation programs back

significantly in the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1996.6 Authority for the

National Guard Civilian Youth Opportunities Program was extended until August, 1997,

but the program’s authority was to be terminated at that time.7 Just after this temporary

authorization ran out, however, the 105th Congress permanently reauthorized the program

1

Civil-military cooperation has been a longstanding part of DoD’s mission to protect the

national security of the United States. Historically, this has included responding to some domestic

emergencies, such as large scale disasters and civil disturbances. The best known precedent for

military involvement in the mitigation of domestic social problems is the Civilian Conservation

Corps of the 1930s.

2

Sam Nunn, Domestic Missions for the Armed Forces, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War

College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, February, 1993, 2.

3

P.L. 102-484, Secs. 1081and 1091-95, October 23, 1992. 106 Stat. 2514-16 and 2519-36.

4

P.L. 102-484, Sec. 1091, October 23, 1992. 106 Stat. 2519.

5

United States Congress. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993. Conference

Report. House Report No. 102-966, 764-5.

6

P.L. 104-106, Sec. 571, February 10, 1996. 110 Stat. 353.

7

P.L. 104-106, Sec. 573, February 10, 1996. 110 Stat. 355.

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under the new name of “National Guard Challenge Program,”8 commonly referred to as

the ChalleNGe program.9

The STARBASE program has a background similar to that of ChalleNGe in some

regards, but distinct in other ways. STARBASE was originally started as a privately

funded initiative. Its purpose was to involve “at risk” youth in science, math, technology,

goal setting, and positive life choices early on in their lives through hands-on educational

programs, exposure to technological environments, and guidance by positive role models.

In 1992, just three weeks before Congress authorized the predecessor of ChalleNGe in

the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1993, language was included in the DoD

Appropriations Act for FY 1993 “to establish the STARBASE youth education

program.”10 The conference report which accompanied the bill earmarked $2 million for

the program.11 Since then, STARBASE has received federal funding each year, though the

amount has varied.

There appears to have been a clear policy link between Congress’ decision to

establish ChalleNGe in the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 93 and its decision

to fund STARBASE in the DoD Appropriations Act for FY 93; namely, a desire to utilize

military resources to help young Americans -- especially those at risk for economic and

social failure -- to lead more successful lives. This link was made clearer in the DoD

Appropriations Act for FY 1994,12 when Congress provided funding for ChalleNGe,

STARBASE, and one other program under the common designation of “military youth

programs.”13 However, it should be pointed out that the legislative authority (as distinct

from funding) for DoD to get involved in a program like STARBASE has a different

origin. In 1990, Congress was concerned that a projected shortage of scientists and

engineers would have a negative effect on the nation’s defense capacity. In response to

this concern, Congress included a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for

FY 199114 which authorized the Secretary of Defense “to sponsor and assist in science,

mathematics, and technical education at all levels of education.”15 One subsection allowed

the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, to “establish

programs for the purpose of improving the mathematics and science knowledge and skills

8

P.L. 105-85, Sec. 1076, November 18, 1997. 111 Stat. 1911. 32 U.S.C. 509.

9

The unusual capitalization used in the word “ChalleNGe” is taken from promotional materials

which seek to highlight the connection between the program and the National Guard. As this

unusual capitalization is the more common way of referring to the program, it is used throughout

this report.

10

P.L. 102-396, October 6, 1992. 106 Stat 1882.

11

U.S. Congress. Department of Defense Appropriations Act for FY 1993. Conference Report.

House Report 102-1015, 80.

12

P.L. 103-139, Nov. 11, 1993. 107 Stat. 1418 et seq.

13

U.S. Congress. Department of Defense Appropriations Act for FY 1994. Conference Report.

House Report 103-339, 68-9.

14

P.L. 101-510, Sec. 247, November 5, 1990. 104 Stat. 1521 et seq.

15

U.S. Congress. National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1991. Conference Report. House

Report No. 101-923, 564.

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of elementary and secondary school students and faculty members.”16 This provision

provides the statutory authority under which DoD supports a program like STARBASE

and implicitly ties such programs, at least in part, to a specific national defense objective:

ensuring an adequate supply of scientists and engineers within the national labor pool to

meet defense needs.

The ChalleNGe Program

The ChalleNGe program is designed to improve the life skills and employment

potential of certain high school dropouts. Applicants must meet certain eligibility

standards in order to be admitted to the program. At a minimum, they must be between

the ages of 16 and 18, drug free, unemployed or underemployed, and be physically and

mentally capable of participating. Negative involvement with the criminal justice system

can also be grounds for ineligibility.17

The program consists of a 22-week long residential phase followed by a year long

non-residential phase. The residential phase is conducted in a military style “boot camp”

environment. This phase is typically conducted on a military base and staffed by state

employees, some of whom may be members of the National Guard. The curriculum

revolves around eight core components: leadership and followership, community service,

job skills, academic excellence, responsible citizenship, life coping skills, physical fitness,

and health, sex education and nutrition.18 A typical day in the residential phase of the

program involves an hour of physical fitness training in the early morning, followed by six

hours of instruction, an hour of military drill and ceremony, and two hours of study hall.

Upon completion of the residential phase, ChalleNGe participants enter into a year long

non-residential phase. During this phase, participants are eligible to receive stipends of

up to $2200 to assist them in pursuing educational or employment opportunities. They

are also paired up with mentors, who work with them individually. The mentors assist the

participants in making the transition from the imposed discipline of the residential phase

to the self-discipline necessary for a productive life.

The program has achieved some notable successes. Between 1993 and 1997, over

14,000 individuals have graduated from the program. Based on the results of tests

administered before and after completion of the program, the average ChalleNGe graduate

achieved a 1.3 grade-level increase in reading and a 2.0 grade-level increase in math.

Seventy-four percent passed the General Educational Development (GED) test.19 Each

16

P.L. 101-510, Sec. 247, November 5, 1990. 104 Stat. 1521. 10 USC 2193 (b).

17

Specifically, prospective participants are ineligible if they are on parole or probation for other

than juvenile status offenses, serving time or awaiting sentencing, under indictment or charged with

a crime, or have been convicted of a felony or capital offense.

18

Social Consultants International. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program: A

Comprehensive Report - 1996. Arlington, Virginia, 1996, 7.

19

According to Colonel Maynard K. Bean, Director of Commonwealth ChalleNGe (Virginia), this

GED attainment rate compared very favorably with other state programs. He stated “Of our

graduates 74 percent have earned their GED diploma. This percentage is substantially higher than

other State programs in Virginia, which average about 58 percent.” United States Congress. House

(continued...)

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graduate also performed 60 hours of community service while enrolled in the program.

One survey conducted in 1996 reported that “at the conclusion of the post-residential

phases, and after a year of being out of the controlled ChalleNGe environment, 56.1% [of

graduates] reported placements in the work force and 24.3% reported that they were

continuing their education.”20 Nonetheless, there has been some criticism of the program.

This criticism relates not to the effectiveness or goals of the program, but to the broader

issue of whether, in an era of tight military budgets, the Department of Defense should be

spending money on a program that is not so distantly related to national defense and so

closely aligned to other spending categories.

ChalleNGe is currently operating in 20 states.21 Fourteen other states, the District

of Columbia, and one territory have applied for the program and are on a waiting list, 22

pending the availability of funds. States on the waiting list are ranked in the order their

application was received. Federal funding for ChalleNGe in FY 1998 is $48 million.

Participating states are required to share some of the cost of funding the program. The

federal-state cost sharing ratio in FY 1998 is 75-25. It will shift to 70-30 in FY 1999, 6535 in FY 2000, and 60-40 in FY 2001 and beyond. The shifting ratio of cost sharing will

probably free up enough funds to establish a ChalleNGe program in one or two more

states, assuming that the federal contribution to the program remains at a level comparable

to FY 1998. However, assuming the federal-state cost sharing ratios mentioned above,

the federal contribution would have to be increased to about $85 million to establish a

program in all the states on the waiting list. The federal contribution would have to be

increased to about $110 million to establish a ChalleNGe program in every state and

territory.

The STARBASE Program

STARBASE is an acronym for Science and Technology Academies Reinforcing Basic

Aviation and Space Exploration. The goal of the program is to “ignite the interest of atrisk youth in science, math, technology, goal setting, and positive life choices”23 through

hands-on educational programs, exposure to technological environments, and guidance

by positive role models. The STARBASE program was initially established in 1991 with

a grant from the W.H. Kellogg Foundation, but since 1993 it has been a federally funded

program.

19

(...continued)

of Representatives. Hearings on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997.

H.N.S.C. Report 104-27. September 24, 1996, 1364.

20

Social Consultants International, 39-40.

21

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland,

Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,

Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Also, Puerto Rico and Oregon have six to ten week “miniChalleNGe” programs.

22

Michigan, Nebraska, Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Dakota,

Kansas, Montana, Indiana, Washington, New Mexico, Alabama, District of Columbia, and

Kentucky. (Ordered by date of application).

23

STARBASE brochure, 1997, 2.

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STARBASE facilities are most often located at Air National Guard bases, although

the Air Force Reserve and the Navy have also established facilities on their bases and the

Marine Corps is considering doing so as well. Students from targeted local schools —

those schools with substantial minority or lower income populations — are brought to the

STARBASE facility for five days, usually one day each week for five consecutive weeks.

During this time, they receive instruction in scientific and mathematical principles, conduct

experiments, witness high-tech equipment demonstrations, and interact with positive role

models. The curriculum varies depending on the resources available at the local facility

and the age of the students. The curriculum can be adapted to suit students from

kindergarten through twelfth grade, but currently operating programs tend to focus on

students in the fourth through sixth grade. A typical day for a fourth to sixth grade class

might include instruction on the basic principles of flight, construction and launch of a

model rocket, a tour of a military airplane, and interaction with military pilots and flight

crews. Themes of self-respect, goal-setting, and drug avoidance are often incorporated

throughout the day.

Since the program’s inception in 1991, over 75,000 children have participated in

STARBASE activities and approximately 3,000 teachers have been trained on how to

incorporate a more hands-on approach into their math and science curricula. A 1996

program evaluation by Social Consultants International24 stated that, based on tests given

before and after participation in STARBASE, students showed a 30% improvement in

answers to math and science questions. The evaluation also stated that STARBASE

participants acquired a more positive attitude towards math and science and improved their

ability to set goals. However, there is a lack of quantitative data regarding the long-term

impact of this program. As such, it is not known whether STARBASE influences children

in subsequent academic achievement and pursuit of careers in math, science, and

technological fields later in life. This absence of data makes it difficult to accurately assess

the relationship between the program’s cost and its social benefits. Supporters of the

program plan to conduct more research into long term effects in the future. Additionally,

like the ChalleNGe program, STARBASE receives criticism for depleting money from the

Department of Defense that might be better spent on programs more closely related to

national defense.

In addition to the original site in Michigan, the program currently operates at military

sites in 14 other states and one territory.25 Sites may be added in South Carolina and

Louisiana in 1999, depending on the availability of funds. Federal funding for

STARBASE in FY 1998 was $4 million. Expansion of the program to additional locations

would cost about $300,000 per site.

24

Cited in STARBASE brochure, 1997, 1.

25

California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon,

South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming and Puerto Rico.

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