Jeffrey Wood (left at table), chief of staff to the state Department of Military, and Brig. Gen. Bradley Cox present information about the closure of the Arkansas Youth Challenge Program to lawmakers on Sept. 23, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)
An inability to keep staff and falling graduation rates helped lead to the closure of a long-running Arkansas residential program aimed at helping teenagers finish school, state military officials told lawmakers Monday.
Officials also grew concerned about students’ safety in light of several investigations of alleged inappropriate behavior among staff, Jeffrey Wood, chief of staff to the state Department of Military, told members of the Senate and House children and youth committees.
The Arkansas Youth Challenge Program, which provided military-based training and work experience in exchange for a high school diploma or its equivalent, operated similarly to initiatives the National Guard operates in 27 states . The bulk of its funding came from the federal government.