DC - ARNG youth challenge - 4001 (FY26 zero MOD)

The Department of the Army National Guard National Capital Region Integrated Air Defense System awarded the District of Columbia Government Operation Division a $600,000 cooperative agreement under the National Guard ChalleNGe Program (CFDA 12.404) on October 1, 2025.

The award funds educational programming, mentoring, community service opportunities, and technical skills training for at-risk youth aged 16–18 who are credit deficient or have discontinued secondary school attendance. The program aims to improve participants' employment potential and help them obtain high school diplomas or equivalency credentials. The District of Columbia Government Operation Division functions as the administrative recipient for the Defense cooperative agreement, with performance executed through National Guard facilities and youth development infrastructure in Washington, DC.

The period of performance runs through September 30, 2026. The award is structured as a non-discretionary, Congressionally directed cooperative agreement to the District of Columbia's National Guard, executed following National Guard Bureau review and approval of program plans, specifications, and documentation.