Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The Illinois Department of Military Affairs received an $8.0 million Cooperative Agreement from the Illinois National Guard, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, under the National Guard ChalleNGe Program (CFDA 12.404). This non-discretionary, congressionally directed program delivers military-based training and youth development services to credit-deficient and at-risk secondary students aged 16-18 through the Illinois National Guard ChalleNGe Academy in Rantoul, Illinois. The program combines residential military instruction, supervised work experience, community service, and conservation projects designed to improve life skills and employment outcomes for participating youth.

As a mandatory matching program, the award includes both federal funding and required state cost-share contributions. The awardee is responsible for implementing the full scope of the program, including student selection and enrollment, curriculum delivery, staffing operations, facility management, post-residential phase execution, and comprehensive record-keeping. Individual state ChalleNGe programs in this funding range typically serve multiple cohorts of at-risk youth annually, with training periods ranging from several months to over a year, followed by structured post-residential support to facilitate employment and educational advancement.