The Foundation provides support to military children and families because the men and women of the Arkansas National Guard succeed when their families succeed. We help grow the next generation of Citizen Soldiers and Airmen by providing quality programs that help improve the lives of young Arkansans from all walks of life.
Average Junior Enlisted Guardsmen income for a drill weekend: $351
Average cost of Child care for a weekend drill: $200
Number of Students who annually attend the Minuteman Youth Camp 50-60 campers per summer
The Foundation intends to expand its youth engagement by providing educational support to graduates of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program. This alternative program offers youth who have dropped out of high school, or are not progressing, the opportunity to change their future by learning self-discipline, leadership and responsibility. It also affords them the opportunity to obtain their high school diploma or GED. Many of the graduates go on to college. The Foundation provides scholarships to Youth Challenge graduates and enables their vocational training by paying for certificates in various trades.
Additionally, the Arkansas National Guard Foundation engages with youth by funding an annual Minuteman Youth Camp. This is a resident camp for the children of Guard members conducted annually at Camp Joseph T. Robinson that includes wilderness orientation, fresh-water fishing, and leadership development opportunities that many National Guard dependents would never be exposed to.
The Foundation supports the children of National Guard service members by helping to fund day camps and childcare activities for families while their service member attends military formations. Fierce and Resilient Day Camps prepare military kids for today’s environment while helping to meet the childcare needs of our traditional drilling Guardsmen and women.
Finally, the Foundation seeks to increase the National Guard’s involvement with the Junior and College ROTC programs around the state by enabling training site and installation visits for ROTC Cadets to educate them on opportunities within the Arkansas National Guard.
Kids at play at Minuteman Youth Camp
