<![CDATA[Youth Program

<![CDATA[Youth Program - Home]]>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 11:40:41 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[February SYC Newsletter]]>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 23:38:38 GMThttps://www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com/home/february-syc-newsletter

]]><![CDATA[January Youth Newsletter!]]>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:42:07 GMThttps://www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com/home/january-youth-newsletter

]]><![CDATA[Calling All Artists!]]>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:41:13 GMThttps://www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com/home/calling-all-artistsSubmit your artwork in the comments or email directly at georgiaguardyouthprogram@gmail.com to be featured in next month's newsletter!

Entries Can Include/Not Limited to:
- Physical Art (Painting/Drawings/Pottery)
- Digital Art (Gaming, Computer Pieces)
- Music
- Design (decoration, up-cycle, fixer-uppers)
- Fashion
- Building Blocks

Sky is the Limit! Let's see what our #MilKids have been up to!

]]><![CDATA[The Georgia National Guard Youth Program Participates in Let's Connect Summit]]>Mon, 16 Jun 2025 19:04:27 GMThttps://www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com/home/the-georgia-national-guard-youth-program-participates-in-lets-connect-summitThe Georgia National Guard Youth Teen Panel and Keystone Club attended the 2025 Let's Connect Summit, hosted by Kennesaw State University and the Georgia Department of Veterans Service, which was held at the Savannah Convention Center in downtown Savannah, Georgia. The summit serves to unite military service members, veterans, their families (SMVF), and mental health professionals to raise awareness about suicide prevention and bullying. The summit also doubled as a quarterly State Youth Council in-person session.

Day one included a variety of sessions including: An Introduction to the 'Spoken Word', Dealing with Small Group Dynamics, Navigating High School with Mentors, Signs and Youth Statistics, and finished with an Amazing Race scavenger hunt in downtown Savannah.

'Day two included sessions with the Parker Gordon Fox Foundation, 'Ending the Silence for Youth' Presentation, MRT Trainings on Emotion Management, and a visit to the Telfair Museum where participants were given a private tour before taking a clay pottery class.

Day three began with a session on Navigating College and Mental Wellness before youth participants prepared to present their Keystone National Project on bullying.

The National Project combined arts and crafts and the spoken word to help Youth members express how bullying has impacted them based on the feelings movie 'Inside Out'. Each member presented a mask... the outside, what people see; the inside, their internal reality. Each youth participant 'spoke' to more than 50 audience members about their feelings on mental health and bullying and how they hope to positively impact other youth in their community.

To close out the conference, Youth Program Director Mark Richards was able to present the 2025 Month of the Military Child Painting (painted by various military children across the state of GA) to Patricia Ross, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service, to be placed in a Veteran Hospital in the state of Georgia.

Event Slide Show

]]><![CDATA[Multiple Organizations Throughout Georgia Came Together to bring Thanksgiving Diner to Military Service Members and Retirees.]]>Tue, 26 Nov 2024 16:47:54 GMThttps://www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com/home/on-saturday-november-23rd-multiple-organizations-throughout-georgia-came-together-to-bring-thanksgiving-diner-to-military-services-members-and-retirees

Operation Home Front, Sysco Foods, and Georgia Military Family Readiness Specialists teamed up to bring Holiday Meals to qualified Military personnel in Regions 7 & 8 of the state. Staff and volunteers hosted the Holiday Meal Event at Oglethorpe Armory in Ellenwood, GA from 10am – 1pm on Saturday, November 23rd.

Participants were able to ‘drive-through’ multiple stations to get everything they needed to host a holiday dinner. Sponsors included Sysco Foods, who donated over 100 turkeys, Proctor and Gamble, Goldyn Networks, The VFW, Boys Scouts, and the National Charity League.

Operation Home Front, Carnival Cruise Lines, Sysco, and the VFW also boasted over 35 volunteers for the event. Staff members on site from the Family Programs Branch included Military Family Readiness Specialists, Youth Programs, Work for Warriors, Transition Assistance, and Military One Source.

]]><![CDATA[State Youth Symposium at Jekyll 4H Center Full of Fun!]]>Wed, 28 Aug 2024 16:43:34 GMThttps://www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com/home/state-youth-symposium-at-jekyll-4h-center-full-of-fun

The Georgia National Guard Youth Program held the yearly State Youth Symposium at the Jekyll Island 4H Center right on the North Atlantic Ocean's coast in Jekyll Island, GA.

Over 40 participants enjoyed activities like enjoying the Splash in the Boro Waterpark and doing a "Beach Ecology" session with 4H on the coast. This year's beach task included participants building the highest and most sturdy sand-dunes before the high tide came in wash them out. The team with the most sturdy dune won.

The Symposium was filled with classes and workshops including topics like Budgeting, Leadership & MRT Trainings, Social Media, Goal Setting, and Healthy Eating. "Say it With Music" hosted the Keynote Speaker Session which was informative and also included a fun team competition for both youth and adults.

Our evenings ended with group networking and discussions surrounding current issues, and, future events and activities for our State Youth Council teen panel.

Click through the slideshow below to see photos from this past weekend. If you are interested in joining the State Youth Council, please fill out an application at this link (https://www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com/sycapplication.html) or under the 'DIRECTORY' tab on our website where it says SYC application.

]]><![CDATA[ROBOTICS CAMP ENDS WITH A THRILL]]>Tue, 30 Jul 2024 13:43:50 GMThttps://www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com/home/robotics-camp-ends-with-a-thrillThe 2024 Georgia National Guard Youth Program, in partnership with First Lego League and Atom Robotics, hosted a robotics camp from Monday, July 22nd to Thursday, July 25th at the Oglethorpe Armory in Ellenwood, GA. In this time, campers were split into two teams that had to build a robot, code, and strategize their way through up to 15 possible Lego challenges.

Campers, ages 5-12 years old, had only 4-days to compete in a 3-minute competition that usually takes teams MONTHS to prepare for. Not only did each team complete multiple challenges, they also both earned a substantial amount of points in competition. The 1st place team pulled ahead by just a 5-point margin in the last 2 seconds of competition, leading to a thrilling finish in front of parents and staff. All participants received certificates and superlatives for their amazing teamwork and for displaying the Lego League's "Core Values" throughout camp and the competition.

See more awesome photos from camp below:

]]><![CDATA[1st Annual Savannah Youth Camp A Success]]>Mon, 15 Jul 2024 15:47:33 GMThttps://www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com/home/1st-annual-savannah-youth-camp-a-successSavannah Youth Camp was held at the Eisenhower Armory from July 8th - 11th. Campers enjoyed a wide variety of experiential learning opportunities with other #MilKids from across the state.

Telfair Museum Tour + Art Project

Savannah Youth Camp teamed up with the Telfair Museum in Savannah. Telfair staff hosted a crafting activity where youth participants made their own 'Lantern Art'. This art would mimic one of the main pieces displayed at the museum, which participants viewed first-hand during their personal tour.

The lantern piece was not the only feature of the Museum as there were many interactive elements for our young participants! After the tour campers got to eat lunch on the beautiful Telfair Square lawn.

Drones with Starbase Warner Robbins

Savannah Youth Camp also teamed up with Starbase in Warner Robbins. Starbase Staff instructed students on how to fly drones through difficult courses as well as playing a drone Tic-Tac-Toe game.

Campers Learn Horticulture

Campers earned their "Green-Thumb" planting various flowers and fruit plants. Campers were able to decorate their own pots and research the various care methods for a wide variety of plants.

Explore Music with Trolls 2 the Movie

Campers were able to enjoy a movie at the local NCG Cinema in Savannah for their 'Summer Movie Series'. Campers each got snack packs and were able to lounge in their reclinable seats. Trolls 2 was a fun movie that offered a wide variety of musical medleys.

Campers Visit UGA Marine Education Center & Aquarium

Campers visited the UGA Aquarium which showcased marine life local to South Georgia. The aquarium also featured an interactive experience where campers learned proper handling techniques for various species.

Hike at the Jay Wolf Nature Trail

Campers hiked the beautiful Jay Wolf Nature Trail in Savannah, GA. The trail included various Cacti plants, trees and wildlife local to South Georgia. Youth also got to show off their custom made Tie-die shirts made earlier during camp.

]]><![CDATA[Month of the military child a huge success!]]>Thu, 02 May 2024 15:42:48 GMThttps://www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com/home/month-of-the-military-child-a-huge-successThe Georgia National Guard Youth Program Staff, State Youth Council Members, and Volunteers were busy during April for the Month of the Military Child! Find out more about these wonderful events below:

April 2nd: Book Club Zoom Meeting

The Georgia National Guard hosted its third book club meeting of the in the month of April. Participants read the third book of the Twisted Tales series and will round off May with the first book of the Villains series. Book Club is a regional activity and includes participants from Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Georgia. Participants received a copy of all four books, have the opportunity to win prizes and network with Military Kids and Youth Coordinators across states.

April 3rd: Financial Literacy Club

The Georgia National Guard hosted its second meeting of the spring/summer Financial Literacy Club Series. Youth will have the opportunity to learn how to properly earn, spend, and invest money. Participants will also have the opportunity to start researching and investing in the stock market.

April 4th: Columbus Month of the Military Child Event

The Georgia National Guard Staff, Volunteers, and State Youth Council Members attended the Columbus Month of the Military Child Event on April 4th hosted by the State and Family Readiness Region 10 team at the Columbus Public Library. The Youth Program displayed a resource table with free books and toys... as well as hosting interactive games and activities for #MilKids to take part in throughout the event.

April 12th: Month of the Military Child Purple Up Day

Georgia National Guard Youth Program President Alesia James promotes Purple Up for Military Kids by wearing Purple on April 12th. Georgia National Guard members were also asked to share their #PurpleUp photos across social media sites.

April 13th: MOMC Book Fair and Festival

The State and Family Readiness Region 7 and Region 8 locations hosted the Month of the Military Child Book Club and Festival at Oglethorpe Armory on Saturday, April 13th. Vendors handed out resources, Girl Scout Cookies, free books, and toys! The event also featured activities including a live DJ, a Month of the Military Child mural painting, a Read-A-Loud, and a Community Book House Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.

Military kids, parents, youth program staff and volunteers paint the 2024 'Military Kids are Out of This World' Mural, sponsored by Foundation for Hospital Art.

Youth Program Director, Mark Richards, reads 'Healthy Habits for Kids' to Military Youth Children!

A Community Library, sponsored by the 2023 Regional Book Club Class, Military One Source, and United Through Reading... is presented at Oglethorpe Armory for local kids to 'take one and leave one' as they please!

April 20th: Fort Stewart Resource Fair

The Georgia National Guard Youth Program attended a resource fair at Fort Stewart bringing information, books, and prizes to soldiers and their families.

April 26th-28th: NGAGA State Conference Hosted by the National Guard

The Georgia National Guard Youth Program supported the NGAGA State Conference by hosting a variety of activities for youth participants while parents enjoyed the conference.

]]><![CDATA[Georgia National Guard Youth Program Hosts Film Camp!]]>Fri, 28 Jul 2023 22:38:03 GMThttps://www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com/home/georgia-national-guard-youth-program-hosts-film-campThe Georgia National Guard Youth Program completed their week-long summer film camp on Thursday that turned #MilitaryKids into writers, actors, and producers of their own short film.

The campers worked with a small film budget to include all prop, costumes, film and production costs. Other camp courses included acting classes, photography, and an intro to digital media.

Be sure to check out the final short film and photography work is shared below and make sure to check regularly on our events page at www.georgiaguardyouthprogram.com to see what other amazing opportunities are coming up for Georgia Guard Military Youth!

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