The FBI on Friday honored a Kapolei-based program dedicated to putting the lives of high school dropouts back on track.

The Hawaii Youth Challenge Academy, the local chapter of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program, was awarded the 2010 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award. The award recognizes the achievements of individuals and organizations who make extraordinary contributions to crime and violence prevention, as well as education, in our communities.

The Hawaii academy works to intervene and reclaim the lives of high school dropouts, providing graduates skills they need to succeed. Since it began in 1994, more than 2,578 cadets have graduated from the program. More than 2,200 have earned their high school degrees.

On average, the program reaches about 400 teens a year, through two sessions of 200 graduates.

Each of the FBI’s 56 field offices selects one award winner each year.