Jonathan G. receives the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 2026 National Military Youth of the Year award at The Westin DC Downtown in Washington on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (Kevin Wolf, AP via Boys & Girls Clubs of America)
A teenager from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., has been named the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 2026 National Military Youth of the Year.
Jonathan G., a member of the Tinker AFB Youth Program, earned the national honor in Washington on Thursday for his leadership, service, academic excellence and dedication to health and well-being, according to a BGCA news release Friday.
The BGCA keeps the last names of finalists confidential for safety purposes.
“I don’t see Youth of the Year as an individual thing. I see it as a group thing, as a team development group, that everybody grows when somebody else goes ahead,” Jonathan said in the release.
As the winner, he received a $20,000 scholarship and will advance to the 2026 National Youth of the Year Celebration in New York City in October, the release said.
“Today, young people count on Boys & Girls Clubs for guidance and direction in a world that never stops changing, especially for those who serve our nation. Kids, families, and communities rely on us to provide stability and uncertainty times. Boys & Girls Clubs aren’t just meeting the urgency of today, we’re laying the foundation for the future,” said Jim Clark, CEO of BGCA, in the release.
Jonathan anticipates attending the University of Oklahoma after high school and joining the Air Force, according to the organization’s website.
BGCA’s Military Youth of the Year recognizes young military dependents, ages 14 to 18, from BGCA-affiliated youth centers on U.S. military installations worldwide.
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