Youth Challenge Program

Top left: Cadet Darblin Cabral, from the Ft. Stewart Youth Challenge Academy Class 47 Honor Guard. Top right: A Youth Challenge Academy cadet throws a sandbag to Georgia State Defense Force Cpl. Richard Wilson. Bottom left: A student hugs her mother during the Georgia National Guard Youth Challenge Academy Family Day event. Bottom right: The Oregon National Guard Youth Challenge Program Cadet Color Guard team.

The Youth ChalleNGe Program is a program for at-risk youth run by the National Guard of the United States (which is why the NG in ChalleNGe is either: Capitalized, Italicized, Bolded or all of the above), which consists of Youth Challenge Academies (known as YCA's) in each participating state. The stated mission of the Youth Challenge Program is "to intervene in and reclaim the lives of at-risk youth to produce program graduates with the values, skills, education and self-discipline necessary to succeed as adults." The program accepts 16- to 18-year-old male and female high school dropouts who are drug-free and not in trouble with the law. The program lasts for 17½ months. The first 5½ months are part of the quasi-military Residential Phase. The last 12 months are part of the Post-Residential Phase. Most participants will earn their GED or a high school diploma by the end of their Residential Phase.

The program is one of many programs administered by the National Guard Bureau that address leadership, life skills, and physical training.¹

The program begins with a 2-week Acclimation Phase where candidates can adjust to the physical, mental, and disciplined aspects of the program.² At the end of the Acclimation Phase, candidates graduate to cadets and begin the Residential Phase of the program.

The residential phase is a 22-week long phase and the main phase of the Youth Challenge Program. During the Residential Phase, Cadets will attend school, participate in physical training, learn the values of discipline and teamwork, and explore numerous career opportunities.

The post-residential phase is a 12-month period that focuses on placement. Cadets must secure positive placement via a job, returning to high school, enrolling in college or a trade program, enlist in the military, or volunteer at least 30 hours a week.³ Cadets are also expected to maintain contact with their mentor and the program placement staff.

The following is a list of states who participate in the Youth Challenge Program. Some states have multiple campuses; for example, Georgia has a YCA at both Fort Stewart and Fort Gordon, but both fall under the same state director.

Alaska Military Youth Academy in *Alaska⁴

Arkansas Youth Challenge in *Arkansas⁵

Sunburst Youth Academy in *California⁶

Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *District of Columbia⁷

Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Florida⁸

Georgia Youth Challenge in *Georgia⁹

Hawaii Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Hawaii¹⁰

Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Idaho¹¹

Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy in *Illinois¹²

Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Indiana¹³

National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program in *Kentucky¹⁴

Louisiana National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program in *Louisiana¹⁵¹⁶

Michigan Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Michigan¹⁷

Mississippi ChalleNGe Academy in *Mississippi¹⁸

Montana Youth ChalleNGe Academy*Montana¹⁹

Battle Born Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Nevada²⁰

New Jersey Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *New Jersey²¹

New Mexico Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *New Mexico²²

Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy in*North Carolina²³

Thunderbird Youth Academy in *Oklahoma²⁴

Oregon Youth ChalleNGe Program in *Oregon²⁵

Puerto Rico Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Puerto Rico²⁶

Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy in *Pennsylvania²⁷

SC Youth ChalleNGe Academy in*South Carolina²⁸

Tennessee National Guard Volunteer ChalleNGe Academy in *Tennessee²⁹

Texas ChalleNGe Academy in *Texas³⁰

Virginia National Guard Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy in*Virginia³¹

Washington Youth Academy in *Washington³²

Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy in *West Virginia³³

Wisconsin ChalleNGe Academy in *Wisconsin³⁴

Wyoming Cowboy Challenge Academy in *Wyoming³⁵

• Partners in Education
• HUMVEE School Program
• YOU CAN School Program
• Guard Fit Challenge
• Heritage Outreach Program
• ASVAB Career Exploration Program
• GED Plus Program
• About Face
• Forward March
• National Guard Drug Demand Reduction Program Archived 2009-01-16 at the Wayback Machine

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  Officials break ground for the California National Guard's Grizzly Youth Academy program expansion work at Camp San Luis Obispo.
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  Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy cadets applaud at their graduation ceremony held at the high school in Knightstown, Indiana.
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  Army Gen. Frank Grass, chief, National Guard Bureau, converses with a Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy cadet.
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  Badger Challenge cadets work on a walking trail near the Wisconsin Military Academy.
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  Youth ChalleNGe cadet Triana Daughtry of Augusta reviews her writing with "A Backpack Journalist" instructor Dillon Horne during a free-verse poetry course.