The Youth Challenge Program is a program for at-risk youth run by the National Guard of the United States, 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 Eisenhower, but both fall under the same state director.
Rantoul is a village in northern Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,371 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area.
The United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), located in New London, Connecticut, is the U.S. service academy specifically for the United States Coast Guard. Founded in 1876, the academy provides education to future Coast Guard officers in one of nine major fields of study.
The United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps is a congressionally chartered, U.S. Navy-sponsored organization that serves to involve individuals in the sea-going military services, U.S. naval operations and training, community service, citizenship, and teach an understanding of discipline and teamwork. The USNSCC is composed of two programs; the Navy League Cadet Corps (NLCC), which is for cadets ages 10-13, 5th grade through 8th grade; and the senior program (NSCC), which is for cadets ages 13-18.
The Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1842, it is the third oldest of the six senior military colleges in the United States. The Citadel was initially established as two schools to educate young men from around the state, while simultaneously protecting the South Carolina State Arsenals in both Columbia and Charleston.
Valley Forge Military Academy and College (VFMAC) is a private boarding school and military junior college in Wayne, Pennsylvania. It follows in the traditional military school format with army traditions. Though military in tradition and form, the high school portion of VFMAC, Valley Forge Military Academy, is a college-preparatory boarding institution specializing in student leadership. VFMAC's administration is composed almost entirely of current or retired military and the board of trustees is almost entirely alumni. Some graduates pursue careers in the armed services and VFMAC has graduated one Rhodes Scholarship recipient.
Georgia Military College (GMC) is a public military junior college in Milledgeville, Georgia. It is divided into the junior college, a military junior college program, high school, middle school, and elementary school. It was originally known as Middle Georgia Military and Agricultural College, until 1900. While GMC is a state-chartered and funded institution, its governance is not overseen by either the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia or the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia.
The Idaho Military Department consists of the Idaho Army National Guard, the Idaho Air National Guard, the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security, and formerly the Idaho State Guard. Its headquarters are located in Boise. The main goal of the Idaho Military Department is to efficiently prepare emergency-ready staff to protect and serve the citizens of Idaho from any potential threats.
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Fort Indiantown Gap, also referred to as "The Gap" or "FIG", is a census-designated place and National Guard Training Center primarily located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. A portion of the installation is located in eastern Dauphin County. It is located adjacent to Interstate 81, 23 miles (37 km) northeast of Harrisburg, just north of the northern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 934 at I-81's Exit 85.
The Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home (ISSCH) was a residential and educational facility near Knightstown, Indiana, in northwestern Rush County, Indiana.
The Tennessee Military Department is a department within the Executive Branch of Tennessee State Government with four major components. The Tennessee Army National Guard and the Tennessee Air National Guard constitute the National Guard in Tennessee. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), and the Tennessee State Guard are the other major components of the Military Department.
Oakland Military Institute, formally the Oakland Military Institute College Preparatory Academy, is a charter school run by the California Military Department's Youth and Community Programs Task Force in partnership with the Oakland Unified School District in Oakland, California.
Kate Segal was a State Representative for the 62nd House District, which covers much of Calhoun County and includes the cities of Battle Creek, Springfield and Albion, and seven townships: Albion, Bedford, Clarence, Convis, Lee, Pennfield, and Sheridan.
Camp Pendleton is a 325-acre (1.32 km2) state military reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia, named after Confederate Brigadier General William N. Pendleton, who served as Robert E. Lee's chief of artillery during the American Civil War. It lies on the Atlantic coast slightly east of Naval Air Station Oceana.
The Georgia Department of Defense is a state agency charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the Georgia National Guard. Headquartered at Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Georgia, the Georgia Department of Defense includes the Georgia Army National Guard, the Georgia Air National Guard, and the Georgia State Defense Force.
The Washington Military Department is a branch of the state government of Washington, United States.
The Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (AROTC) is the United States Army component of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It is the largest Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program which is a group of college and university-based officer training programs for training commissioned officers for the United States Army and its reserves components: the Army Reserves and the Army National Guard. There are over 30,000 Army ROTC cadets enrolled in 274 ROTC programs at major universities throughout the United States. These schools are categorized as Military Colleges (MC), Military Junior Colleges (MJC) and Civilian Colleges (CC).
The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps is a federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and at US military bases across the world. The program was originally created as part of the National Defense Act of 1916 and later expanded under the 1964 ROTC Vitalization Act.
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