Youth Challenge Program

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title: "Youth Challenge Program" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["national-guard-(united-states)", "american-military-youth-groups", "learning-programs"] description: "National Guard program for at-risk youth" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_Challenge_Program" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary National Guard program for at-risk youth ::

| image1 = Milledgeville Youth ChalleNGe Academy Grand Opening (32512920622).jpg | image2 = Youth Challenge Academy cadet throws a sandbag to Georgia State Defense Force Cpl. Richard Wilson.jpg | image3 = Youth Family Day at Ft. Youth (25742988177).jpg | image4 = Oregon National Guard Youth Challenge Program Graduation Ceremony DVIDS499755.jpg | footer = 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.

Phases

Acclimation phase

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

Residential phase

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.

Post-residential phase

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. Cadets are also expected to maintain contact with their mentor and the program placement staff.

Participating states and territories

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 *Alaska

Arkansas Youth Challenge in *Arkansas

Sunburst Youth Academy in *California

Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *District of Columbia

Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Florida

Georgia Youth Challenge in *Georgia

Hawaii Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Hawaii

Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Idaho

Lincoln's ChalleNGe Academy in *Illinois

Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Indiana

National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program in *Kentucky

Louisiana National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program in *Louisiana

Freestate ChalleNGe Academy in *Maryland

Michigan Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Michigan

Mississippi ChalleNGe Academy in *Mississippi

Montana Youth ChalleNGe Academy*Montana

Battle Born Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Nevada

New Jersey Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *New Jersey

New Mexico Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *New Mexico

Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy in*North Carolina

Thunderbird Youth Academy in *Oklahoma

Oregon Youth ChalleNGe Program in *Oregon

Puerto Rico Youth ChalleNGe Academy in *Puerto Rico

Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy in *Pennsylvania

SC Youth ChalleNGe Academy in*South Carolina

Tennessee National Guard Volunteer ChalleNGe Academy in *Tennessee

Texas ChalleNGe Academy in *Texas

Virginia National Guard Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy in*Virginia

Washington Youth Academy in *Washington

Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy in *West Virginia

Wisconsin ChalleNGe Academy in *Wisconsin

Wyoming Cowboy Challenge Academy in *Wyoming

Related programs by the National Guard

• Partners in Education
• HUMVEE 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

Gallery

File:Grizzly Youth Academy Groundbreaking (12230079043).jpg|Officials break ground for the California National Guard's Grizzly Youth Academy program expansion work at Camp San Luis Obispo. File:Youth Challenge Cadets Graduate in Time for Holidays National Guard Affiliated Program Gives Youth a Second Chance DVIDS352614.jpg|Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy cadets applaud at their graduation ceremony held at the high school in Knightstown, Indiana. File:National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program 150210-Z-DZ751-014.jpg|Army Gen. Frank Grass, chief, National Guard Bureau, converses with a Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy cadet. File:Badger Challenge cadets work on a walking trail near the Wisconsin Military Academy.jpg|Badger Challenge cadets work on a walking trail near the Wisconsin Military Academy. File:A backpack journalist (5965286524).jpg|Youth ChalleNGe cadet Triana Daughtry of Augusta reviews her writing with "A Backpack Journalist" instructor Dillon Horne during a free-verse poetry course.

References

References

1. link. (May 8, 2009)
2. "Youth Challenge Program Phases - National Guard Youth Challenge | Dream. Believe. Achieve.".
3. "Youth Challenge Program Phases - National Guard Youth Challenge | Dream. Believe. Achieve.".
4. . ["Alaska Military Youth Academy"](https://dmva.alaska.gov/AMYA/).
5. . ["Arkansas Youth Challenge"](https://www.aryouthchallenge.com/).
6. . ["Sunburst Youth Academy"](https://sunburstyouthacademy.com/).
7. . ["Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy"](http://www.cgyca.org/).
8. . ["Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy"](https://floridayouthchallengeacademy.org/).
9. . ["Georgia Youth Challenge"](https://www.georgiayouthchallenge.org/).
10. . ["State of Hawaii Youth Challenge Academy"](https://dod.hawaii.gov/yca/).
11. . ["Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy"](http://www.idyouthchallenge.com/).
12. . ["Lincoln's Challenge Academy"](https://www.lincolnschallenge.org/).
13. . ["Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy"](http://hoosieryouthchallenge.org/).
14. . ["Kentucky National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program"](https://www.kychallenge.org/).
15. . ["Louisiana National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program"](https://www.langycp.com/).
16. "Ansel M. Stroud, Jr.". [[The Times (Shreveport).
17. . ["Freestate ChalleNGe Academy"](https://freestatemil.maryland.gov/).
18. . ["Michigan Youth ChalleNGe Academy"](http://miycp.org/).
19. . ["Mississippi ChalleNGe Academy"](https://msyouthchallenge.org/).
20. . ["Montana Youth ChalleNGe Academy"](http://www.youthchallenge.mt.gov).
21. . ["Battle Born Youth ChalleNGe Academy"](https://nvng.nv.gov/BBYCA/).
22. . ["New Jersey Youth ChalleNGe Academy"](https://www.nj.gov/military/challenge/index.html).
23. . ["New Mexico Youth ChalleNGe Academy"](https://www.nmyca.net/).
24. . ["Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy"](http://nc-tcachallenge.org/national-challenge-program/).
25. . ["Thunderbird Youth Academy"](http://thunderbird.org/).
26. . ["Oregon Youth Challenge Program"](https://www.oycp.com/).
27. White, Jeff. (3 April 2017). "Puerto Rico Youth ChalleNGe Academy Graduates 225 Cadets".
28. "Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy".
29. . ["SC Youth ChalleNGe Academy"](https://scyouthchallenge.com/).
30. . ["Tennessee National Guard Volunteer ChalleNGe Academy"](https://www.tn.gov/tnvolunteerchallenge).
31. . ["Texas ChalleNGe Academy"](https://www.tn.gov/tnvolunteerchallenge).
32. . ["Virginia National Guard Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy"](http://www.vachallenge.org/).
33. . ["Washington Youth Academy"](https://mil.wa.gov/youth-academy).
34. . ["Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy"](https://wvchallenge.org/).
35. . ["Wisconsin ChalleNGe Academy"](https://www.challengeacademy.org/).
36. . ["Wyoming Cowboy Challenge Academy"](https://wycowboychallenge.org/).

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