Milledgeville Youth ChalleNGe Academy

The Milledgeville Youth Challenge Academy will become the premier program for at risk young people in Georgia when it opens in mid-October 2016. This 17-month program provides a foundation for students, 16-18 years old who desire the opportunity turn themselves into productive citizens.
The program is supported through the National Guard both from the National and State levels and currently has 40 programs across the country. Georgia is one of only a handful of states with three such programs in operation.
Starting with a 22-week residential phase, the selected cadets learn and develop their academic abilities in order to earn academic credentials such as their High School Diploma through a partnership with Georgia's Graduation Achievement Charter High School.
They can also earn their General Education Diploma(GED), or gain general high school academic credit as well. This all depends on their academic standing when they enter the program.
Upon graduating from the residential phase, the cadets return to their communities under the guidance of a trained volunteer mentor who will assist the young person in continuing the success they gained in order to move forward in academic pursuits, career development or even military service.
This program is not for everyone. Students must apply for voluntarily and are then selected for a program in which they must understand that they are leaving behind the life that they have known.
The staff and cadre of the program expect that these cadets will conform to the rigors of this “quasi-military” environment that will challenge the young people (males and females), physically and mentally in such a manner so they will demonstrate a positive change in their behavior.
This program has produced significant successes in Georgia with over 14,000 graduates since 1993. Our transformative program is one that focuses on character education while providing the academic development. Cadets learn life skills and personal enrichment through the various programs and service learning opportunities provided to them.
This is a life-changing program that can and will create a positive result for a young person who brings both an attitude of confidence and a desire to become a better citizen.