ChalleNGe Academy cadets in Kentucky (left) receive orienta- tion flights. Confidence- building (below) is part of the curriculum at Grizzly ChalleNGe Academy, Calif.
who have spent time living on the streets. Some have been diagnosed with defi ance dis- order, even more with attention defi cit hyper- activity disorder. One or both of their parents might be in prison or on drugs. At least one young man was being raised by a single moth- er who suff ered from severe mental illness. A young woman in danger of slipping through the cracks after countless family moves found her way into the program, too. “We know that there’s a better life out there
for them,” says Dawn Batten, program coordi- nator at the Florida Youth ChalleNGe Acad- emy. “We know. It’s getting them to know it.” In the ChalleNGe Program, cadets study
traditional classroom subjects. They sweat. They volunteer in the community. They learn discipline, what to eat, and how to put to- gether a résumé. “You’d be surprised how many kids do
not know how to take a shower. They don’t know the importance of brushing their teeth,” says Batten, who retired from the Florida National Guard in 2009. “I’ve been doing this six years, you’d think that I’d be used to it by now, but then I get another 17- or 18-year-old
emies can be found in 27 states. Need continues to drive growth: Within the next fi scal year, three new sites are slated to open. ChalleNGe takes a preventive
rather than a remedial approach. The voluntary program includes a 22-week residential phase followed by 12 months of com- munity-based mentoring and follow-up. The residential phase takes place in a highly structured and motivational environment. Training revolves around eight core components: academic ex- cellence, responsible citizenship, physical fi tness, leadership/ followership, job skills, service to the community, life-coping skills, and health and hygiene. The teens who participate could be foster kids, former gang members, or runaways
PHOTO: RIGHT, SPC. EDDIE SIGUENZA, USA AUGUST 2015 MILITARY OFFICER 53
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