Dream.
Believe.
ACHIEVE.
The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program was established by Congress in 1993 to turn around the lives of young men and women between the ages of 16 and 18 who are experiencing difficulty in completing traditional high school. This is a free program open to Georgia residents.
ADMISSIONS INFO
Upcoming Events
GAYCP Campus Update: (03.26.2020)
the closure of all gaycp Campuses has been extended until FURTHER NOTICE.
At this time, all GAYCP campuses will remain close until further notice and we will provide any additional information as we receive it. This is a fluid process and your patience and flexibility are sincerely appreciated.
As we all know, all GAYCP cadets were sent home on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis as directed by Major General Thomas Carden, The Adjutant General of Georgia, after his discussion with Governor Brian Kemp.
There are a lot of fears and concerns right now regarding the Coronavirus. We have been working to develop responses, comprehensive plans, and information from the state level that will guide the entire Georgia Youth ChalleNGe Program and the Georgia Department of Defense to plan our next steps in moving forward.
DPH Guidelines to prevent the spread coronavirus
The Georgia youth challenge experience
The Georgia Youth ChalleNGe Program empowers participants to embrace responsibility, achievement and positive behavior. It is the only program of its kind providing graduates with a personal mentor for one year to help the transition into adulthood.
Academic Excellence
Cadets attend daily academic classes that increase math and reading comprehension and prepare them for GED credential testing, credit recovery, or a high school diploma. Learn More
Leadership & followership
Cadets develop strong character while identifying and applying individual moral and ethical standards to perform various roles and responsibilities in a structured group environment. Learn More
Service to Community
Cadets realize the value and importance of giving back to the community while performing a minimum of 40 hours of service to the community and/or conservation project activities. Learn More
Cadet Life
I personally volunteered for the Youth Challenge Program. I watched my brother skip a year of high school because of YCA and he graduated with his diploma in class #45 so I followed behind him in class #46. The first day wasn’t a fairy tale, they call the first two weeks hell weeks. Hell it ...
I went to YCA on my 17th birthday on July 19, 2015 and graduated on Dec 19, 2015. I was kicked out of my house and had nowhere else to turn to, so I ended up at YCA to try and finish high school to have more opportunities further in life. At first, it was very hard. I had trouble opening up to ...
My name is Kameryn Lavender. I graduated YCA in Milledgeville in April of 2019 Class 5. In the beginning, it was difficult. I say it was difficult because it’s a program for DIFFICULT KIDS! You go in not knowing what to expect. Sometimes there was arguing and fighting, sometimes things ...
Thanks to Youth ChalleNGe, Sharrieff feels that he certainly dodged the bullet of incarceration. Now he is a student at Atlanta Technical College taking an Avionics Bench Technician course, and will soon be transferring to Middle Georgia State University to finish obtaining his private ...
I graduated from Fort Stewart Youth ChalleNGe Academy in June 2005. I joined the US Army in September 2005, and served 12 years before getting out this past July. If it wasn't for attending YCA, I probably wouldn't be were I'm at right now. This was definitely one of ...
Since graduating from the Milledgeville Youth ChalleNGe Academy in October 2017, Devon has been a cook at Waffle House and has steadily increased his start pay of $7.25 to $10.25 per hour. Devon also just completed his first semester at West Georgia Tech studying welding. He has found his ...
My son was failing school, relationships, mostly himself. He was on a dangerous road heading for destruction. He went to Challenge when he was 16 years old. He learned and accomplished so much. He learned self-discipline, improved his self-esteem ten-fold, graduated high school with HONORS!! He ...
I love this place. My son was going to end up dead or in jail before attending YCA. Now, he is very respectful and thinking about his future. He has done a complete turn around. I'm so thankful for this program. So happy my child could take part in something truely this special.
This is an awesome place for kids who need structure in order to get themselves together. I saw my son for the 1st time in 6 weeks yesterday and he has changed so much. Best decision.
I am a YCA graduate; the program definitely did have challenges and hard times, but I feel like the program set me straight and prepared me to be a successful person later on in life.
I'm happy that my daughter agreed to go to YCA and be away from all family and friends. We miss her, but we know she is doing her best to succeed in the program!!!
This program has done such an amazing job with my son in just 30 days! I already see a change in not only his attitude, but his will to better himself as a young man. I'm a single mom who had done all I knew to do with minimum help and I refused to allow him to fail at life. I battled with ...