Part of the National Guard-sponsored Youth ChalleNGe Program, the Maryland National Guard's Freestate Youth ChalleNGe Academy is a tuition-free program which offers at-risk adolescents 16 to 18 years old an opportunity to change their future for the better by providing the skills, education and self-discipline needed to become responsible, productive citizens. The initial program consists of a 22-week residential phase. During this phase the cadets learn self-discipline, leadership and responsibility. Participants live and work in a controlled quasi-military environment, encouraging teamwork and personal growth. A 12-month post-residential phase focuses on helping enroll graduates in continued education, technical school programs or entry-level employment. During the post-residential phase, students are assisted by at least one trained mentor from the community for further development.

The Freestate ChalleNGe Academy provides instruction based on each cadet’s personal needs in order to prepare the cadet to take Maryland’s General Education Development (GED) exam. Classes are in the five areas tested on the GED certification exam; math, science, social studies, literature, and writing skills/ essay.

This five-part video series tells the story we documented over the five-month portion of their initial phase. You can view the print story and photographs at:

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