KNIGHTSTOWN — The Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy, just east of Hancock County, has been providing second chances to at-risk youth since 2007.
The academy, located at 10892 N. State Road 140 in Knightstown, offers military-based training to youth age 16 through 18 who are looking to turn their lives around.
“We consider ourselves a real second chance opportunity for troubled youth. It’s limitless what they can do here,” said Kirbie Young, cadet shift supervisor and admissions coordinator at the academy.
“Our goal is to turn them into productive citizens of Indiana. We have an 80 to 90% success rate,” said Young, an Army veteran from Greenfield.
The academy has both correctional and educational components, instilling personal discipline along with a drive to succeed academically. While teens can’t be court-ordered to attend, many are brought there by parents who have struggled to keep their son or daughter on the right track.
“We feel like we’re a great fit for that kid that needs a little kick in the seat of the pants,” said Young. “About 99.9% of the kids have veered right or left, and we help steer them back home.”
The academy is open to teens throughout the state who have not yet graduated from high school. Tuition is free.
The program is part of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program, which operates 41 such programs in 32 states.
Young said the academy instills more than personal discipline, physical stamina and self-respect in cadets. It also teaches them a host of practical skills, like how to write a resume, interview for a job, open a bank account and manage finances.
“We try to give them that full-rounded experience,” said Young.
While a typical class has anywhere from 100 to 125 cadets, the current class has only 55 — 43 boys and 12 girls — who started a couple weeks late due to COVID-19 restrictions.
They’ve been living on campus since Aug. 1, and will graduate Dec. 5.
Cadets live on campus in dorm-style barracks throughout the five-month residential program, during which they’re allowed a 10- to 15-minute phone call with family once a week. They don’t have access to cell phones or other electronics for the duration of their stay, except when they’ve earned time playing video games as a reward for good behavior.
Their main focus is fortifying their character and getting their academics and life’s mission back on track, said Young.
While there, cadets can focus on one of two educational tracks — either working toward a high school equivalency diploma or a credit recovery option to earn high school credit.
As always, Young is proud of all the cadets’ hard work.
Each graduate is assigned a mentor — typically a family member who doesn’t live in the same house — who helps lead them down the right path for the 12 months following graduation. Mentors are to remain in close contact with the cadets, and often play a role in helping them pursue their schooling or land a job.
Cadets typically have four different options upon graduating from the academy: get a job, join the military, go to college or return to high school.
The program’s next class will start Jan. 9, and graduate June 12.
Applications are always open to youth throughout the state, said Young. For more information, call 765-345-1000 or visit in.gov/ago/hyca.
