The Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy (HYCA)  |  | Retired Indiana Army National Guard Col. Wayne Hill (right), Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy director, and 1st Lt. Justin Newett, Indiana National Guard (second from right), show cadets around the Muscatatuck Urban Combat Training Center, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. The field trip was a reward to those cadets who are in the Honor Platoon, Class 10, of the Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy. Photo by Jesse Beiber. | Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy Cadet Kendell Mimms tries out riot gear from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department during Career Exploration Day at the Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy, Tuesday, May 1, 2012. Photo by Jesse Bieber. |
 The Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy is a community-based residential program for at-risk youth of Indiana between the ages of 16-19, who are struggling academically. For more information and to see if your child qualifies, please visit the Academy website
at http://www.ngycp.org/in. Visit the Foundation which supports the Academy if you are interested in finding out more about its work or making a donation. Available for download are informational brochures on the Hoosier Youth ChalleNGe Academy, the national Youth Program, and the National Guard Youth Foundation. These are large files and may take a moment to download. If someone you know can use this program do not hesitate to contact MSG Kelly at (812)725-2745 or via e-mail at tony.kelly@us.army.mil. Additionally the academy has opportunities for those individuals wishing to serve as mentors for the Program. We are in need of mentors for those candidates whom do not have that strong individual to look up to and would like to provide them with a positive role model to assist them in their change toward being a productive citizen. If you are interested in becoming that individual who can make a change in a young adult's future, please contact MSG Kelly. See "Related News" in the right column for recent stories and videos about the Academy and its cadets. The March 2011 Indiana Guardsman magazine features the Academy's move to it's new location at the historic Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home in Knightstown, Ind. Articles include the history of the facility and the speech of the president of the 7th graduating class (December 2010.) See the photo essay from that graduation as well as the December 2011 graduation of the 9th class. Featured photos of Family and Mentor events, the HYCA Pre-ChalleNGe Phase, and many others are included in our rotating photo galleries on the home page. December 2011 saw the Academy facility being placed on the National Register of Historic Places. View an information page and historic photos. |
An introduction to the Academy |