The Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy (KSCA) is accepting applications for its next class of cadets, which will begin the program in July 2025. There is no tuition cost to attend. Meals, housing, uniforms, and school supplies are provided at no charge.

The KSCA is designed to give academically challenged teens a second chance at obtaining their basic education, as well as opportunities to learn leadership, self-discipline, and responsibility, to build a better life. The opening of the academy at Fort Indiantown Gap (FTIG) in Lebanon County in July 2022 formally established the National Guard Bureau's Youth ChalleNGe Program in Pennsylvania.

The program is open to 16- to 18-year-old Pennsylvania residents who are failing to progress in high school or may not be on a clear path to graduating, or who are unemployed or under employed. Applicants must be willing to be drug free. They must be free of felony convictions and voluntarily commit to the program. The first 22 weeks of the program consist of residential training at FTIG followed by 24 months of mentorship back in participants' home communities.

The KSCA conducts two classes a year, one starting in mid-July and the other in mid-January. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

The KSCA is a joint effort between the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) and the National Guard Bureau in consultation with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).

Cadets are introduced to the military structure and focus on eight core components: academic excellence; physical fitness; leadership/followership; responsible citizenship; job skills; service to the community; health and hygiene; and life coping skills. Graduates often receive high school credits, credentials, or a GED.

The award-winning National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program was launched in 1993, and it currently operates 38 sites in 29 states and territories. The program is both federally and state funded.

More details, including the online application, can be found at http://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmva/keystone-state-challenge-academy.html. New applicants also have the option of having an application mailed to them by emailing the academy at RA-MVPACHALLENGE@pa.gov or by calling 717-861-7767 or 717-861-8831.