acclimation

The two-week Acclimation Period orients candidates to the Challenge program environment by allowing them to adjust to the physical, mental and social discipline required to successfully complete the program. The focus is on teamwork, close quarter drill, code of conduct, leadership and followership, and building a foundation for greater physical fitness

Candidates relinquish personal items, receive haircuts, and exchange their street clothes for uniforms. Meanwhile, they begin to exchange old ideas about their personal potential for new possibilities

During the Acclimation Period, staff members continually assess each candidate’s potential for success in the Residential Phase. 

residential phase

At the end of the Acclimation Period, motivated candidates are selected to enroll in Challenge and become cadets. Historically, the majority of the selected cadets will go on to successfully complete the Residential Phase. 

During the next five months of the Residential Phase, cadets are fully immersed in a quasi-military training environment which emphasizes discipline, consistency, and structure. 

Cadets also develop their social, emotional, and academic skills through the ambitious daily training schedule. Cadets complete the Residential Phase with the skills and values necessary for their successful transition and integration into adult society. 

mentors & the post residential phase

Mentors, who have been nominated by the cadets, begin to establish constructive relationships with cadets midway through the Residential Phase. The mentors help support the cadets during the remainder of the Residential Phase and help them prepare to re-enter community life. Mentors continue their responsibilities throughout the 12-month Post-Residential Phase.

The Post-Residential Phase begins when graduates leave the Challenge Academy and return to their communities. MYCA graduates go on to one of the following "placements": high school completion, higher education, employment, military enlistment, or volunteering at least 30 hours a week

The goal of the Post-Residential Phase is for graduates to sustain and build on the gains made during the Residential Phase, and to apply the new skills they have learned to their home environment. Mentors, who have been matched with cadets during the Residential Phase, play a critical role in ensuring their continued success.