The Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy (KSCA) is accepting applications for its next class of cadets, which will begin the program in January 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 and an opportunity to learn leadership, self-discipline, and responsibility so they can build a better life.

The program is open to 16- to 18-year-old Pennsylvania residents who are failing to progress in high school or who may not be on a clear path to graduating. Applicants must be willing to be drug free and free of felony convictions, and they must voluntarily commit to the program. The program lasts for 17 months, with the first five months consisting of residential training at Fort Indiantown Gap (FTIG) and a minimum of one year 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 all year.

Cadets are introduced to the military structure and focus on eight core components: academic excellence, physical fitness, leadership and 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 diploma.

KSCA is the Pennsylvania program of the national Youth Challenge program. The KSCA is a joint effort between the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the National Guard Bureau in consultation with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The opening of the academy at FTIG in Lebanon County in July 2022 formally established the program in Pennsylvania.

Since the inception of the national Youth Challenge program in 1993, more than 200,000 cadets have graduated. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program currently operates 40 Youth Challenge sites in 28 states and territories. The program is both federally and state funded.

For detailed eligibility requirements and to begin the application process, visit http://www.dmva.pa.gov/KeystoneStateChallengeAcademy. To request that an application be mailed or for more information about the program, email ra-mvpachallenge@pa.gov or call 717-861-7767 or 717-861-8831.