By MONROE ROARK AND BETH SNIPES
Staff Writers

Hundreds of young people in Georgia are seizing a unique opportunity for educational growth, and it is literally turning their lives around.

A group of local business and government leaders got a firsthand look Friday at this opportunity — the Youth Challenge Academy, sponsored by the National Guard and funded with a combination of state and federal dollars.

Boarding a C-130 transport at Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta in the early morning hours, the visitors spent the day at Fort Stewart, just outside Savannah, where the program is based. Most, if not all, came away impressed.

In the past six years, Youth Challenge has reached out to about 2,000 of the nearly 48,000 young men and women who have dropped out of high school. Each five-month session combines high school with military-style activities (although this is not a “boot camp” — each student is here voluntarily, without any assistance or directive from the correctional system).

The school is not for the faint of heart, but is open to young people 16-18 who have dropped out of school, are unemployed, drug-free and not involved in the legal system.

The reasons for deciding to attend the academy are as varied as the backgrounds of the 200 or so students in each session. But the obvious pride and self-esteem shown by each student, many for the first time in their lives, is evident from the start.

The current crop of students has just completed eight weeks, including the first four weeks which are dubbed “hard-core.” Discipline and physical testing are emphasized during the early days of the academy.

In addition to traditional academic work, students study life and work skills, responsible citizenship, leadership, followership, health, hygiene, fitness and community involvement. It makes for a full day.

Of the 2,000 graduates so far, an astonishing 94 percent have stayed out of trouble. Students from 65 counties in Georgia, including Fayette and Coweta, have attended and succeeded.

Nearly every student moves upward and onward immediately after graduation — to college, a job, a technical school or the military.

Leading the group that visited the program last week was state Sen. Rick Price, one of the biggest boosters of Youth Challenge and someone who is constantly selling the program to his peers under the Gold Dome.

“It's a great program,” he said. “I believe all the legislators who have seen the program are very supportive.”

Right now most of the overall budget ($4 million in Georgia) for Youth Challenge is funded by the federal Department of Defense, which started the program in seven states and now operates in 28.

The U.S. government is gradually weaning states off federal funding, with a 65-35 split this year and settling next year at 60-40. This allows the feds to move into other states with the program.

But because of this, Price and others who tout Youth Challenge will have to find more state dollars to supplement what is lost. Price believes that he needs only to get people to see what's happening at Fort Stewart and the rest is easy.

“It's not a hard sell,” he said. “It's easy due to the 94-percent success rate.”

A nonprofit corporation also exists to help the program, and private sponsorship is always being sought.

One participant in last Friday's trip brought with her 60 pair of running shoes that were donated for the students' use. The school already uses a school bus donated by Henry County.

A representative from the Fayette County Board of Education made the trip last week, as did State Court Judge Fletcher Sams and Solicitor-General Steve Harris, two men who unfortunately see a number of young people pass through their court each year.

“It was an inspiring trip,” said Harris. “It apparently is one government program that actually works.”

He brought back an application, made copies and ordered literature to keep in the front of his office so parents can readily see it.

The thing that struck Harris the hardest, he said, was the sadly high percentage of broken homes that figured into the overall number of students in the program. Many of those young people simply give up when their parents split up, he said.

“From an educational standpoint, a lot of these kids have given up on the system,” said Harris. “Or the system's given up on them.”

He met one student on this trip who has been through his court, and he was extremely pleased with the progress that student and the others are making.

According to Price, three students in the current class are from Fayette County, two are from the Newnan area, and one is from the Griffin area.

Chris Cody and Joshua Fountain were friends before they decided separately to go to YCA and they are now in barracks next to each other. They feel like brothers now and provide much-needed support for one another.

Asked what he has learned from this experience, Fountain said, “When you start something, finish. Quitting gets you nowhere. Always work as a team, but you have to get along with yourself first. One person can't make a team work.

“We are like 200 Legos. If one is pulled out, it won't work, but you should always do your best to make it work. Always do what you're supposed to do like someone is watching.”

Cody added that he has discovered during his time at Youth Challenge what he has taken for granted in the past — specifically, his family.

“I've grown up a lot and realize I have to help myself first before I can help others,” he said. “I'm learning to get along with others and do for myself. It's just great. I've never felt this good before.

“I've learned to open up to God. That's the most important thing I've learned,” he added. “I go to church every time I can. It's helped. I'm a better Christian person.”