AIKEN -- Every day begins at 4 a.m. and doesn't end until nightfall. All waking hours are spent in physical training, studying or participating in close-order drills.

Although this may sound like a day in the life of a service member, it actually describes life at the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy at Camp Long in Aiken. Officials say the Youth ChalleNGe Academy is one of the most successful programs of its kind in the nation.

A program of the South Carolina National Guard, the academy uses a 22-week residential program and yearlong post-residential mentor program to turn around the lives of at-risk youths 16 to 19 years old. Of the approximately 3,100 young men and women who have graduated, 150 of them have come from Bamberg, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties.

Seventeen-year-old Deontae McFadden of St. Matthews began his residential cycle Feb. 15. Scheduled to graduate in July, McFadden says he sees life in a different way since he's been at the academy.

"It's a good opportunity," McFadden said. "Kids who think high school is not for them can use this as a way to turn their life around, especially for those who have dropped out of high school. This is the only program I know of that will give you a GED at 16."

Jackie Fogle, a retired S.C. National Guard colonel from Livingston, has been the state director of the Youth ChalleNGe Academy since its inception in 1998. He says the academy, based on military basic training, is one of 34 such programs in 30 states and Puerto Rico.

"In 1993, a group of folks in Washington realized there was a problem with some young people, and that's when Youth ChalleNGe was started," Fogle said. "What we do is essentially team building. For many, it's the first time they have been taught to care about other people."

Program applicants must have no felony convictions and be drug free at time of entry, unemployed and high-school dropouts. They must undergo a series of interviews before being invited to attend the program, which is paid for by state and federal funds. There is no cost for participants.

Those who are accepted are given a ratings test to discover their academic level. All candidates then participate in a two-week portion of the residential program known as Pre-ChalleNGe.

"During this two-week period, the participants are called candidates. Those that finish are called cadets," Fogle said. "We lose about 20 percent of our kids in each class during Pre-ChalleNGe. They are not incarcerated -- anyone is free to leave the program -- but everyone wants to quit on the first day, and so we counsel with them to keep them in. They learn they have to do some things in life that aren't fun, but it's called reality.

"For those that decide to remain, however, it is amazing the transition that takes place from the beginning to the end of Pre-ChalleNGe," he said. "The kids change their looks, how they act, and they take pride in themselves. They begin to learn what they are capable of."

Antonio Shaw, 16, of North, began his cycle in February, but dropped out due to illness and decided not to return. He recently started another program cycle April 26.

"The reason I came back is that I felt the academy was a positive change for me," Shaw said. "I found myself back in the neighborhood doing the same things as before after I left the first time. I didn't want to disappoint my family again.

"The first two weeks are the hardest two weeks because it's getting us mentally ready for what's to come. The discipline was the thing that stood out most for me; it has helped me out a lot."

Shaw says his advice to incoming youths is to give the program a chance.

"Think your situation through if you think you want to quit," he said. "Think about whether you have any other positive options that you can pursue."

Fogle says another key to the program's success is the yearlong post-residential mentorship phase.

"We train the mentors, and we also give our graduates mentee training," Fogle said. "We ask that the mentors and mentees meet face-to-face at least four times a month. We don't tell the mentor what to do, just to be available and be positive.

"Often, the mentor will make adjustments to keep his charge on track with the Post-Residential Action Plan," he said. "Before graduation, a counselor will sit down with that young person and find out what he or she wants to do with the rest of their life. The P-RAP is essentially a road map that we lay out for them to help them get where they want to go."

Camp Long Site Director Milton Montgomery says truancy is the biggest issue for many of the cadets.

"The typical kid in our program has been in the ninth grade for two to three years," Montgomery said. "They get discouraged, and they are just waiting until they are 17 so they can legally drop out.

"We have a number of kids that can pass the GED test on the first try, but they have a problem with the attendance. A lot of them just skip school."

Fogle says the training staff, most of whom are retired military or current National Guard members, offers positive encouragement to the cadets for everything they do.

"For some, it's the first time this has happened," he said. "Most of these kids have problems trusting an adult. Here, they find the family structure and set boundaries that they have never received. Many have told us it makes them feel safe.

"Most are good kids who have simply made bad decisions based on life experiences," he said. "We have a large number of these kids graduate and go on to become very successful adults. Many go on to college or enter the workforce, and about 15 to 20 percent enter the military."

Both McFadden and Shaw say they are looking forward to the opportunities the Youth ChalleNGe Academy has afforded them.

"I always had a problem with discipline, such as listening," McFadden said. "The staff really helped me with my listening skills. It has really helped me change my life around, and I see it in a different way now. Now, I want to go into the National Guard for the Army so I can go to junior college and become a mechanic."

"I want to enter the National Guard and go to tech school," Shaw said. "I'm thinking about a medical degree, either in neurology or be an Army nurse and make a career in the Army."

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T&D Staff Writer Phil Sarata can be reached by e-mail at psarata@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5540. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

Budget cuts threaten future of Youth ChalleNGe Academy

T&D Staff Report

The future of the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy is being threatened by state budget cuts, forcing a search for other funding sources for the first time in the program's history.

State Director Jackie Fogle says even a reduction in funding by the General Assembly could threaten shut down the program.

"Sixty percent of the funds for our program come from the federal government, but only if there is a 40 percent matching amount from the state," Fogle said. "We don't know yet if we will have the funding from the state this year.

"We have offered four 22-week residential phase cycles every year of the program," he said. "This year was the first time we had to operate only three cycles. Next year, we will only be offering two cycles solely due to reduced funding."

The ChalleNGe Foundation, the non-profit organization affiliated with the academy, has sponsored a fund-raising golf tournament every year since 2001.

"The tournament has raised an average of $8,000 each year for scholarships," Fogle said. "Given the funding situation, this year's tournament is more important than ever before."

The ChalleNGe Foundation Golf Tournament will start at 8:30 a.m. Monday, June 29, at the Hidden Valley Golf Course, 147 Excaliber Court in Gaston. For tournament or sponsorship information, call Rene' Littell at 803-806-2849.

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