Grizzly Youth Academy Foundation

Grizzly Youth Academy Foundation (GYAF) is a partnership between the CA National Guard, the Grizzly Youth Academy, and the Grizzly Challenge Charter School. The program is designed for youth between the ages of 16- 18 who have dropped out of high school, or are at-risk of dropping out, and it offers a highly-structured environment that promotes leadership, cooperation, and academic skills, while building self-esteem, pride, and confidence.

Twenty five years ago, Grizzly Youth Academy started, one of three National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs in California and 35 in the country. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program is voluntary; students who apply must be committed to completing the 22-week residential phase and the 12-month post-residential phase. Once accepted, students are introduced to the military structure, participate in team building activities, practice making healthy choices, attend school daily, gain organizational and study skills, participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, and receive the support they need to turn their lives around.

Grizzly Youth Academy is funded primarily through the Federal Government (75%) and State of California (25%), with additional funding provided by grants and donations. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe experience has transformed the lives of over 113,000 youth in the 30 years the program has existed nationally.