Grizzly Youth Academy Foundation

About Us

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.

24 years of service

7150 graduates to date

400+ yearly graduates

4.7 million socioeconomic value by our graduates

Testimonials

“Grizzly Youth Academy is about changing your life for the better. In my eyes, all my heroes work at Grizzly Youth Academy.”

- Samantha Garcia

“My son is turning into a great man before my eyes and I'm very proud of him. I was skeptical about Grizzly at first but they did a great job.”

- Frank Garcia

“Grizzly Youth Academy is like a second family I never had. They taught me many positive things I can do in my life and inspired growth within myself as I learned and earned the title of Cadet.”

- Elizabeth Luna

“I honestly can’t put into words how amazing this place is. So, if you're considering going here DO IT because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that you won't regret.”

- Kassandra Fox

“Grizzly has taught me how to plan for my future and how to reach my goals. Grizzly has also showed me how important school is and now I pay attention and get good grades.”

- Jacob Jeffreys

“I learned a lot about myself. I learned that with a team anything is possible.”

- Antonio Avila

“Grizzly Youth Academy was one of my biggest achievements. I recommend it to everyone that was in my situation.”

- Gilberto Soltero

Board & Staff

Our Board of Directors come from a wide-range of backgrounds to enable us to access a broad knowledge base.

Tom Bordonaro

President

Gary Stoner

Vice President

Chris Unger

Secretary

Rick Scott

Treasurer

Teresa Marquez

Program Manager

Leslie Halls

Board Member

Amy Watkins

Board Member

Tracy Ellis Weit

Board Member

Ranelle Baldwin

Board Member

Donate

Grizzly Youth Academy (GYA) is a partnership between the California National Guard and the Grizzly Challenge Charter School. For youth between the ages of 15 1/2 and 18 who have dropped out of high school, or are at-risk of dropping out, we offer a highly-structured environment that promotes leadership, cooperation, and academic skills, while building self-esteem, pride, and confidence.